RUSSIA: St. Petersburg museum director detained following police seizure of paintings depicting Russian leaders in women's lingerie

Record ID: 860216

  • Title: RUSSIA: St. Petersburg museum director detained following police seizure of paintings depicting Russian leaders in women's lingerie
  • Date: 4th September 2013
  • Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2013) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC DRIVING ON STREET G20 BANNER ON LIGHT POLE PAN IN ALLEYWAY OUTSIDE OF MUSEUM OF POWER WOMAN WALKING BY BUILDING VARIOUS OF DOOR TO MUSEUM, TAPED SHUT BY POLICE
  • Embargoed: 19th September 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Crime,Arts,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3M20CEIVRS3SH4BWN953AEIF8
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Police in Russia's second city St. Petersburg on Tuesday (September 3) detained the director of a museum that featured controversial paintings, including one depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in women's lingerie.
    The Museum of Power's director, Tatiana Titova, had also been briefly detained a week before, when police seized several paintings and sealed the museum.
    On Tuesday, police also took paintings from the Museum of Erotica and sealed the doors.
    Titova said she was unsure of where her and the other paintings were.
    "They (police) have taken inventory of the paintings, four of them were taken away, we know that one of them is at the police station #78, we do not know what happened to the rest. They sealed the museum without showing any documents which would allow them to do so, and they took me to the police station at night," she said.
    Titova said she was detained several times. She also said her museum was meant to highlight the role of power in society and government.
    "They took me away from the museum today as well. We were preparing the second opening, many artists contact us, they want to exhibit their works devoted to he topic of power. They can be for or against our authorities, we do not set any limits for them," Titova said.
    Officers also removed a picture of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, his torso covered in tattoos, and two others poking fun at lawmakers who have backed legislation banning so-called gay propaganda, gallery staff said.
    It gave no further details but Russia does have a law against insulting authorities - an offence that carries a maximum one-year prison term.
    Putin is playing host to the G20 summit on Thursday and Friday (September 5-6), where human rights activists have called on leaders to push him on his treatment and crackdown on civil society.
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