Artifacts from four Crimean museums returned to Ukraine after exhibition in Amsterdam in 2014
The Allard Pierson Museum donated artifacts from four Crimean museums to Ukraine, which were presented at an exhibition in Amsterdam, the National Museum of History of Ukraine has said.
"After almost ten years of trials, artifacts from four museums of Crimea, which were presented at the exhibition 'Crimea – Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea' in Amsterdam, returned to Ukraine. The Allard Pierson Museum transferred them to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. It is there that they will be stored until de-occupation of Crimea," the museum said on its website on Monday.
According to the press service, the exhibition of artifacts was held from February to August 2014 at the Allard Pierson Museum, it demonstrated objects from the collections of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine and four museums of Crimea: the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos (Sevastopol), the Taurida Central Museum (Simferopol), Bakhchisaray Historical and Cultural Reserve and Kerch Historical and Archaeological Reserve.
"In February 2014, Russia began the occupation of Crimea. Items from the collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine returned to Kyiv after the exhibition was completed. At the same time, it became impossible to return valuables from Crimean museums to territory not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. However, the museums of Crimea, which de- is in fact controlled by the Russian government, they insisted on this. A trial has begun in the Netherlands," the report notes.
In December 2016, a court in Amsterdam decided to transfer the artifacts to Ukraine in accordance with the Inheritance Law. In addition, the appeal court decided to satisfy the claim for the transfer of Crimean artifacts to Ukraine, but on the basis of the Law of Ukraine On museums and the order of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine dated March 2014, according to which the Minister of Culture has the authority to decide on the transfer of artifacts for safekeeping if there is a risk of their loss, damage or destruction.
However, the museums of Crimea filed a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands with a request to overturn the decision of the Court of Appeal, but on June 9, 2023, the court rejected the cassation appeal of the museums and left the appeal decision unchanged.
According to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, Ukraine had to pay the Allard Pierson Museum EUR 111,689 with interest accrued for the entire period of storage of the collections of the Crimean museums.
"After fulfilling the obligations undertaken by the National Museum of the History of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, the Allard Pierson Museum refused the payment determined by the court in its favor," the museum said in the statement.
At the moment, experts are examining the condition of 565 artifacts, including ancient sculptures, Scythian and Sarmatian jewelry, as well as Chinese lacquer boxes, which are 2,000 years old.
According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, the customs of the capital has begun customs clearance of Scythian gold.
"Right now, a truck with 2,694 kg of cultural property, known collectively as Scythian Gold, has entered the territory of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, where Kyiv customs officers will identify the treasures in the Treasury of the National Museum of Ukraine," the museum said in the Telegram channel.