The operation lasted seven minutes.
We have often seen scenes in movies where unthinkable crimes are committed in the most famous and, it would seem, the most reliable museums in the world. But we rarely thought about whether this is possible in real life – after all, modern security systems are designed to protect the greatest masterpieces from any encroachments. However, reality has proven: even one of the largest museums in the world can become a scene for a daring theft.
The Louvre in Paris was robbed on the morning of October 19. According to French media, three or four criminals broke into the museum on scooters and used a freight elevator to get to the Apollo Gallery, where they focused on two display cases. The operation to steal the jewels lasted only seven minutes, after which they escaped through a window that had been cut open earlier.
“They stole jewels that have real historical value,” said French Interior Minister Laurent Nunes.
Built by order of Louis XIV, the Apollo Gallery in the Louvre is a true jewel of French cultural heritage. It was here that the royal family's jewels were kept: the crown diamonds, exquisite jewelry and three legendary stones – the Regent, the Sancy and the Hortense. It seemed that these treasures, shrouded in history and protected by the most modern security systems, would forever remain inaccessible to any criminal. But reality once again proved the opposite.
Gallery “Apollo”
The robbery, which shocked France, deprived the gallery of nine unique exhibits: among them – crowns, brooches, necklaces and earrings, each of which had not only material but also historical value. During the escape, the robbers left part of the loot – one of the jewels was found right next to the walls of the Louvre. It was the damaged crown of Empress Eugenie – the wife of Napoleon III. This jewel, encrusted with diamonds and emeralds, once symbolized the luxury and power of the French court, and now has become evidence of how vulnerable such masterpieces can be.
According to Laurent Nunez, the theft was carried out by a “very experienced team.” The minister suggests that the thieves may have been “foreigners” and says he has “great hope that the perpetrators will be found very quickly, as will the stolen property.”
