Visitor Accidentally Breaks Finger Off Statue at The Hermitage
A 46-year-old resident of Novorossiysk has been detained after damaging a marble sculpture of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The incident occurred on the evening of January 23 on the October Staircase of the museum.
Feb 6, 2026 0
The marble statue of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna stands on the historic October Staircase in the Hermitage.
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On January 23 around eight in the evening, a Hermitage attendant discovered that a finger had been broken off the marble statue «Empress Alexandra Feodorovna». The sculpture is located on the October Staircase, known for the events of 1917.
Surveillance footage captured the moment the visitor accidentally damaged the sculpture.
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Review of surveillance footage quickly identified the suspected violator — 46-year-old Artem N. from Novorossiysk. He was detained in another hall by museum security staff with the support of Rosgvardiya (National Guard of Russia).
The broken finger was a restoration element, not part of the original 1840 statue.
The video shows that the man apparently accidentally touched the statue. After that, he carefully placed the broken fragment back into the sculpture«s hand.
The detained man and his wife behaved meekly and politely, immediately admitting what happened. Soon, an investigator and police from the Central District arrived at the scene. A protocol of inspection was drawn up, after which the couple was taken to the station.
Artem N. is a first-group disabled person since childhood. His activity on social networks and open sources indicates participation in fast chess tournaments and public life. Last year, he received a letter of gratitude from the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy for supporting military personnel.
Law enforcement agencies note that the incident likely occurred without intent, which complicates qualifying the act as vandalism. Despite this, the man was kept in police overnight, and his wife decided to stay with him.
The damaged finger is not an original part of the sculpture. It is a restoration replacement made after the loss of the fragment in an earlier period.
The statue of the empress was created in 1840 by Dmitry Savelyev based on a model by Prussian sculptor Karl Friedrich Wichmann. During the Great Patriotic War, it sustained damage, including a dent on the chair and loss of fingers. The lost elements were restored during a renovation completed in 2020.
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