Ukrainian Artifacts Controversially Repatriated to Kyiv Following Dutch Court Verdict
Ukrainian treasures triumphantly returned to Kyiv after a decade-long legal battle, following a Dutch court ruling The highly anticipated exhibition artifacts are finally back home
Nearly 10 years ago, a collection of Ukrainian treasures was sent to Europe for an exhibition. After a lengthy legal battle, the artifacts have been returned to Kyiv from the Netherlands. The ancient artifacts were originally dispatched from four museums in Crimea before Russia's annexation of the region in 2014, which complicated the process of their return.
This spiraling torque from the second century CE had been in storage, together with the rest of the collection, for almost a decade.
The National Museum of History of Ukraine announced that artifacts from four Crimean museums, which were displayed at the exhibition Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea in Amsterdam, have been returned to Ukraine after nearly a decade of legal proceedings.
The collection comprised 565 items, including antique sculptures, Scythian and Sarmatian jewelry, and Chinese lacquer boxes that are 2,000 years old, the museum said.
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The return of the treasures was hailed as a "significant historical triumph" by Rostyslav Karandieiev, the acting minister of culture and information policy in Ukraine. "Preserving and safeguarding our history, traditions, and heritage is of utmost importance to us. It is what we strive for on the battlefield - the preservation of our identity and freedom," he stated in an interview with CNN.
The exhibition in the Netherlands showcased the history of Ukrainian Crimea, leading to the assertion that the treasures should rightfully belong to the people of Ukraine," he stated. The Allard Pierson museum in Amsterdam also revealed that the collection had been held in storage amidst the legal debate about whether the items should be returned to Ukraine or the four museums in Russian-controlled Crimea, each claiming ownership rights over the pieces.
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The Supreme Court of the Netherlands ultimately ruled on June 9 of this year that the collection should be returned to Kyiv. According to a statement from the Allard Pierson museum, the items were "independently checked and carefully packed in accordance with museum rules" last month, and arrived back in Kyiv on Sunday.
Els van der Plas, the museum's director, stated, "This was a unique situation in which cultural heritage fell victim to geopolitical tensions. Once it was apparent in 2014 that the case would be heard in court, our focus turned to securely storing the artifacts until the time came for their rightful return. We are pleased that clarity has now been achieved and they have been returned."
The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine also welcomed the development, stating, "The Scythian Gold will be temporarily stored at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra until the de-occupation of Crimea."
