MOSCOW, July 16 (RAPSI) – Moscow’s Zamoskvoretsky District Court on Tuesday extended detention of Denis Chuprikov charged with stealing a painting by prominent Russian artist of Greek origin Arkhip Kuindzhi from the Tretyakov Gallery for six months, RAPSI was told in the court’s press service.

The defendant will remain detained until December 28. The first hearing on merits will be held on July 22, a spokesperson of the court added.

Investigation into the theft of a painting by prominent Russian artist of Greek origin Arkhip Kuindzhi from the Tretyakov Gallery was completed in late June.

According to investigators, the work “Ai Petri” was stolen from Moscow's Tretyakov Art Gallery on January 27. The 31-year old Chuprikov was arrested in the Moscow Region on January 28. The work “Ai Petri” was also found and seized from a project under construction in the Moscow Region’s Odintsovo District.

Police claimed the man committed the crime from mercenary motives.

On January 29, Moscow’s Tagansky District Court put Chuprikov in detention. In February, he pleaded guilty saying that he committed the theft with the aim to hype and come into notice.

Kuindzhi painted “Ai Petri. Crimea” depicting a mountain in the Crimea peninsula in 1908.