Emigration

In the mid-1970s, George Costakis, in his own words, felt that “living in Moscow had become uncomfortable”. He was constantly monitored, threats were received, and thefts of works from the collection began. Costakis seriously feared for his life and that of his loved ones. In addition, in 1976, his service at the Canadian Embassy ended, and with it the diplomatic immunity. By then, the collector finally decided to leave the USSR.

The main stumbling block was the fate of the collection. Attempts to hand it over to create a museum were unsuccessful. At the same time, Soviet laws prohibited the “export of valuables”. Thanks to the mediation of Vladimir Semenov (the USSR representative to the UN and a collector himself interested in the the avant-garde), it was possible to agree on the export of that part of the collection which was not donated to the state. In 1978, the Costakis family flew to Rome. Only daughter Natalya with her family remained in Moscow. After spending a year and a half in Italy waiting for a U.S residence permit George Costakis, on the advice of the Greek ambassador, decided to move to Athens and make it his new home.