Art Funded Diabetes Treatment

The husband of a curator at the center of a stolen art scandal in Russia said he and his wife were so poor that they stole artefacts from the Hermitage museum to buy insulin for her diabetes. The theft of more than 200 silver and enamel art pieces from the Hermitage exposed years of under-funding and neglect at Russia's art museums, with staff paid paltry wages and no cash for adequate security. President Vladimir Putin has ordered an inquiry. Nikolai Zavadsky, 54, was charged with theft and his lawyer said he admits pawning art from the museum. His wife, Larisa, was a curator at the Hermitage. She died suddenly at work at the start of an inventory that revealed $5 million worth of art in her charge were missing. Irish Art