After 9 years in limbo, Crimean treasures returned to Ukraine

The artifacts that were in limbo while they were on exhibition in Europe in 2014 due to Russia’s seizure of Crimea from Ukraine were returned to Ukraine, marking a victory for Ukraine in the “war over ownership of artifacts.”

The Guardian reported that the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine revealed some of the works to the public on Tuesday. Around 500 works that have been returned were borrowed from four Crimean museums in 2014 for the exhibition of the ancient Scythian artifacts to the Allard Pierson Museum in the Netherlands. The Scythians are nomadic people who are considered ancestors of the Slavs, including Russians and Ukrainians, and are famous for their gold artworks.

The problem occurred when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 when the artifacts were on exhibition. A legal dispute over ownership rights of these artifacts ensued, with the action filed by four Crimean museums at the Dutch court.

At the first instance trial in 2016, the Amsterdam court ruled that the artifacts belonged to Ukraine since Russia’s annexation of the Crimea Peninsula was not recognized under international law. The Crimean museums filed a final appeal after they lost in the appellate trial, and the Dutch Supreme Court ruled in June that the museum must return the treasures to Ukraine. The artifacts were returned to Ukraine on Monday.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture praised the return of Scythian gold treasures as a “symbolic and historic” victory over Russia in the battle of identity and freedom. “We will keep the artifacts in Kyiv until the Crimea Peninsula is liberated from the Russian occupation,” a ministry official said.


clearlee@donga.com