Institute of Russian Realist Art
Seems like a ‘fight’ is brewing over a collection of over 46,000 Soviet-era works of art that was once worth pennies and is now worth millions. According to recent articles:
The sale of nine Soviet-era masterpieces that fetched $3 million at a London auction in 2014 is causing uproar in Moscow’s art community, where it was largely perceived as a theft of the family jewels.
The sale of the paintings, one of which now has a place of pride in a Moscow oligarch’s private museum, has triggered a criminal investigation.
There also has been a push to re-nationalize the collection that once belonged to a Soviet artists’ trade union.
Wen the works had very little monetary value, nobody really cared … just shows that ‘getting’ the collection is less about the art and all about the money. It should be interesting to see how this plays out.
Source: Auction of Soviet art triggers probe; art market on guard
Source: USA Today