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DRAWINGS worth several million pounds have been stolen from the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art in the second big art robbery in the country to come to light in as many weeks.

Lax security at museums was already under scrutiny after it emerged last week that more than 220 artefacts worth $5 million (£2.6 million) had been stolen from the State Hermitage in St Petersburg. Now the archive says that it is missing a large number of drawings by the architect Yakov Chernikhov, a leading light in the Constructivist movement of the 1930s.

Among the stolen works were his trademark sketches of futuristic designs for public buildings, which never found favour with Soviet officials but which are still studied by architecture students. Archive officials became aware of the thefts while carrying out an inventory after nine missing drawings were sold at auction by Christie’s in London on June 22.

Christie’s said that it sold five lots for a total of £33,600, but later cancelled the sales. “Now that it has been established that the vendor did not in fact have title to sell these works, the sales have been cancelled and the objects returned to Russia,” it said.

Andrei Chernikhov, the architect’s grandson, told The Times that he became suspicious when a friend tipped him off that some of his grandfather’s works were up for sale. He checked the online catalogue and recognised six as belonging to the archive. He said that he alerted Christie’s but it went ahead with the sale.

Catherine Manson, a spokeswoman for Christie’s, said that Mr Chernikhov had raised concerns only about the authenticity of the works. “As they were unquestionably authentic, the sale went ahead,” she said. “Soon afterwards it became apparent that this was a matter concerning their being taken inappropriately from Russia.”

There was uncertainty over how many drawings were missing. Mr Chernikhov said that it was 700. But Ekho Moskvy, the radio station, reported that 2,500 were missing. The archive said that 274 — worth an estimated $1.3 million — had been recovered on Russian and overseas antiques markets. Tatyana Goryaeva, archive director, said that the thefts must have been an inside job, like those at the State Hermitage.

Police have detained three suspects in connection with that crime, including the son and the husband of a late Hermitage curator who had been in charge of the collection where the theft occurred.

Yesterday a bag containing two of the stolen artefacts — a cross and a ladle, both of gilded silver — was left outside the local branch of the Federal Security Service.

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