Nearly 2.7 tons of Crimean treasure returned to Ukraine

Nearly 2.7 tonnes of Crimean treasures have returned to Kiev after nine years stuck in a Dutch museum, where they were on display when Russia annexed the peninsula.

In 2014, four museums in Crimea lent hundreds of gold, bronze, and precious stone artifacts, as well as 2,000-year-old Scythian artifacts, to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for display. While the artifacts were on display in Amsterdam, Russia unexpectedly annexed the Crimean peninsula, making them the focus of a legal battle between Russia and Ukraine.

In the years that followed, museums in Kiev and Crimea filed lawsuits demanding the treasure be returned to them. The Dutch Supreme Court ruled in June that the treasure should be returned to Ukraine.

“After almost 10 years, artifacts from four museums in Crimea have been returned to Ukraine,” the National Museum of History of Ukraine (NMHU) announced on November 27, a day after the treasures arrived in Kiev. “They will be kept at NMHU until Crimea is liberated.”

Nearly 2.7 tons of Crimean treasure returned to Ukraine

The hat and gold jewelry from the treasure were returned to Kiev on November 26. Photo: BBC

The treasure, consisting of 2,694 kg of jewelry placed in special boxes, was transported by truck from Amsterdam to Kiev, Ukrainian customs said.

Ukrainian Culture Minister Rostyslav Karandeyev hailed the return of the artifacts as a “great historical victory.” “The exhibition in the Netherlands deals with the history of Crimea belonging to Ukraine. Therefore, only Ukrainians can possess these historical values,” he said.

Russia has repeatedly said that hundreds of artifacts, including a solid gold helmet dating back to the 4th century BC, should be kept in Crimea. “The treasures belong to Crimea and they should stay there,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on November 27.

The director of the Allard Pierson Museum, Els van der Plas, said this was an exceptional case where “cultural heritage has become a victim of geopolitical developments.” In the legal battle, the Allard Pierson Museum “is focused on the safekeeping of the objects until they can be returned to their rightful owners.”

“We are delighted that the results are clear and that they have now been returned,” said Ms van der Plas.

Nearly 2.7 tons of Crimean treasure returned to Ukraine