Court allows return of Caravaggio painting to Odesa museum

The story of the Odesa Museum's Caravaggio painting has reached the finish line after years of legal maze. Now there are no more legal obstacles to returning the painting to the museum.

This was reported by Victoria Nesterenko, a lawyer at the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art.

The court decision to return the painting "The Taking of Christ into Custody" by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, also known as "The Kiss of Judas," to the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art, has entered into force.

This refers to the decision of the Podil District Court of Kyiv of August 28, 2025, which decided to return the painting to the museum. According to the lawyer, the decision finally came into force after the prosecutor's appeal was considered and dismissed.

The painting was seized back on August 31, 2010, during a seizure as part of criminal proceedings. Since then, there have been lengthy court disputes over its fate. The proceedings dragged on for years and took place in several courts.

After the judgment has entered into force, the parties expect the case file to be returned to the district court to complete procedural formalities. After that, it will be possible to actually return the painting to the collections of the Odesa Museum of Western and Oriental Art.

Nesterenko noted that the case was a long and complicated one, but the end is near. It is expected that in the near future the painting will be back in the museum collection, where it should be stored and made available to scholars and visitors.

Caravaggio 's painting was stolen from the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art in 2008. The museum claimed that its value exceeded one hundred million dollars.

In 2010, a group of thieves were detained in Berlin while trying to transfer the painting to an underground collector. About 20 possible accomplices in the theft were also arrested in Ukraine.

After that, the severely damaged painting by Caravaggio was returned to Ukraine, but it was not restored and left at the Kyiv Institute of Restoration as material evidence. The painting could not be touched while the judicial investigation was ongoing. According to the former director of the Odesa Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Volodymyr Ostrovsky, "the painting is just dying," and those responsible for the theft have not been punished.

Since 2010, the painting has been kept at the National Research and Restoration Center of Ukraine as material evidence. On April 20, the Podilskyi District Court of Kyiv granted the museum's request and allowed restoration work to begin on the painting.

In April 2018, Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko confirmed his intention to return the Caravaggio painting to the Odesa Museum and ensure its transportation in proper condition after the arrest was lifted. He noted that the painting was in critical condition and needed careful transportation and an appropriate frame.

Last year, the government approved a bill to ratify a grant agreement with Italy aimed at restoring Odesa' s cultural heritage. The program provides for the restoration of museums, the Philharmonic and other historical sites in the city center.

Анна Бальчінос