The theft of the art object "Mirage" is a criminal case concerning the theft of a street sculpture, opened in September 2026 in the Vyksunsky District of Nizhny Novgorod Region. The sculpture was cut from its plinth in the workers' settlement of Doschatoe and discovered at the suspect's premises during a search.[1]

The "Mirage" Art Object

The sculpture "Mirage" was created by Nizhny Novgorod artist Ivan Belov specifically for the summer "Vyksa Festival". The stainless steel structure, 3.5 metres tall and weighing approximately half a tonne, was fabricated from hexagonal rods and installed on an elevated site near a former dam in the settlement of Doschatoe. According to the artist's concept, the sculpture was intended as a reminder of the Doschatinskoye pond, which disappeared after a dam breach in 2000. At the time of the theft, the art object had stood in place for only around two months.[2] The owner valued it at nearly 428,000 roubles (according to official Ministry of Internal Affairs data, approximately 430,000 roubles).[3][1]

Circumstances of the Crime

On 3 September 2026, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs District Department for the city of Vyksa received a report from a local resident informing them of the sculpture's disappearance. The investigative and operational team that arrived on the scene found only the concrete base and a small quantity of metal rods.[4][1]

In the course of investigative and search activities, criminal investigation officers identified a suspect — a 46-year-old resident of the settlement of Blizhnee-Pesochnoye, born in 1980, with no prior criminal or administrative record. It was established that the man had cut the structure away using an angle grinder and a petrol generator. To remove the stolen item, he hired a lorry driver who was unaware of what was happening. The sculpture was transported and concealed in an outbuilding at the suspect's home. The perpetrator had subsequently planned to sell the stolen metal at a scrap metal collection point.[1][5]

The man was detained on 11 September 2026; on the same day, the press office of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region released a statement about the arrest. The recovered sculpture, along with the angle grinder and petrol generator, were placed in storage at the Ministry of Internal Affairs department; the sculpture is to be returned to its owner.[3][4]

Criminal Case

An investigator from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Department for Vyksa has opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Theft"). The suspect admitted guilt and expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation. This article provides for a penalty of imprisonment for a term of up to six years.[3][1]

Sources

  1. mvdmedia.ru — Nizhny Novgorod police solved the theft of the unique art object "Mirazh" in the vicinity of Vyksa
  2. Zhyvyom v Nizhnem — Police solved the theft of the art object "Mirazh" in Vyksa — Zhyvyom v Nizhnem
  3. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Police detained a Nizhny Novgorod resident who stole an expensive art object in Vyksa (archive)
  4. Vremya N — Nizhny Novgorod police officers detained a man for the theft of a metal sculpture
  5. Otkryty Nizhny — A Vyksa resident cut down an art object worth half a million rubles with an angle grinder