The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in the section “Викрадена спадщина” of the War&Sanctions portal published information about persons involved in the illegal appropriation and removal of Ukrainian cultural valuables from temporarily occupied territories, including Kherson region.
This was reported by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The report concerns the theft of exhibits from the Novokakhovka City Gallery named after Гавздинського and the museums of Kherson.
Among the persons involved – collaborator Артем Лагойський, who currently held the position of the so‑called Minister of Culture of Kherson region. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate, he was one of the organizers and the direct perpetrator of the robbery of Kherson museums.
In particular, in 2022 Лагойський, together with a Black Sea Fleet officer of the Russian Federation, Дмитрій Ліповий, who performed the functions of the so‑called commandant of Kherson, organized the theft from the Catherine Cathedral of the ashes of Григорія Потьомкіна.
Лагойський also became a co‑organizer of the propaganda exhibition “Завжди Нова Каховка”, which took place at the central office of the Russian company “Транснєфть” in Moscow. It displayed paintings by the Ukrainian artist Анатолія Гавздинського, illegally taken out from the Novokakhovka City Gallery.
In addition, on the list of persons involved are the so‑called permanent representative of Kherson region to the government of the Russian Federation, Володимир Боделан, and the so‑called governor of Kherson, Володимир Сальдо.