MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. A cello made by Giovanni Battista Rogeri, the object of an ongoing criminal investigation, has been seized by Italian law enforcement agencies at the request of the Russian Interpol National Central Bureau, Valery Kalachev, head of the Interpol NCB of the Russian Interior Ministry, told TASS.
"Speaking about the state of cooperation in this area in recent years, we can say that our foreign colleagues are still focused on coordinating efforts in the fight against criminal organizations and individual criminals involved in the theft of cultural property. A striking example is the seizure by the Italian law enforcement authorities at our request of a cello made by Giovanni Battista Rogeri (Italy, the 18th century) worth $100,000, which was the object of a criminal case under criminal investigation by the investigative authorities of the city of Moscow," he said.
The cello made by Giovanni Battista Rogeri, a pupil of the famous Italian luthier Nicola Amati, entered the State Collection of Unique Musical Instruments in 1956. From 1991 to 1995, the instrument was used by the musician, but in 1995, it was stolen. The collection became a part of the Russian National Museum of Music in 2010. Since then, the museum has annually sent materials to law enforcement agencies.
In May 2018, the museum staff discovered a musical instrument at the Vichy auction in France, which, according to descriptions, very much resembled the cello made by Giovanni Battista Rogeri. In November 2018, the museum asked law enforcement authorities to reopen the criminal case into the cello’s theft. According to the museum's information, the cello is not currently on Russian territory.