Moonlit Night, Ivan Aivazovsky painting, is being auctioned in Russia. The artwork was illegally transferred to the Simferopol Art Museum in 2014.
The Russians’ plans to auction off Aivazovsky’s painting were revealed by Gyunduz Mamedov, former Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine and Prosecutor of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, on Twitter.
This Aivazovsky painting was among 52 paintings that were illegally transferred to the Simferopol Art Museum in Crimea.
In 2017, Interpol announced paintings stolen were placed on international wanted list. Russia violates international law, particularly the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which prohibits the export and transfer of ownership rights for cultural artifacts.
Ivan Aivazovsky (Ovanes Aivazyan) is a Ukrainian artist of Armenian descent known for his maritime and battle-themed artworks. Aivazovsky has created over 6,000 diverse works, including paintings, watercolors, and drawings. His pieces adorn museums and private collections worldwide. Over his more than sixty-year artistic career, Aivazovsky has participated in over 120 art exhibitions, with more than half being solo exhibitions.
