Jurate Macnoriute
Who Was Vandal Bronius Maigis?

In 1772 Ekaterina the Second Alekseievna, Empress of All the Russias bought the masterpiece of Rembrandt the "Danae" from the Crozat collection in Paris, and the picture had stood out as one of the great treasures of the Hermitage, St. Petersburg. More than two hundreds years millions of people have been taking a delight in that genial work. Revolutions and three wars desolated the state, but Rembrandt's "Danae" left in the Hermitage unaffected.

Only on 15 June 1985 politically motivated fanatic maniac and deviant Bronius Maigis twice slashed Danae with a knife in the region of her lower belly and threw nearly a liter of sulfuric acid (oil of vitriol) at the surface of this 17th century masterpiece. The vandal assailant had explosives strapped to his legs under his trousers and had intended to blow himself up. Later  Maigis was judged by the court that found Danae's assailant mentally unstable and put him into an asylum. In the article I used materials from archives of KGB (Committee for State Security), Leningrad mental hospital No 5, Dzerzhinski Rayionnyi Narodnyi Sud (the nationwide court of Dzerzhinski district of city Leningrad) published on the Web: http://pressa.rus.net/sosnov/rus/arx/7_41.htm ,  http://www.geocities.com/vrpdg/kk3.htm Let us try to elucidate who was Bronius Maigis and what inducements acted to such inconceivable foul insanity.

Life of a player violin. Maigis was born in Lithuanian family in 1937 in village Alnes of Moletai district (Moletai from word "molis", in English "clay"). His father Antanas was shot for desertion by GBists in summer of 1944. He left three sons from whose Bronius was oldest. Though Bronius Maigis played violin and liked to read books, but his education was poor -- only four classes and tractor-driver's courses. That shows he was a bit subnormal in intelligence or lazy, because then everybody could become educated -- schools were free.

He was a single man. After service in the army in Perm Oblast (Ural Region), he returned home, but soon he was in Perm again for money: at first lumbered, after worked in mine with powder-monkeys. Then he had opportunity to steal stilly explosives and for New Year fireworks in forests, in cemeteries and for fishing he picked a portmanteau with 15 kg ones. He also saved 1200 roubles money and decided to return home.

In Lithuanian town Kaunas he began to work in a paper factory, where worked quietly and inconspicuously. Soon he changed jobs a few times: was a turner in machine works, a wrapper in foundry manufactory, a stoker in factory of backer leaven. Boilers in factories are cleared with sulfuric acid. A tank was in yard, and everyone could gas up as much as he wanted. Maigis also took for himself 15 liters of sulfuric acid.

In 1978 Maigis stopped to work. Though he kept teetotalism he was not too healthy. Hernia and dyspepsia troubled him constantly, in his youth he had jaundice. He as sly man even bought a chit from some known doctor from Kemerovo that he has cirrhosis of the liver. In Kaunas he hired a room of a  man from province and began to lie reading on thematic of culture, history, religion, natural sciences. Sometimes he went to church and in club of philatelists, because he collected post cards with images of czars, kings, churches. In his hired room he remained a few books of religion purport, a prayer-book in violet cover, a prayer-book in green cover, newspaper of 1942 year "For Freedom", some health journals, some literature of local and international law, retaken photo portraits of Hitler, a lot of chits from different polyclinics, X-ray pictures of his intestine. He lived from resale of books, records, jeans which were sent by some Lena from California of who Maigis made the acquaintance via "Voice of America" in Estonian. He was full of complaints, he often for everybody raged about impenitence of guts and the shits alternately, he sent also his complaints to different law and health publications, to ministry of health, to authorities of town Kaunas. He seems a person closed, lettered, religious, constantly cursing on Russians and soviet power. He wore black glasses and corset which according to his imagination had to preserve him from distention of stomach. One day owner of the hired room found Maigis laying prostrate, windows closed, gas from gas-stove going out. Last months before June Maigis lived poorly enough.

Preparation In 1985 Maigis was obsessed by idea to do something that authorities would be stunned, because he hated Soviet power that in 1944 it shot his father. He thought about an attempt on some leader, about self-immolation in Red Square of Moscow. But these variants did not answer his scope. Some day he saw art journal "Ogonyok" with colored reproductions of famous pictures. "If to try to consume all these pictures..." -- such was next thought of Maigis. "Before me nobody did so." He started to prepare. At first he projected to blast one of pictures that only shreds remained. Bombs were made by him himself, because he had experience in Perm when worked in mine with powder-monkeys. But later he changed his mind, because in case of explosion people can suffer, Maigis had no a purpose to kill somebody. He said: "Though I do not like Soviet power, but no to such degree." After niggles he made a resolve to apply sulfuric acid. For execution of his animus he chose 15 June (on 15 June 1940 Lithuania became a Republic of Soviet Union).

Execution On 14 June 1985 Maigis arrived to Leningrad's Warsaw railway station. He deposited his bag in left-luggage office, wandered a bit the streets, ate a tablet and spent a night in this same railway station. In the morning of 15 June 1985 from luggage office he take  necessity. In a handbag put a glassy tin with one liter of sulfuric acid (oil vitriol), a layout of the Hermitage halls and a little knife. Maigis plugged another knife kitchen with 13 cm bit under his waist-belt. It is truth he took also two ammonite bombs of his own making stringing them to his leg under trousers, in pocket he put a battery.  Maigis came into the building of the Hermitage at around 10 a.m., clipped the tin with sulfuric acid under his jacket and booked a ticket No 004442. He even asked an old woman guard "what is the most famous painting in the museum" and she pointed to the "Danae." At 10.45 a.m. he found Rembrandt's hall where the "Danae" was demonstrated. A lot of people were around, and Maigis finally decided that he will not apply his bombs. He drew out from his pocket the knife and cut the rope which hold the picture suspended and started to slash the "Danae". Putting a slight on people he evenly drew out the tin with sulfuric acid and systematically started to pour it at the surface of the canvas. He tipped three times a bit over the figure of Danae with cast that coursing down acid will devour all figure. At 11.50 a.m. someone from spectators cried or Maigis himself gave a cry "Freedom for Lithuania!", and sergeant of militia Ivan Zhosan shined from a contiguous hall. He momentarily jumped to assailant who did not try to outrun, dislodged the knife from his hand, clasped the criminal and laid him on the ground. Mercifully the explosives did not burst. Such events were fixed in KGB documents.

Some sayings of Maigis in department of militia and in Investigative Isolator of KGB (Committee for State Security)
After his act of vandalism against the "Danae" he said: I think now the state shall commit more attention to population.
In the KGB Investigative Isolator he enounced smiling: Everything OK, my head stopped to ache, I sleep well.
Personally I fancy myself mentally health.
If after porridge my strength and health suffice and if change nothing, I will execute something similar again.
I have no regrets about what I did. Say please "Thanks" that I did not blast the canvas as planned stapling crotchets of two bombs of my own making. Radius obliteration 5-6 m.
I do not have any regret that I have gutted one from best in the Earth masterpieces. It means the masterpiece was not safeguarded if it was succeeded for me easy enough.
...I wanted to make myself conspicuous for society.
I chose her (the "Danae"), because it was most precious. Besides that because naked woman depicted lying on bed. The picture which plot I think pornographic was exhibited for public viewing. Such things wronged my sensibility.

Diagnosis of psychiatrists The most easy way for KGB was to enounce that Maigis is crazy and to close his case. Physique of Maigis were such: height 171 cm, weight 65 kg, physically developed, heartbeat clear, his build correct, keeps himself freely, understands questions right, holds at arm's length, expresses complaints with smooth voice. According to methodic of Veksler intellect of Maigis evaluated adequate to low norm. On 30 July 1985 doctors of Leningrad mental hospital No 5 (psychiatrists-experts Y.Shamarin and A.Klevtcovyi in attendance of professor B.Lebedev) did such diagnosis: passively creeping schizophrenia expressing itself in pedantry, decrement of emotional life and of sense of caring to near people,  in loss of purposeful and real interests, in breach of social adaptation, in rave ideas, in passivity, and pathological closure.

Court's Indictment 26 August 1985, Dzerzhinski Rayinarsud (the nationwide court of district Dzerzhinski of city Leningrad) scrutinize criminal case in two volumes No 28917 started in 15 July 1985, finished 6 August 1985 and made indictment. Recital its part: B.A.Maigis squirted with sulfuric acid the "Danae", picture of Rembrandt, worthy no less than 20 million roubles (insurance of those years) and did much harm to the tune of 193608 roubles and 50 kopeks (valuation of restoration works, that is restorers' salary two years forward). But according to conclusion of psychiatric expertise the criminative suffers from chronic psychical disease in form of passively creeping schizophrenia that does not allow him to access his own actions and manage them. Resolution: to indemnify Bronius Maigis and to apply forced means of medical character heading to special type's mental hospital of  the Home Office of the USSR.

The reasons of vandal act of Bronius Maigis against the "Danae"
Rarely one reason exists for disease or disaster. Let us try elucidate reasons of this jinx.
1 Certainly the first and main reason is inborn insanity of Bronius Maigis as was proved by Russian psychiatrists.
2 Influence of nationalists. Some Lithuanian people hated Russians. That hate was most appreciable in Kaunas town (Lithuanian temporal capital before World War Two). In Kaunas Maigis spent not a few  last years before 15 June 1985, and that consideration could be important. Nationalists are closed to Nazi, and ideas of fascism were vital -- Maigis kept the portrait of Hitler.
3 Influence of church. Church often, especially in Soviet years was not innocent enough, though it is truth it underwent some pinches from the side of authorities. Often church spread hate and hounded to some sins like thieving of state property. That even was a reason why some people became confirmed thieves. Information exists that in last decade before 1985 Maigis attended the church. Paradoxical situation: the church thinks that the "Danae" immodest, but what is crucifix? For deviants naked almost Jesus Christ can rise indecent thoughts too. Averment of this predication is indecent assault of priests against boy-clerks in holy orders.
4 Particularity of cultural life in Lithuania. During the 20th century Lithuanian art bitterly was under influence of modern art movements of the West. The modes of eighth and ninth decades were striking colors or almost fully white pictures, the smartest drawing was absence of drawing. Hyper realistic attitude also had place in some short period. About 1977s and later expression of insanity became norm of professional art. Artists with rational realistic outlook rarely were inducted to artists' union, their art works thinly were accepted to exhibits, they were repudiated by society.  In other words, outsider art became prevailing over realistic and academic; derangement grew to be prevailing over reason. Though in Lithuanian artists' sets Rembrandt and other classics had recognition, but common spectators of contemporary exhibitions and readers of art critic could form themselves another view... Modernism seems progressive, and masterpieces of classics were identified with soviet power and Russia. I think that was the fourth reason why in Lithuanian society could grow such Bronius Maigis.

The desecrated "Danae".

 

 

My all articles published in the 17th issue of THE SECRETS OF PERFECTION on art and erotica:

Introduction.
What is Vandalism on Art?
Who Was Vandal on Rembrandt's "Danae", Bronius Maigis?
Is Rembrandt's "Danae" Pornography? What do Pornography, Erotica, Nude Art Mean?
Peculiarities Of Contemporary Erotica.

 

 

Copyright © 2004, Jurate Macnoriute
THE SECRETS OF PERFECTION