▁Museum ▁department ▁of ▁People ' s ▁Comm iss ariat ▁( min istry ) ▁of ▁Education . ▁He ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁assess ing ▁and ▁ev acu ating ▁the ▁art ▁tre asures ▁from ▁the ▁est ates ▁abandoned ▁by ▁nobles ▁to ▁Moscow . ▁Russia ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁and ▁P ash uk an is ▁often ▁had ▁to ▁act ▁in ▁the ▁reb elli ous ▁regions . ▁Among ▁others , ▁he ▁saved ▁from ▁pill age ▁the ▁collections ▁of ▁Count ▁Rad zi will ▁from ▁their ▁estate ▁near ▁Bob ru isk ▁and ▁the ▁unique ▁collection ▁of ▁Ivan ▁Pas ke v ich ▁from ▁the ▁G om el ▁Palace . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁P ash uk an is ▁was ▁arrested ▁in ▁Moscow . ▁He ▁was ▁ind icted ▁for ▁organ izing ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁counter - re volution ary ▁group . ▁On ▁December   1 6 , ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁Museum ▁department , ▁Natal ia ▁Sed ova ▁( w ife ▁of ▁Leon ▁T rot sky ), ▁sent ▁a ▁tele gram ▁attempting ▁to ▁save ▁him . ▁On ▁January   1 3 , ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁be ▁shot ; ▁however , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁official ▁record ▁that ▁the ▁sentence ▁was ▁carried ▁out . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁Bel arus ian ▁TV ▁and ▁radio ▁company ▁" G om el " ▁fil med ▁a ▁ 2 6 - min ute ▁document ary ▁The ▁tra ged y ▁of ▁Vik enty