Marc Chagall’s authentic work may be donated to Vitebsk

There are no paintings by Marc Chagall in Vitebsk.

Donation of an authentic painting by Marc Chagall to the Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk was discussed during a meeting between Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets and Israeli Ambassador to Belarus Yosef Shagal in Vitebsk on 11 November.

According to the Governor, there are no paintings by Marc Chagall in Vitebsk, although the city is known around the world as the birthplace of the painter and was depicted in many of his works. In July 2014, the Art Center of the Marc Chagall Museum will move into new premises. Alexander Kosinets extended an invitation to Yosef Shagal to attend the event. He noted that if a painting by Marc Chagall is donated to the museum, this will be a significant and precious gift for the museum and the city.

Yosef Shagal thanked for the invitation and promised to assist with returning a painting by Marc Chagall to Vitebsk. In turn, the Ambassador suggested creating a Wall of Memory of the Righteous among the Nations-Belarusians who saved the Jews during the Great Patriotic War. In Belarus there are 722 of them. Yosef Shagal emphasized that Israel and Belarus enjoy close relations because the two nations have been through the war together.

At present, the Marc Chagall Museum in Vitebsk has 300 graphics works, director of the museum Lyudmila Khmelnitskaya told.