On June 3, Storm at Rocky Coast Ivan Aivazovsky's canvas was returned to the National Gallery of Armenia. 21 years ago, the canvas was stolen from the Armenian Society of Cultural Communications. On February 26, 2001 it was put out for auction in Moscow.

Russian senator Hovhannes Ohanyan, whose collection lists over 200 works by Armenian, Russian and foreign artists donated the canvas to the Gallery. “I'm happy the canvas returned to its owner. It must have been predetermined for me to buy out the picture and return it to Armenia. From the very first second I saw it, I decided to return the canvass to the Gallery,” the Senator said during donation ceremony.

At the auction, the canvas was offered for 24 million rubles.

Armenian Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan and Russian cultural officials attended the ceremony.