‘Putin in nightie’ painter flees to France for asylum

A Russian artist said yesterday he has fled to France and is applying for asylum after police seized his controversial painting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in women's underwear.

Police raided an exhibition on Tuesday in the northwestern city of Saint Petersburg, which next week hosts the G20 summit, and confiscated works including a painting of Putin in a strappy nightie and Medvedev in a bra and skimpy knickers.

Artist Konstantin Altunin, 45, said by telephone from Paris that he had requested political asylum and was now gathering the necessary documents.

"Yesterday I went to the prefecture in Paris ... and made this request. I now need to go through the procedure and bring written confirmation of where I am staying," he said.

Altunin flew out of Russia as soon as he heard the exhibition had been shut down on Tuesday evening and the organisers had been detained by police and questioned. He said the police had described the exhibition at the newly opened Museum of the Authorities as extremist and he feared criminal charges.

"They have already said directly that my exhibition is extremist. That's a very serious charge," he said.