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Krasnodar detective story: Sculptures worth 105 million rubles were stolen. Who is under suspicion?
Krasnodar detective story: Sculptures worth 105 million rubles were stolen. Who is under suspicion?

Video: Krasnodar detective story: Sculptures worth 105 million rubles were stolen. Who is under suspicion?

Video: Krasnodar detective story: Sculptures worth 105 million rubles were stolen. Who is under suspicion?
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A. A. Apollonov at work, photo by B. N. Ustinova
A. A. Apollonov at work, photo by B. N. Ustinova

A high-profile case for millions. Not a needle in a haystack, but 266 works of art are sought by the Investigative Committee of the Krasnodar Territory. All his works disappeared from the house of the famous sculptor Alexander Apollonov, and the artist himself died in an accident.

On June 11, 2017, the famous sculptor Alexander Apollonov died in a car accident. A tragic accident. But it is not an accident that is still being discussed in the region. The fate of the legacy and inheritance worries the residents of Krasnodar and the artist's family. Close attention is focused on the sculptor's concubine Vera Gavrilova. It turned out that a few days before his death, Apollo went to court with a request to reclaim his works of art. The list contains 266 items. Sculptures, paintings, documents. The estimated cost is 105 million rubles.

According to friends and relatives of Apollonov, there was a quarrel in the family. Vera Gavrilova changed the locks on the doors of the house. All the works and personal belongings of the artist remained inside. For half a year, Alexander Apollonov was forced to live in hotels, with friends and spend the night in a workshop. It was then that he went to court, but did not manage to bring the matter to the end. Killed. And after that, the house, which was filled with masterpieces, was empty. The bailiffs did not find a single sculpture inside.

A. Apollonov and V. Gavrilova, photo from the family archive
A. Apollonov and V. Gavrilova, photo from the family archive

Artist and Muse

- said the son of the sculptor Peter Apollo in an interview.

In an unofficial marriage, Vera Gavrilova and Alexander Apollonov lived for 21 years. When they met, Gavrilova was a librarian and became a sculptor. He called her a muse. He helped to get a designer education, a prestigious job, make a name, and also adopted her child. But even for a simple gratitude to him, this was not enough. Alexander Apollonov was buried by the whole city, but not by his beloved woman. She did not attend the funeral. And to requests to provide his awards for the ceremony, she refused.

Contribution

Alexander Apollonov is the author of many monumental works. It is difficult to imagine the southern capital without his sculptures. They have long become symbols of Krasnodar. The first bronze monument of his work is to the commander of the female aviation regiment Evdokia Bershanskaya. Since 1988, the pilot has been standing proudly on the square of the Krasnodar airport. He also restored an ancient monument to Catherine II and inscribed himself in the history of the south with dozens of sculptures. However, Apollo is also known beyond its borders. The bust of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich adorns the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg. The surname Apollonova is known to the residents of Moscow, Tskhinval, Ulyanovsk, Crimea. The list can be long. The geography of the sculptures is not easy to trace.

Apollo at work, photo by B. Ustinov, bust of Grand Duke M. N. Romanov, Artillery Museum, St. Petersburg
Apollo at work, photo by B. Ustinov, bust of Grand Duke M. N. Romanov, Artillery Museum, St. Petersburg

Learn more about Alexander Apollonov:

The artist has been gone for over a year, and his works continue to participate in exhibitions. On August 24 in St. Petersburg on the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress a large-scale exposition "Walk of Fame" opens. The author of 40 sculptures is Alexander Apollonov.

Monument to Catherine II
Monument to Catherine II

The investigation is being conducted

But even the artist's fame and the high cost of his work did not affect the course of the investigation. The bureaucratic system remained true to itself. The eldest sons of the deceased, Peter and Ivan, wrote their first statement to the Investigative Committee in the summer of last year. But the paperwork took months. The criminal case was opened only in February 2018. Article - "arbitrariness". The investigator interviews witnesses. Details were not disclosed.

Sons Peter and Ivan with their father, photo from the family archive
Sons Peter and Ivan with their father, photo from the family archive

- the sculptor's son Ivan Apollonov commented on the situation.

Federal media became interested in the topic of the missing art objects. The Apollonov family, friends and acquaintances were invited to the TV channel Russia 1 in the show “Andrey Malakhov. Live . The sons were ready to tell their story to the whole country. The program was not aired. Gavrilova flatly refused to comment on the situation.

What will remain

Now the heirs of the artist are busy preserving everything that remains in the workshop. And these are plasticine sketches, plaster molds and several completed small sculptures. The Apollonov family has already donated 12 small works to the A. F. Kovalenko. And they also invited a specialist who will turn plasticine into bronze.

The injured party in this story can be considered not only the sons of the sculptor. The legacy of this artist belongs to society. And if the sculptures are found, Apollonov's children promise to do the right thing: to transfer them to the Krasnodar Regional Art Museum.

And especially for fans of art in stone and bronze scandalous sculptures by Maurizio Cattelan, for which millions are paid.

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