The Tretyakov Gallery’s painting Ivan the Terrible and His Son, created by Russian artist Ilya Repin, has experienced repeated acts of physical vandalism throughout its history. In May 2018, a visitor broke through its protective glass with a metal bar, shattering the frame and piercing the canvas in three places. While the faces and hands of the figures remained unharmed, the incident prompted the gallery to seek a permanent security intervention.

To safeguard the restored artwork against future risks, the directors of the Tretyakov Gallery commissioned European Museum Technology to design and fabricate a bespoke display case. The project required integrating bulletproof containment and high-capacity structural mechanics into the historical gallery setting.