MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Works by Isaac Levitan, Ilya Repin, Valentin Serov, Ivan Aivazovsky, Viktor Vasnetsov, and other masters of the 18th-20th centuries will be auctioned on March 1 in Moscow for a total of 1 billion rubles, or about $13 million, the press service of the Moscow Auction House told TASS.

The most expensive lot is Ivan Aivazovsky’s Lunar night in the Crimea, valued at 60 million rubles, or $783,000.

"This time, the auction will surprise collectors with truly exceptional lots. The catalog includes works from private collections that were previously exhibited at the Tretyakov Gallery, as well as items from collections belonging to figures whose names are inseparable from Russian history. The impeccable provenance of the works, rare techniques, and museum-scale pieces have shaped the total value of the collection - 1 billion rubles - making the upcoming auction the most high-profile event of the art season. Experts describe the 1861 painting Lunar night in the Crimea by Ivan Aivazovsky as the pearl of the collection. The estimate for the canvas, which measures more than half a meter and bears the artist’s autograph, is 60 million rubles," the statement said.

Isaac Levitan’s Moonlit Night. A Village, painted in 1899 and valued at 50 million rubles, or $652,000, is also among the top lots. The work was exhibited at the State Tretyakov Gallery in 1938 and 1960, as well as at the State Russian Museum in 1960-1961. "Despite its unquestionable museum value, this work goes beyond purely academic perception. It can be called aesthetic in the truest sense of the word. The painting is not only worthy of a state collection, but is also capable of becoming the semantic and emotional center of a home interior or private space," said art historian and collector Sergey Podstanitsky. The work is signed by the artist.

In total, 25 portraits are featured among the lots. Ilya Repin’s Narcissus, created in 1917, will be offered with a starting bid of 45 million rubles, or $587,000. The painting was purchased in 1920 from the artist’s personal collection by lawyer and patron of the arts Vasily Levi. According to the press service, the image of Narcissus depicts the artist’s grandnephew, Alyosha Repin.

Valentin Serov’s Sewing, which portrays a young woman at work, holds a special place in the auction and is valued at 50 million rubles, or $652,000. The portrait section also includes works by Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Carl Timoleon von Neff, Filipp Malyavin, and Konstantin Somov.