Guard Pleads Guilty To Slashing Painting

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 23, 2009 4:00PM

Last summer, we talked about Timur Serebrykov, the now-former guard at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum who slashed the Vija Celmins painting "Night Sky #2", on loan from our own Art Institute and valued at around $1.2 million. Now, we at least have closure. Timur pleaded guilty yesterday to institutional vandalism for the act and is due to be sentenced April 7. His lawyer said he was suffering from mental stress and Timur himself told police at the time he slashed the painting because, "I didn't like the painting.'' The painting has been returned to Chicago and, in spite of efforts to repair it, the painting has lost almost a quarter-million dollars in value. We have a few Pittsburghers on staff who are now no longer allowed near any precious works of art, at least until the Steelers win the Super Bowl.