The statue Flying Mercury was cast in 1783 by order from the Empress Catherine the Second. From the end of the 18th century to 1941, the statue, representing the copy of Giambologna's famous work displayed at the national museum in Florence, was one of the gems of the Pavlovsk Palace park. Before the seizure of Pavlovsk by the Nazis, the statue was buried in the park but after the liberation of the city could not be found.
It was only in 1979 that a Russian art critic discovered it at the art history museum in Vienna. However, it took another 20 years to prove in May 2002 by joint Russian-Austrian expert examination that the statue did get to Graz from Pavlovsk. This was sufficient evidence for the Russian side to demand the retrieval of the statue.
The three sides involved in the effort to return the artwork were the Austrian government, the Russian agency for cultural heritage and the Russian foreign ministry.
"Today we have become witness to a singular event, both in terms of culture and politics. The Flying Mercury will make only a stop in Moscow to land in the final analysis in Pavlovsk where this sculpture will be ceremoniously returned on a high political level this autumn. We are happy that we can return this fascinating work of art to where it belongs," said the Austrian ambassador.
"The Austrian government's decision on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the V-Day to meet the inquiry about the return of the statue is viewed in Moscow as another confirmation of friendly Russian-Austrian relations," said the Russian foreign ministry's spokesman Alexander Yakovenko.
