The Hermitage

By David Rosten

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, has one of the greatest collections of art in the history of the world. However, the Russian economy is struggling. President Vladimir Putin is desperate to raise hard currency, and he lets his inner circle know that its time to sell off some of the hidden Russian treasures of the Hermitage Museum. General Serkin of the Russian army, a confidant of President Putin, doesnt want the art sold off, but disobedience to Putin has many negative ramifications.

Russia stages the 2014 Winter Olympics. Immediately after the Olympics, Russia invades Crimea in the Ukraine. The international community sanctions Russia. The Russian ruble collapses. The value of Russian exports and the value of Russian oil crumble. Russia has other active conflicts in Syria and Chechnya, and Russians are hungry. Putin tells General Serkin it was time to sell the art.

This is the fictional story of how the art of the Hermitage was stolen and then recovered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524533953

David Rosten

About the Author The first time David Rosten traveled to Russia was in the early 1970s. The Cold War was in full swing. It was the first time he was at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He has never forgotten the enormity of the collection. Mr. Rosten has degrees in political science and international and comparative law. He is a community director for the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding at the University of California and on the national board of directors for the Olive Tree Initiative at UC–Irvine. He is a former cochair of the dean’s council at UC–Irvine.

Book preview

COPYRIGHT © 2016 BY DAVID ROSTEN.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER:   2016913275

   ISBN:   HARDCOVER   978-1-5245-3397-7

      SOFTCOVER   978-1-5245-3396-0

      EBOOK   978-1-5245-3395-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/12/2016

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Russian Military Command Headquarters Moscow

Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Red Square Moscow

Chapter 4 Moscow Airport

Chapter 5 Military Command Headquarters

Chapter 6 Alexander’s Dacha

Chapter 7 Briefing Room CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

Chapter 8 Alexander’s Dacha

Chapter 9

Chapter 10 Saint Petersburg Conservatory

Chapter 11

Chapter 12 Neva River

Chapter 13 Peasant House Russia

Chapter 14

Chapter 15 Siberia

Chapter 16 Trans-Siberian Express

Chapter 17

Chapter 18 Siberian Taiga

Chapter 19 Tanya’s Apartment Moscow

Chapter 20 Karl’s Apartment Palm Springs, California

Chapter 21 Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School

Chapter 22 CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

Chapter 23

Chapter 24 Alexander’s Dacha Moscow

state-hermitage-museum-1584538_1280.jpg

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Hermitage is a fictional story. The characters and incidents herein are mostly fictitious, yet they accurately reflect the spirit of the emergence of a new Russian Republic. The locations are all geographically accurate. The theft from the Hermitage Museum is fictitious. The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world.

Special thanks to my children Chase, Annika, and Brooke, who help keep the fantasy alive. There is a little stardust in all of us when we search for love and peace.

Dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Judge Kenneth A. Black 1949 - 2016

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Chapter 1

RUSSIAN MILITARY COMMAND HEADQUARTERS

MOSCOW

Foreign Minister Alexander Serkin, who, at forty-five, is deeply lined but still very handsome and well built, sits in his ornate Louis XIV-style office. This is the center of the high command of the Russian military located at Red Square. A 45mm Beretta is at his side.

There is an explosion outside. Smoke immediately fills the air. General Serkin looks outside the window and sees several cars on fire and the street littered with broken glass.

Rebel fighters are attempting to blast their way into military headquarters with machine guns, and many are being slaughtered on the steps before they can breach the entrance.

The foreign minister looks over at his friend Colonel Rein Taagapera, who is looking out the other window at the fighting and the carnage from the explosions. Rein puts his head in his hands and rubs his forehead. Alexander realizes he looks much older than his forty years.

Alexander says, Raduyev must be helping the Ukrainians. He pushes a button on his desk, and a faux wall of bookshelves begins to move, revealing a wall of electronic equipment. Do we have positive ID for Raduyev?

Computer, ID potential matches for security breach, Rein says.

On the security monitors, Rein and Alexander see cameras slide out of the walls on the outside of the building as the computer works to get a positive ID.

Finally, in a German-accented metallic intonation, the computer responds, Raduyev positive identification received, and a picture of Raduyev flashes on the screen. Chechen special forces, ISIS organizer, trained in Iran. Extremely dangerous.

Rein says, Computer, engage defense protocol.

Machine-gun barrels slide from the side of the building and begin to mow down the rebel troops. Raduyev sees that it is hopeless as the facility automatically closes up all the doors and windows, and he takes off into a run, bullets barely missing him. Debris is flying all around as he dives behind a GAZ Tigr light-armored vehicle, which is riddled with bullets. Raduyev looks inside, and when he sees no one is in the vehicle, he shrugs his shoulders and says to himself, Hmm, the keys are in the ignition. Unbelievable. He jumps into the GAZ Tigr and takes off.

The gates of the ministry building open up, and Alexander and Rein drive through in two separate armored vehicles after Raduyev.

Chapter 2

Raduyev hits buttons, trying to figure out the vehicle’s controls, and a gun starts to shoot out at the vehicles ahead of him. He switches the camera around, and the gun shoots at the buildings on the side. Then the gun barrel swivels behind him and starts to shoot at pedestrians who dive to the sidewalk.

Alexander and Rein adjust the controls in their vehicles, and they swerve to the side of the crowded street as Raduyev uses the machine guns to shoot at them.

Alexander is shot through the shoulder and loses control of the vehicle. His armored vehicle hits another car and flips over. Rein stops, and Alexander climbs out of his vehicle and into Rein’s, holding his shoulder with his other hand. They continue after Raduyev.

Rein looks over at him with concern written on his face. Are you all right?

I think I need someone to take a look at my shoulder.

Raduyev looks in the rearview mirror, and he sees Rein coming up quickly behind him. He pushes more controls, not quite sure what they all do but hoping something will happen to help him get away. Finally, an oil slick sprays out of the back of the vehicle, and the Chechen terrorist sees Rein swerve to avoid it.

A smoke screen fills the streets, and Rein blasts through the diversion. When he gets past the smoke screen, Raduyev is gone.

Rein drives down the Moscow streets slowly, looking for Raduyev’s vehicle.

Alexander says, pointing, There! Alongside the road.

As they pull up to the armored vehicle, the door is open, and Raduyev is long gone.

Should we take prints from the car? Rein asks as they peek inside the GAZ Tigr.

Alexander shakes his head. That won’t be necessary. Raduyev is already on the surveillance tapes.

They hear a beeping sound inside the vehicle and run for their lives down the road to take cover behind