Tweet
Artist flees Russia after painting Putin and Medvedev in pants
Konstantin Altunin reported to have fled to France to claim asylum after police shut down Moscow exhibition
A museum director says an artist whose paintings depicted the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, in women's undergarments has fled the country.
Konstantin Altunin had left for France and was planning to request asylum there, said the director of St Petersburg's Museum of Power, Tatiana Titova.
The authorities removed four of Altunin's satirical depictions of Russian politicians on Monday and shut down the exhibition.
Police did not specify which laws may have been violated by the provocative works. One Russian law bans insulting state authorities; another prohibits "homosexual propaganda" aimed at minors.
Last year, an exhibit that depicted members of the punk band Pussy Riot as holy icons drew the anger of religious and pro-government activists, who protested against the exhibition's opening.
Konstantin Altunin reported to have fled to France to claim asylum after police shut down Moscow exhibition
A museum director says an artist whose paintings depicted the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, in women's undergarments has fled the country.
Konstantin Altunin had left for France and was planning to request asylum there, said the director of St Petersburg's Museum of Power, Tatiana Titova.
The authorities removed four of Altunin's satirical depictions of Russian politicians on Monday and shut down the exhibition.
Police did not specify which laws may have been violated by the provocative works. One Russian law bans insulting state authorities; another prohibits "homosexual propaganda" aimed at minors.
Last year, an exhibit that depicted members of the punk band Pussy Riot as holy icons drew the anger of religious and pro-government activists, who protested against the exhibition's opening.
Comment