A massive 19th century oil painting of Ivan the Terrible, the first czar of Russia, was returned to its rightful owners on Monday, after its disappearance from a Ukrainian museum more than 75 years ago during World War II.
The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., Valeriy Chaly, accepted the painting on behalf of the people of Ukraine during a repatriation ceremony at a fine arts auction house outside of Washington, D.C. He called its return a “demonstration of unity and solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”
“The damage from the theft of this painting really cannot be quantified,” said Jessie Liu, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “There are generations of people who weren’t able to see this painting … We hope that the repatriation of the painting is the first step in remedying that harm.”
