Trajan's Basilica, Rome's 2nd century town hall, is undergoing a long-awaited restoration, but it is not without controversy over its main donor.

Uzbekistan-born Russian mining magnate Alisher Usmanov donated 1.5 million euros in 2015 for the restoration of the cathedral. France 24 reported.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Usmanov was sanctioned by the United States and the European Union due to the U.S. Treasury Department's assessment of his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the newspaper reported.

As of Wednesday, Usmanov remained on the European Union's sanctions list, but he is appealing to have it removed. Reuters report.

Despite the controversy surrounding Mr. Usmanov, Rome's top art authority, Claudio Parisi Presicce, has issued a statement saying that Mr. Usmanov's donations were made before he was placed on the sanctions list. 24 French newspapers reported that he defended the acceptance of

“If visitors cannot feel the height of the monument, they will not be able to understand the meaning of the architecture,” he told Agence France-Presse during a site visit, according to France 24 newspaper.

According to a report in French newspaper 24, the cathedral was built in the early 2nd century by Emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus, who ruled from 98 to 117 AD. The newspaper said that due to restoration work that began in 2021, the cathedral's two-story Corinthian portico, which is more than 23 meters high, now attracts the attention of visitors. (Related: The 2,300-year-old Aigai Palace of conqueror Alexander the Great reopens after about 20 years of renovation)

In addition to his ambitious building projects in Rome, Trajan also conquered territories in Arabia, the Balkans, and Mesopotamia, expanding Rome to its largest territory and earning him the nickname “Optimus Princeps”, or “Prince Supreme”. Obtained.

Night view of Ulpia Cathedral #Rome, #Italy. Read the guide: https://t.co/k2miwtWw3W pic.twitter.com/gXbOoXxOJA

— Archeology and Art (@archaeologyart) May 23, 2019

Usmanov is said to have donated 4.2 billion to charity over the past 20 years, and was named the Sunday Times' 2021 list of the richest people, France 24 reported.

In 2015, Usmanov donated 500,000 euros to the restoration of Rome's Capitoline Museums, according to another report. Report from Reuters. Forbes estimated Usmanov's wealth in 2023 to be $14.4 billion. According to Yahoo News.