A couple of days ago, “168 Hours” found out that the painting by Ayvazovski entitled “Sunrise” has been stolen from the museum in Astrakhan. The canvas had been stolen four years ago, but according to some rumors, it was going through restoration. Restorer Elena Maslova and the museum administration are currently accused of robbery, while the canvas stolen four years ago has been replaced with a low-quality copy. Nobody knows where the million dollar “Sunrise” canvas is. It has disappeared and is probably part of somebody’s private collection. During the trial, some witnesses remembered that four years ago, an Italian of Armenian descent frequently used to visit the museum and talk with E. Maslova. The trial hasn’t ended yet, but the convicted have been released and continue working at the museum.
