In Germany, the Miasoedov family unexpectedly became wealthy. Against the backdrop of a general economic crisis, their prosperity looked like a feast during a plague. "Where did you get the money?" asked their suffering compatriots-emigrants. "Are you printing it?".

The answer became clear in 1923 when Miasoedov was first arrested for counterfeiting currency. The artist took the concept of "realism" too literally and created banknotes of the highest quality. Moreover, he forged not weak marks, but stable pounds and dollars.

Taking all the blame upon himself (Malvina was involved in the distribution of this family business), he served his first sentence in the notorious Moabit prison. After painting frescoes in the prison chapel, Ivan Grigoryevich earned parole and was released just a couple of years later.