Russians Trash Art Gallery

A group of young men ransacked one of Moscow's best known modern art galleries on Saturday, ripping paintings from walls and damaging equipment. The attack was launched on the Marat Gelman art gallery a day after photograph montages it had displayed caricaturing the Russian and U.S. Presidents were seized by Russian customs at a Moscow airport. Paintings were trampled on the floor of the art gallery, one of Moscow's best known in operation since the early 1990s, and papers, books and office supplies were strewn about. The assailants ran off. None of the staff was hurt. The art gallery's owners closed their doors for two weeks. British art gallery owner Matthew Cullern Bown said he believed they were unhappy about the satirical representation of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush in semi-naked poses along with Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. For the full story - click the title Irish Art