Perpetrators of looting of Kherson museums identified

Journalists have identified Russian officer Dmitry Lipov and three officials from the occupied Crimea involved in a large-scale theft of cultural property from two Kherson museums in the fall of 2022.

According to an investigation by the Kyiv Independent, during the retreat due to the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Russian invaders took more than 33,000 historical artifacts and works of art. This crime is called the largest museum robbery in Europe since World War II.

Dmitriy Lipov, the head of the communication center of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, who served as the commander of Kherson; Sergey Patrushev, the head of museum affairs in the occupied Crimea; and museum directors Yelena Morozova and Mikhail Smorodkin were involved in organizing the illegal export.

Photo: Most

Lipov ensured the "security" of the abduction by personally sealing the trucks with the artifacts. Patrushev organized the transportation of paintings from the Kherson Art Museum to Crimea. Morozova and Smorodkin were responsible for the selection of items from the local history museum.

In addition, journalists found out that the process was supervised by Russian FSB officers. Some of the stolen exhibits were transported to museums in Crimea, but the fate of many priceless ancient artifacts remains unknown.

Experts are currently working on restoring the lists of stolen valuables and collecting evidence of the crime.

Meanwhile, Kherson has signed an agreement with the police to ensure the security of the art museum looted by the Russians during the occupation. The agreement, signed on December 30, provides for the protection of the museum's premises from January 1 to December 31, 2025.

According to the Kherson Art Museum, the Russian invaders stole more than 10,000 museum items. Among the stolen items are not only paintings, but also graphic works and 12 sculptures, including a majolica by Mikhail Vrubel.

In addition, the museum estimated that the invaders took more than 10 paintings with children as the main characters from their collection.

The occupiers also stole a painting by artist Hryhorii Melikhov titled "Musical Morning," which was painted in oil on canvas in 1981, and others.

Андрій Колісніченко