The man who attacked Ilya Repin's famous painting of Ivan the Terrible faces six years in prison

Following last week’s attack on Ilya Repin’s famous painting, “Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581,” Russia’s Culture Ministry and the Tretyakov Gallery are asking the State Duma to consider stricter punishments against those who damage works of art. A top Culture Ministry official said on Monday that his office will seek the “most severe penalty” possible against the 37-year-old man from Voronezh who used a metal barrier post to smash the painting’s glass frame and strike it several times.

The assailant, Igor Podporin, says he objects to the painting because it likely depicts an event — Ivan Grozny murdering his own son — that never took place, echoing concerns by Russian Orthodox groups that have called for the piece’s removal. Podporin told reporters that he considers Ivan the Terrible to be a saint. He initially admitted to being drunk during the incident, but he later claimed he was pressured into saying he was intoxicated. Either way, Podporin isn't the first person to attack the painting: In 1913, a mentally ill man slashed it with a knife.

Repin’s painting will be restored and returned to the Tretyakov Gallery, this time in a reinforced glass case. Museum officials estimate the damage to be 500,000 rubles (about $8,000). On Tuesday, police charged Podporin with damaging a cultural monument of special national significance, which carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison.