MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. Paintings by businessman and Liberal Democratic Party of Russia member Viktor Bout, which he made while in a US prison, have been displayed at a new exhibition at the Mosfilm studio on Tuesday, according to a TASS reporter at the scene.
Bout painted dozens of art works during his incarceration. Some of them are dedicated to the businessman’s relatives, and others are inspired by domestic movie stars and aviation. There’s a collection of works of a later period, which are abstracts.
"If only someone could think when I painted all this, that one day all these works will be in such a beautiful hall and in such beautiful frames. Nevertheless, what happened is another confirmation that all our dreams come true and that our confidence and loyalty to ourselves always help," Bout said, expressing gratitude to the staff of the Russian Foreign Ministry and everyone who helped with his rescue. "I still have a lot to learn as an artist, as an author. But nevertheless, I will try to justify the confidence of the Union of Artists."
Bout has been brought back to Russia as a result of an agreement to exchange him for US basketball player Brittney Griner. Viktor Bout was detained in Thailand’s capital Bangkok in 2008 under a warrant issued by a local court at the US request. He was charged with illegal supplies of weapons to the rebel group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the US. Bout was extradited to the United States two years later. In April 2012, he was sentenced to 25 years in jail and a fine of $15 million.