Ukraine Accuses Tretyakov Gallery of Illegally Exhibiting Crimean Artworks

Ukraine's Ministry of Culture has charged Moscow's Tretyakov Gallery with unlawfully displaying artworks taken from Crimea without proper consent. This issue centers around a retrospective featuring 19th-century artist Ivan Aivazovsky, which commenced on July 29. Ukraine asserts that 38 pieces borrowed from the Aivazovsky National Gallery in Feodosia breach Article 5 of the 1954 Hague Convention, which mandates Ukraine's approval. The director of the Tretyakov Gallery remarked, "We did not steal anything... We simply borrowed the works." This conflict arises from Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which is not recognized globally. Ukrainian art critic Alexei Rogodchenko expresses concern that the artworks may not be returned after the exhibition concludes in November, while cultural heritage expert Nikita Semenov labels the matter as political. The gallery intends to return the artworks in November.