Thieves, Vandals, and Idiots: A Criminal History of Russian Art

Stupidity, hope for the best, and drunkenness — this is what distinguishes Russian crimes in the field of art:
— To pry off 602 diamonds from icons and hide behind the iconostasis for three days, only to then be exhausted by hunger and thirst, literally falling on the heads of the police.
— To enter the Hermitage in broad daylight and cut a canvas from its frame, folding it several times... And then to leave the painting to a prominent politician.
— In front of an audience, to take a painting out of its frame, leave fingerprints on the abandoned frame, then hide the painting at a construction site. And to be arrested the next morning.
— To smash a museum window with a stone while drunk, drink more, and fall asleep on antique furniture. And to be caught red-handed — with a single bronze statuette.
In the new book by Sofia Bagdasarova, author of the bestseller "Disgusting Art" (nominee for the "Educator-2018" award), you will learn all about how crimes are committed in Russian museums and who are usually the criminals. All the robberies, frauds, and acts of vandalism described in the book are completely real historical events, which is why they are particularly surprising. They are absurd — and that's why the book is filled with a special, absurd humor. Indeed, one cannot write about these crimes with a national Russian flavor in any other way.
In addition to fascinating criminal-humorous stories, the book includes regular journalistic articles about absolutely wild Russian crimes, as well as insider interviews from representatives of the contemporary art market who wished to remain anonymous, but revealed stunning details of the shadow antique business.