In one of the photographs from the Central Museum of Taurida in occupied Crimea, two paintings by Kherson artist Yehor Tolkunov were identified, which were illegally taken by Russians from Kherson in 2022. The works “Self-Portrait” (1987) and “Foundry Workshop” (1980) appeared in the frame during a visit by representatives of the occupation administration to the museum in March 2026.
This was reported on the Kherson Art Museum’s page.
Yehor Tolkunov (1943–2018) was one of the brightest Kherson artists, a master of portraiture, genre painting, landscape, still life and later — abstraction. For the people of Kherson he was a living legend. His name was associated with a high level of culture and a European orientation of Kherson art.
“Tolkunov’s work is multifaceted and evolved from the “severe style” to constructive explorations and painterly abstraction. The artist’s works are easy to recognize by their restrained palette, deep psychological insight and an elegant combination of light and melancholy. A person of incredible energy and inner freedom, Tolkunov remained open to artistic innovations until his last breath,” – the museum noted.
Earlier we wrote that law enforcement officers notified of suspicion the so-called director of the Central Museum of Taurida, who was involved in the theft of exhibits from the Kherson Art Museum named after Oleksiy Shovkunenko.