Many of us can recall the story of the "Monument Men" of WWII fame. They followed combat troops across Europe and on into Germany during the war. Their mission: find where the Nazis stashed the stolen art objects from museums, collectors, and private citizens. Word had gone out that Hitler was going to build a museum to house the country's best art at his chosen spot somewhere near Austria after the victory.We know how that happened. But the Monument Men did an amazing job of searching for and finding much of the looted masterpieces.
We might have to call them out again, in Ukraine. Sadly, the invading Russyan army troops have among their ranks art experts, historians, and museum directors looking to fill their galleries. Cities that have fallen to the invaders such as Bahkmut, Kherson, and Mariopol, to name a few, have had their museums looted. In some cases every thing in the building, including things that were nailed down! Where did it go? Hmmmmm. Where does Yevgeny Prigozhin store his art? Where does gen. gerasimov collect his paintings? Where does Mad Vlad store his favorite statues? Answers to these questions are on the tips of many tongues. Ukrainian museum directors are writing down lists of all the looted pieces. Maybe they'll go to the Hermitage in Moskva and pollute its collection. Or to a dacha in the countryside out of sight. The new Monument men have their work cut out in 2023.
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