Vandal in Moscow gallery damaged the master canvas by Ilya Repin

Moscow - One of the visitors to the renowned Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow seriously damaged the masterpiece canvas of painter Ilya Repin on Friday. The man broke the protective glass with a metal rod and ripped the painting in several places, Russian media reported. According to Reuters, the vandal fortified himself with vodka before the attack. According to unofficial information, the attacker claimed that the work from the late 19th century must be destroyed because it inaccurately depicts historical facts.

The painting titled Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581 depicts the tsar holding his son, whom he has just murdered. One of the most impressive works of Russian painting has stirred controversy since its inception, as it portrays a ruler as a son-killer, which was considered unacceptable.

As the gallery located in the center of Moscow stated, the man attacked the painting on Friday just before closing time. He managed to pass by the gallery staff, took one of the metal rods intended to keep the public at a distance from exhibited works, and struck the protective glass of the painting several times.

"The painting is seriously damaged, the canvas is torn in three places in the middle... the falling glass also damaged the frame. Fortunately, however, the most valuable parts depicting the faces and hands were spared," the Tretyakov Gallery stated in its announcement.

The perpetrator of the act has been detained. According to Russian news agencies quoting police sources, he is a 37-year-old man from Voronezh. In video footage released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the man admits to the attack on the painting and states that he realizes the seriousness of the act. "I came to look at the drawing," the man, whose name was not disclosed, told the police. "I wanted to leave, but then I stumbled upon a buffet and drank a deciliter of vodka. I don't normally drink vodka, and somehow it overwhelmed me," he added.