Russian Icon Painting
This 17th-century Orthodox icon was looted from a Smolensk church by a German soldier during the 1941 Eastern Front advance. It depicts the Virgin Mary in gold leaf and survived the war in a soldier’s rucksack. The painting combines religious significance with wartime provenance. One similar icon briefly returned to Russia was later resold for $250,000 in 2020, placing its value between $50,000 and $200,000.
