Government to open way for Russian art exhibition

By Adrian Croft

LONDON (Reuters) - The government said on Sunday it hoped a landmark exhibition of Russian art would go ahead in London after it provided "immunity from seizure" so the works would not be confiscated.

Roskultura, Russia's culture agency, had said it was concerned the art could be seized by courts acting for descendants of people who owned the paintings before they were confiscated after the 1917 Russian revolution.

And Russia said this month it was scrapping plans to loan the pieces by Van Gogh and Matisse to Britain for the exhibition at London's Royal Academy of Arts, adding a new irritant in fraught diplomatic relations between Moscow and London.

Moscow welcomed Britain's move but said it would need to officially confirm the legal changes had been made before allowing the art to travel.

Culture Secretary James Purnell has made an order bringing new "immunity from seizure" legislation into force from Monday, the government said. It had originally said existing legislation provided sufficient safeguards.

"I hope that bringing forward this further legislation will see the great works in the 'From Russia' exhibition open at the Royal Academy this January," Purnell said in a statement.

However, a British government spokesman said he could not say "with 100 percent certainty" the exhibition would go ahead.

The new legislation, passed this year and originally due to be implemented in late February or March 2008, provides immunity from seizure for cultural objects lent from abroad for exhibitions in the country.