Pro bono

Pavlova & Partners law firm’s lawyers provided a comprehensive legal support of this project, including strategy formulation and participation in arbitration disputes.

The Russian and Soviet painter Viktor Konstantinovich Melnikov (1914-2006), a son of the outstanding Russian architect Konstantin Stepanovich Melnikov (1890-1974) bequeathed his father’s artistic legacy (including the world-famous Melnikov House) to the Russian Federation. One of the bequest clauses was to establish a state museum and all heritables were to be handed over to the museum. The executor of the will was Ekaterina Karinskaya, one of two daughters of Viktor Konstantinovich.

Short before the death of V.K. Melnikov his other daughter, Elena Viktorovna Melnikova, cashed in on that her father was blind and concluded a gift agreement for 1/2 share of ownership right for Melnikov House. By that time the owner of the second half of Melnikov House was an individual interested in full ownership of the House.

Pavlova&Partners law firm’s defence lawyers managed to declare the gift agreement for shared Melnikov House ownership void and returned part of the property to mass of the succession (Russian Federation). Besides, the situation of Melnikov House sparked public outcry conduced by lawyers of our law firm, too (including numerous appeal to government authorities) and as a result the government received back the right of supervision over the second part of Melnikov House. 

Now Melnikov House is a cultural heritage of federal significance, there is a museum there.

Photos used in publication are taken from website probauhaus.ru

Melnikov House - an outstanding work of world architecture - turned out to be an object of illegal seizure. As a result of the legal work performed by Pavlova&Partners law firm’s lawyers the property of art treasures was handed over to the Russian Federation. It is sadly that some questions connected with the newly established state museum have not been settled till now.