Police in Russia have seized a painting depicting the
country's president Vladimir Putin in women's underwear from an art gallery in
St Petersburg.
The portrait
features President Putin combing the hair of Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry
Medvedev.
Its artist,
Konstantin Altunin, has since left the country to seek asylum in France,
according to the director of St Petersburg's Museum of Power.
Police said
four paintings that were seized broke unspecified legislation.
Two of the
other pictures removed from the gallery poked fun at conservative Russian
politicians who led a campaign to introduce controversial anti-gay laws.
Gallery owner
Aleksander Donskoi claimed he had been given no formal warrant or explanation
for the removal of the paintings, which were included in Altunin's exhibition
entitled Rulers.
The gallery's
director, Tatiana Titova, said Altunin had fled the country following the
confiscation of the paintings.
One of the
pictures seized features Mr Putin in a nightgown, standing behind Mr Medvedev and
stroking his hair, while the prime minister is depicted with a woman's body and
wearing lingerie.
Another shows
St Petersburg legislative assembly member Vitaly Milonov - one of the
architects of Russia's anti-gay laws - against the background of a rainbow, the
symbol of gay pride.
A fourth
painting depicting the head of the Russian Orthodox Church adorned with tattoos
was also confiscated from the Museum of the Authorities.
St Petersburg,
which hosts the G20 summit next week, was one of the first Russian cities to
introduce a law against what it terms 'gay propaganda'.
Source: BBC
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