Russia Detains Teen Over Alleged Moscow Museum Terror Plot

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Russia's FSB security service has detained a teenager on charges of allegedly threatening Moscow's Tsaritsyno Museum and Nature Reserve via TikTok. This action follows an unusual warning from US officials on October 31 regarding a“credible threat of a mass casualty event.” The alert was disseminated on the website of the US embassy in Moscow and through social media. Der Spiegel also reported that German citizens in Russia received a similar warning.

On November 1, the FSB released a video, published by official state news agency Tass and other sites, showing an unidentified young man's detention. The footage also displayed a knife, camouflage gear, neo-Nazi content on his phone, and his confession to posting“propaganda of Nazism” on his TikTok page. Russia's National Antiterrorism Committee uploaded the same video to its YouTube channel.

The US issued a comparable alert several days prior to an attack in March 2024 that killed at least 149 people at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack; before it occurred, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the warnings as“outright blackmail.”

In a shift reflecting US President Donald Trump's cooperation with Russia, the FSB's November 1 statement, posted on its website, credited“US law enforcement agencies” for providing information about an impending attack at Tsaritsyno, stating:“We are grateful to the American side for the information provided.”

The FSB's statement added that“in the interest of public safety, planned cultural events at the museum-reserve have been cancelled, and security measures in the surrounding area have been stepped up.” While the museum is typically closed on Mondays, its surrounding park, known for its rolling hills, fountains, and wooded paths, is open daily. Russian media reported the park reopened on Sunday.

The FSB's statement alleges the detained minor had posted images on TikTok“showing himself wearing tactical gear, including a balaclava, cap, eyewear and headset, while holding an object resembling an automatic weapon.” These posts also included“photographs taken at the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, accompanied by the caption: 'I found a place.'”

The Tsaritsyno complex, originally conceived as a summer residence for Catherine the Great in the 18th century, consistently ranks among Moscow's most visited tourist sites. Its website indicates that over 7 million people visit the museum and park in southern Moscow annually. The Grand Palace, its centerpiece, is renowned for its neo-Gothic design by architect Matvey Kazakov, which remained unfinished after Catherine's death. Many other buildings on the grounds were designed by Kazakov's teacher, Vasily Bazhenov, Catherine's court architect, who was initially commissioned to design the palace before a disagreement with the Empress.

Some preservationists criticized the opulent completion of the palace, which was inaugurated in 2007 with Putin present. This project was overseen by then-Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov, known for large-scale construction. Although some attempts have been made to display contemporary art at Tsaritsyno, its exhibitions primarily focus on the tsars and historic Russian folk crafts.

We previously reported:

Ukraine has charged a Russian lieutenant general in absentia for ordering a 2022 missile strike that destroyed the Hryhoriy Skovoroda National Literary

Source: The Art Newspaper

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