The paintings, which were transferred from Georgia to the Russian Federation for temporary exposure in 2003, have been stored in the vaults of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Arts for years.

At the initiative of Tea Tsulukiani, all six exhibits were returned to the Shalva Amiranashvili State Museum of Art today. According to the Ministry of Culture, the negotiations for the return of the museum exhibits to Georgia were held with the active participation of the First Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of Georgia, Kakha Sikharulidze and the Head of the Georgian Interests’ Section of the Swiss Confederation in the Russian Federation, Giorgi Kajaia.

Today, six exhibits will be returned to the Shalva Amiranashvili State Museum of Art on the basis of the acceptance certificate signed. These are: Boris Fogel - "Telavi" (1936); Eugene Lancere - "Khevsureti" (1926); Boris Fogel - "Theological Seminary" (1934); Grigory Gagarin - "Georgian Women" (1854); Lev Lagorio - "Portrait of Anastasia Orbeliani-Gagarina" (1850), Karl Zhukovsky - "Portrait of Ivane Andronikashvili" (1850).

Tea Tsulukiani thanked Kakha Sikharulidze and Giorgi Kajaia for their selfless work at the briefing held at the Ministry. The Minister also thanked the famous Georgian sculptor, People's Artist of Georgia Zurab Tsereteli for supporting the project. Nika Akhalbedashvili, Director of the Shalva Amiranashvili State Museum of Art, the National Gallery and the Sighnaghi Museum of History and Ethnography attended the briefing.