Painting stolen from Moscow gallery as witnesses watch

MOSCOW (AP) — Police say a painting by a noted Russian landscape artist has been stolen from Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery, apparently in front confused witnesses.

The painting of mountain ridges by Arkhip Kuindzhi, titled “Ai-Petri. Crimea,” was reported missing from the Tretyakpv, a premier museum of Russian art, on Sunday.

Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk told the Interfax news agency museum guards reported to police that unknown people took the painting off a wall and left.

The Culture Ministry says the art work is valued at 12 million rubles ($185,000).

The RT television channel said witnesses described a young man removing the painting from the wall and only later realized they’d seen a theft.