The Zaks Affair: Anatomy of a Fake Collection

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Arts Documentary hosted by Grigor Atanesian, published by BBC in 2024 - English narration

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A huge collection of the Russian and Ukrainian art was put on sale in Europe. Paintings were sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds and made their way into European and American museums.

It was said to include over 200 oil paintings of some of the most treasured Russian and Ukrainian constructivist artists, such El Lissitzky, Exter, Goncharova, Popova and others, putting it among the largest in the world.

But are the paintings fake or real, and is the story of their provenance true or made up?

And who is the mysterious Russian-Israeli dealer behind this collection?

The BBC followed art detectives, forensic experts, leading curators and historians, and a Swiss family who were told their priceless works were worthless.