The security guard who made headlines after ruining a $1 million painting has spoken out and revealed his reasons for doing so.
63-year-old Alexander Vasiliev from Russia faces an investigation and prison time after vandalizing Anna Leporskaya’s signature painting Three Figures by doodling eyes on it while he was supposed to protect contents at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Centre in Yekaterinburg.
Following his bizarre act, the man spoke out in an interview with the E1 newspaper and admitted that he didn’t like the paintings at the museum.
“I’m a fool, for what I’ve done,” he said before admitting: “To be honest, I didn’t really like these pictures [at the museum].”
Vasiliev went on to pass part of the blame for what has happened to teenage girls who allegedly encouraged him to vandalize the painting by saying there was “no beauty” in the faceless figures.
“They left a difficult impression. I tried to pass by without looking [at the paintings]. I watched how people reacted, and then I saw teenagers, 16 or 17, standing and discussing why there are no eyes, no mouth, and no beauty,” the 63-year-old added.
“There were girls in the group, and they asked me: ‘Draw on the eyes, you work here.’ I asked them: ‘Are these your works?’ They replied: ‘Yes.’ They gave me a pen. I drew the eyes. I thought it was just their children’s drawings.”
As the security guard insisted, he believed that the painting was made by the group of girls he was talking to and had no idea it was worth so much.
“If only I knew it wasn’t these kids’ pictures and the paintings were brought from Moscow and they cost so much. What have I done?” Vasiliev added.
“I want everyone to leave me alone. I want to live peacefully with my wife.”
Meanwhile, however, the senior man was accused of being aggressive during questioning by the Interior Ministry.
“He behaves quite aggressively, demonstrating that he does not like the whole process,” a source said.
Following the incident, Vasiliev faces a financial fine and a 1-year forced labor sentence should he be found guilty of vandalism.
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