Other museum applies on the picture from the Ayvazovsky's gallery

Last Thursday the director of the Ayvazovsky's art gallery Tatyana Gayduk conducted the press-conference, on which she reported that another museum contested rights of the gallery on one of pictures of Ivan Ayvazovsky.

T. Gayduk told that besides display work any museum carried on research activity, where such concept existed, as «history of existance of museum object». In any collection there are exhibits with interesting history. The employees of the gallery considered, that in their collection the bust of Ayvazovsky had an interesting history. In 1941 it was lost during the evacuation of exhibits of the gallery, and after war it was returned by a pilot.

But it appears, that in the gallery there is another exhibit with unusual history. It is the picture of Ayvazovsky, on which now other museum produces rights. The art gallery proves the right of ownership on this work. We speak about work of Ayvazovsky «On the island Krit».

- 60 years ago the picture of Ayvazovsky «On the island Krit» in our gallery came to us from the Crimean regional regional museum. The museum exchanged it on one of views of Feodosia by the artist Sokolov, - explained the director of gallery. The picture «On the island Krit» was in the very bad state, it was restored in Moscow for long time, because there were about 30 breaks on it. After it always was under intent attention of employees of gallery, it was restored for six times.

Basic arguments of employees of gallery are that a gallery have scientific and fund documents on the picture, and the other museum can not give them. And also, that Ayvazovsky wrote about 6 thousand works on different themes and always created pictures in series. On the subject of revolt of habitants of island Krit the artist wrote the series of works too.

Tatyana Victorovna showed this picture in the display of gallery.

- The picture is now in good condition, only specialistcan notice tracks of restoration on it, - she said.

- Well, yes, if it were in bad repair, who would want it? – one of journalists noticed.