The Prosecutor General’s Office has opened an investigation into whether an art student forged two works by prominent Russian-American painter Mikhail Shemyakin and tried to sell them to an Omsk collector, news reports said Thursday.

The investigation into copyright infringement was initiated at Shemyakin’s request.

The student from the St. Petersburg Art Academy offered the two forged paintings for $33,000, prosecutor’s office spokesman Konstantin Nikonov told Business FM radio.

(MT)