$ 1 million for Russian PM Putin's painting

St. Petersburg, Jan 18: An oil painting by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was sold at a charity auction in St. Petersburg for over $1 million. St.Petersburg is Putin's hometown.

Putin's painting which was auctioned on Saturday, Jan 17 found place among the artworks by well-known Russians from various walks of life. The auction was held to raise money for a hospital, a church and a cancer clinic in the city.

Reports suggest that Natalya Kurnikova, a Moscow gallery owner bagged the painting for 37 million rubles ($1.1 million). She said she bought it because it could be the first and last painting of its kind. Putin's painting brought in more than any of the others on auction. A painting by opera singer Anna Netrebko fetched 1.1 million rubles ($34,000).

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)