In an attempt to combat the severely weakened art market, auction houses have begun to target potential buyers outside of their traditional clientele. To this end, Sotheby's contemporary Russian sale on June 9 in London will for the first time include contemporary Ukrainian artworks, according to the New York Times. With the Russian economy suffering, the onetime flood of Russian art buyers has significantly slowed; Sotheby's is betting the inclusion of moderately priced artworks by Ukrainian artists will attract bids from Ukrainian collectors.

On May 20 and 21, Sotheby's will showcase 19 of the Ukrainian works included in the sale at the Ukrainian House in Kiev.