Man who stole Kuindzhi painting from Tretyakov Gallery partially admits guilt
MOSCOW. July 22 (Interfax) - Denis Chuprikov, who is charged with stealing the painting Ai Petri. Crimea by Arkhip Kuidzhi from the Tretyakov Gallery, said in court he partially admits his guilt, an Interfax correspondent has reported.
"I partially admit my guilt," Chuprikov said at a hearing in the Moscow Zamoskvoretsky District Court, where the trial of his case began on Monday.
The defendant would not give further comment on the charges, saying he will do so later during the judicial investigation.
On January 27, Kuindzhi's Ai Petri. Crimea painting was stolen from an exhibition hall at the Engineering Building of the Tretyakov Gallery. The thief took the painting off the wall and left in front of many exhibition's visitors.
On January 28, Chuprikov, 32, who was born in Crimea was detained in the village of Zarechye outside Moscow. He said that he had hid the painting at a construction site in the Moscow region's Odintsovo district, where police recovered it later.
Chuprikov said that he felt remorse and that he had sought attention.
Chuprikov, who was arrested on January 29, is charged with stealing a valuable item coupled with damaging or destroying it.
Svetlana Gorbunova, a lawyer for Chuprikov, said he has voluntarily paid 13,000 rubles in compensation for the restoration work on the painting.