Photography News

Saint Petersburg, Russia /Photography News/ - A photograph taken by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sold on Saturday for 51 million rubles (1.2 million euros, 1.7 million dollars), surpassing the 37 million rubles (then $1.1 million) paid last year for a painting by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Medvedev’s picture was purchased by Mikhail Zingarevich, a board member at Ilim Group. Zingarevich said he wants to hang the 69-by-96-centimetre (27-by-38-inch) picture in his office.

Medvedev, who is an avid photographer, took the black and white photo of the Kremlin fortress from the air during one of his helicopter trips in Siberia.

The annual fund-raising auction held at St. Petersburg usually sells paintings by politicians and celebrities, with a special requirement that each of the artworks shall be created in connection with one letter from the Russian alphabet.
Medvedev's photo was among 29 items sold for charity, bringing in 1.9 million euros.
The money would be distributed to a children's hospital, a rehabilitation centre for alcoholics and an assistance programme for World War II veterans.
Diana Topan