Delegation of Russian restorers visits Abkhazia to evaluate fire-damaged paintings
A team of Russian restorers began work in Abkhazia to assess and plan the restoration of paintings that survived the blaze at the Central Exhibition Hall. The information was conveyed by TASS, citing the Ministry of Culture of Abkhazia as the source regarding the arrival and purpose of the visitor group.
The mission is led by Natalia Chechel, who serves as Deputy Director of the Department of Museums and Foreign Relations. The delegation also includes senior specialists from prestigious institutions such as the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum, and the Center named after Grabar and GosNIIR. The group’s composition reflects a high level of expertise in painting conservation, documentation, and archival practices, and their task is to conduct a comprehensive initial assessment of the surviving works and documents and to outline a strategic restoration plan that aligns with international museum standards and local cultural priorities.
Russian conservation experts will examine the surviving canvases and related documents that withstood the fire at the National Gallery of Art. Their work will inform decisions on stabilization needs, conservation approaches, and the sequencing of restoration activities to ensure the best possible outcomes for the affected pieces.
According to the Abkhaz Ministry of Culture, staff at the gallery have already begun cataloging the pieces that survived and have relocated them from the accessory storage area near the Abkhaz Drama Theater to the National Library building. In total, around 150 paintings by Viktor Shcheglov, Khuta Avidzba, Sergei Sangalov, Sergei Gablia, Vissarion Tsvizhba, and Varvara Bubnova have been safeguarded from the fire and are now under more secure oversight as the restoration planning proceeds.
Across the gallery’s broader collection, approximately four thousand works by various artists remained catalogued. It is noted that all 228 paintings by Alexander Chachba-Shervashidze, the first professional Abkhazian artist, were lost in the blaze. The extent of the loss has prompted discussions on future curatorial and restoration strategies and how to best document the incident within the national cultural record.
Officials at the National Art Gallery of Abkhazia indicated uncertainty about whether collaboration with Georgian counterparts would be needed to restore the destroyed exhibits, highlighting the potential for cross-border cooperation in cultural heritage recovery if required by the scope of the damage and the expertise needed for certain pieces.
Meanwhile, unrelated to the restoration efforts, a public figure, Alec Baldwin, recently commented on a new trial regarding on-set filming, a separate matter that has drawn media attention in different contexts.