The Hermitage sued a visitor for damaging an 18th-century throne and bench.

The State Hermitage Museum has sued to recover 847,000 rubles from a visitor, Alexander Drobyshev, who in March violated the ban and sat on the throne of the Master of the Order of Malta of the XVIII century, belonging to Emperor Paul I. This was announced on December 10 by the head of the joint press service of the city courts, Daria Lebedeva.

It is specified that after the caretaker's remark, he stood on the footstool, which led to damage to the exhibit. So, due to Drobyshev's actions, the seat of the throne was deformed, the velvet fabrics on the seat and foot bench were torn and cracked. At the same time, Drobyshev did not respond to the pre-trial claim.

"The cost of restoration work required to restore the exhibits is 825,813 rubles 59 kopecks, which the Hermitage is asking to collect from Drobyshev, as well as a state fee of 21,516 rubles," Lebedeva said in her Telegram channel.

She noted that the preliminary hearing on the case will be held in the Kalininsky District Court of the city on January 26.

Earlier, on February 1, 2024, a security guard ate part of a painting at a contemporary art exhibition in Moscow at VDNH. The footage showed how the man approached, forcefully tore the fish away from the painting and put it in his mouth. When the culprit was asked why he did it, he spread his hands and explained that after a sleepless night he was tired and did not realize what he was doing.

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