the Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko accused in the illegal export of paintings by Russian artists. He was called to testify on may 26 at the State Bureau of investigation (GBR) Ukraine, as a witness, reports the edition “Country”.
the Prosecution in this high-profile case yet was not presented to anyone. However, according to the newspaper, the investigation is led by the Department of State Bureau of Ukraine by military personnel: it may indicate that his figures are guards.
the Criminal case opened on the fact of illegal export from Ukraine without any customs control 43 of paintings of great Russian artists, presumably, such as Ivan Aivazovsky, Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov, Isaac Levitan, Alexander Benois, Vasily Vereshchagin. Speech, sources said, could refer to either the period of Poroshenko Minister of economy during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych or the Ukrainian President. The cost of the paintings, according to experts, can reach several million dollars. Thus, the export of each painting out of the country, Poroshenko was, among other things, to obtain the permission of the Ministry of culture. Earlier edition of “the Scheme” reported that at his Villa in Marbella there is a gallery, where he gathered rare items of art.
According to the Declaration of income, Poroshenko has 69 paintings, including a collection of paintings by Russian artists of XIX-XX centuries in the amount of 65 units, and a collection of contemporary paintings of the Impressionists and the Surrealists – 4 units. Poroshenko in the Declaration said that it had acquired a collection of paintings, long before he became President. In 2011, the Ukrainian media reported that Poroshenko has more than 50 paintings by Aivazovsky.
