(Bloomberg) --

Russia, which loaned its famed Morozov Collection to the art center set up by France’s wealthiest man Bernard Arnault, is concerned about the risks of getting it safely back home.

On exhibition at Arnault’s Fondation Louis Vuitton since Sept. 22, the collection includes such masterpieces as “The Prison Courtyard” by Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso’s “Acrobat with a Ball.” The 200 works on display will need to be sent back to Russia when the exhibition ends on April 3, a matter complicated by transportation links being cut off. 

“It is not a secret that, given the current situation and all the drastic measures that have been taken, including on flights between Russian and France, there are problems,” Russia’s Ambassador to France, Aleksey Meshkov, told reporters at a press conference Tuesday. “So we are currently working on the logistics to ensure the safest possible return of the collection to Russia. But I am convinced that we will find a solution.”

The fate of the artworks -- worth at least $1.5 billion, according to Thomas Seydoux, who spent 15 years at Christie’s -- has become yet another source of worry after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought on a flurry of sanctions and restrictions against the country.

The Morozov Collection essentially comes from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow but other institutions in the Russian capital, Minsk, Belarus and Ukraine have also sent pieces. It wasn’t immediately clear how art from Ukraine would be returned.

The paintings -- which also include the works of Monet, Bonnard, Cezanne and others --  were assembled at the turn of the 20th century by Ivan Morozov and his brother Mikhail, two wealthy Russian textile merchants who collected hundreds of impressionist and modern works of art. Seydoux estimates The Prison Courtyard, the only painting showcased in its own room at the Fondation, is worth at least $100 million. But others such as Picasso’s Acrobat with a Ball are historically worth more than that amount, he added.

“These are almost invaluable paintings because they have such a long cultural and historical standing,” said Seydoux, who was the chairman of the impressionist and modern art department at Christie’s. 

Putin Helped Billionaire Arnault Make an ‘Impossible’ Art Show

French officials have acknowledged the logistical challenge of sending the collection back since the European Union has shut its airspace to Russian planes. They insist, however, that the paintings will not be seized because France abides by international law on the protection of artworks and will do everything possible to get them back to Russia. 

The safety of the works exhibited at the Fondation is a top priority and they will be returned to their owners after the exhibition ends, provided conditions -- geopolitical and governmental -- allow it, a representative for the Fondation Louis Vuitton told Bloomberg News.

The organization of the exhibition was negotiated by top-level diplomats, and is a symbol of the strong cultural ties between France and Russia, officials from both countries have said. In 2017, President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Chateau de Versailles during an exhibition about Peter the Great. 

Since the beginning of his mandate, Macron has advocated dialogue with Russia. He has been in constant touch with Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine, seeking to obtain a ceasefire and find a diplomatic solution to end the conflict. 

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.