The magistrate of court district No. 2 of the Verkh-Isetsky district of Yekaterinburg sentenced Alexander Vasiliev, a security guard at the Yeltsin Center, who added «eyes» to a painting by Kazimir Malevich's student, to 180 hours of compulsory labor in the case of vandalism. This was reported from the courtroom by the correspondent of It's my city.
Vasilyev was also assigned a coercive measure in the form of treatment by a psychiatrist. He was found guilty of Part 1 of Article 214 of the Criminal Code.
In late 2021, Vasiliev, a 64-year-old Chechen veteran with a mental disorder, was moonlighting at an exhibition at the Yeltsin Center about Malevich and his students. On the first day of work, Vasiliev drew eyes with a pen on Anna Leporskaya's painting «Three Figures» from the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery. According to the security guard, it was suggested by teenage visitors.
The Tretyakov Gallery refused to put up with a security guard who painted “eyes” on a painting by Malevich’s student . The case of a 64-year-old disabled person is considered by the court
“They (teenagers — MZ) asked me:“ Draw eyes, you work here. I asked them: «Are these your works?» They: «Yes.» They gave me a pen. I drew the eyes. I thought it was just their childhood drawings!” the security guard told E1.ru reporters.
The restoration of Leporskaya's painting was estimated at 250 thousand rubles, this amount was fully covered by insurance. At the same time, the Tretyakov Gallery refused to dismiss the case.
The judge decided that hooligan motives were seen in Vasilyev's actions, since the surveillance footage shows that he is looking around. The court considered that the guard, drawing eyes, was aware of his actions. At the same time, Vasiliev's mental disorder was previously diagnosed by an expert examination. Forensic experts concluded that it led to an inability to fully realize the nature and public danger of their actions.
Alexander Vasiliev and his lawyer Alexei Bushmakov did not come to the verdict. Prior to this, the guard said he pleaded guilty. The prosecutor requested 250 hours of compulsory work for him.