It did not take long for the tremors from Vladimir Putin’s tanks rolling into Ukraine to reach the British arts sector, long a beneficiary of Russian money. Institutions including the Tate and Royal Academy ended ties with Russian oligarchs and donors, including Petr Aven and Viktor Vekselberg.
But it appears the war has also led to questions about the role of Sir Leonard Blavatnik – listed by the Sunday Times as Britain’s richest man. While not on any sanctions list, the Ukrainian-born billionaire’s links to sanctioned Russian oligarchs were the focus of discussion among officials involved in a multimillion pound donation by him that helped ensure a trove of literary treasures were saved for the nation.
