When Ron Pollard, an architectural photographer from Colorado, legally acquired a hoard of Russian avant-garde paintings, he couldn’t believe they were real. But they were; all the experts he asked agreed. Anyone connected to the Russian government, however – oligarchs, Russophile dealers, and so on – insisted they were forgeries. Are all of his 160 paintings fakes? Or is he sitting on a collection appraised at over $50 million? He talks to Greg Olear about his story, a lost school of painting, and the ultimate purpose of art. Plus: a song for the owner of the Speaker.

Follow Ron on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ifoundmalevich_film/

Art of the Zero website, to view the collection:

http://artofthezero.com/

Virtual museum of orphan Russian avant garde art:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBmmgls6wUQ

The film “I Found Malevich:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9q22pQ5hdc

Sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/greg

Make America Great Gatsby Again!

https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=t

Subscribe to The Five 8:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA

Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17

ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T

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