ArmInfo. The Investigative Committee of Armenia instituted a criminal investigation into the acquisition and sale of Aivazovsky's painting "Ship at sea". It is a picture, the acquisition of which is connected with the Pyunik Fund, headed by the brother of ex-President Serzh Sargsyan - Levon Sargsyan and the President presented to them.
According to the press service of the department, measures are being taken at the Main Directorate for especially important cases and fighting corruption, crimes against property and cybercrimes of the Investigative Committee (SC) of the Republic of Armenia to clarify the circumstances of the acquisition of the painting "Ship at sea" by Ivan (Hovhannes) Aivazovsky.
It is noted that according to preliminary data, in 2017, on the official website of the charity fund Pyunik, information was published on the donation of the canvas of the great seascape to the third president of Armenia. After that, publications appeared in the media about the fact that the canvas was stolen.
"During the preparation of materials, data were extracted that on January 13, 2011, from the house of the head of the corporation" Russian Gold "Alexandra Tarantseva during the robbery, the pictures were stolen, including the painting by Aivazovsky "Ship at sea", which is of particular value, the ministry said.
Investigative and other measures are carried out to find out all the circumstances of the acquisition of the picture. It should be noted that the Pyunik Foundation reported that "the President of the country handed over a valuable gift to the Historical Museum of Armenia." Later it became known that it is not in the Historical Museum or in the National Gallery of Armenia, but now the message that the President of Armenia Serge Sargsyan received from the fund a picture of Aivazovsky "A Ship at Sea" from the site of the Pyunik Fund was deleted.