About 40 impressionist-era paintings impounded by Russian customs officials for more than three weeks and valued at a combined $20 million will be released on 13th Nov, said the director of customs at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. Since Oct. 18 paintings by Matisse, Picasso, Renoir and others have been held by Sheremetyevo customs without explanation, said Luba Mosionzhnik, director of the Shkola gallery in Moscow that was importing the artworks. The paintings had been shipped from a private collection in New York and Switzerland. "There was no detention whatsoever of any paintings, and tomorrow all the artworks will be duly processed and released," said Alexander Kochnov, director of customs at the airport, in a telephone interview. Shkola said it "has been hearing promises" that the paintings would be released "every day for the past three weeks." Under Russian law, customs officials have three days to explain why items have been detained, said Andrei Eremin, a legal adviser to Shkola. He said no explanation was ever given. "We didn't do anything wrong, we followed all the rules for bringing art into Russia, and we plan to clear the name of my gallery," said Mosionzhnik, a U.S. citizen."Today we went to the prosecutors office and opened a criminal case against customs for illegally holding private property, and we will sue for damages." Eremin said he believes the conflict over the paintings was instigated by another art-transportation company in Moscow that wants to force Shkola to become its client. He did not elaborate. With Russia's booming economy in its ninth straight year of growth, the wealthy class has expanded and with it the appetite for buying art. Impressionist and post-impressionist masters are particularly popular with Russian collectors. Mosionzhnik said the art held at Sheremetyevo is due to be reviewed by specialists at Moscow museums that are interested in exhibiting the pieces. Shkola opened in March and is located in downtown Moscow across from Russia's Central Bank.