There is nothing wrong with doing some doodles when you are bored. Unless, of course, you are working in a museum, and you are doodling on a priceless artwork like one security guard at Yekaterinburg’s Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center.
According to Russian media outlets, the 60-year-old guard was having a hard time staying entertained on his first day of work, so he decided to doodle a set of eyes on two faceless subjects featured in Anna Leporskaya’s painting “Three Figures.”
The artwork, showing three human-like figures lacking facial features, dates from the 1930s and is reportedly worth around $1 million.
The guard’s intervention was quickly discovered by two visitors, who noticed the added features and reported it to the museum. A short investigation identified the bored guard as a culprit, and he was immediately fired. The man also faces vandalism charges.
Fortunately, the guard’s actions were not as disastrous as it was initially believed. While the pen’s tip penetrated the paint layers, he didn’t apply too much pressure to do irreparable damage. As a result, the painting is now scheduled to undergo restoration, which should bring it back to its original state.
