Top art gallery directors in Russia have denounced vandalism by Orthodox Christian activists who attacked a Moscow art exhibition last week.

In an open letter the gallery chiefs condemned the God's Will group, who damaged sculptures by Soviet-era artist Vadim Sidur on 14 August.

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The God's Will protest at Moscow's Manezh exhibition hall near the Kremlin, was led by Dmitry Tsorionov, also known as Enteo. The activists said the artworks were offensive to Christian worshippers.

A Manezh official, Yelena Karneyeva, said four of Sidur's works were damaged by the group - some of them severely.

Sidur was a non-conformist, avant-garde artist in the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 60s. He was a disabled World War Two veteran and died in 1986.

The Manezh exhibition was called "Sculptures we cannot see" - referring to the fact that Sidur's works were censored by the Soviet authorities.

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The God's Will website says the group stands for "the resurrection and development of Russia as an Orthodox Empire, worshipping God the Creator" and "for a Russia without homosexuals, abortions, drug addiction or alcoholism".