Part of the Collection of Scythian Gold Returned From the Netherlands, Presented in the Capital of Ukraine

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra museum hosted the presentation of artefacts from the collection 'Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea,' which has already been returned to Ukraine from the Netherlands. This was reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

Legal battles for the artefacts of Crimean museums lasted almost 10 years. Until the de-occupation of Crimea, the 'Scythian Gold' will be temporarily stored in the Treasury of the Museum on the territory of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

The collection consists of treasures from four Crimean museums: the Central Museum of Tauris, the Kerch Historical and Cultural Preserve, the National Reserve of Tauric Chersonesos, and the Bakhchisarai Historical and Cultural Preserve.

Ukrainian officials and the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine, Jennes de Mol, took part in the presentation in Kyiv.

"'Scythian Gold' is the most valuable Ukrainian collection that Russia failed to appropriate. The collection has already been cleared through customs in Ukraine. Our diplomats, lawyers, cultural figures, law enforcement, and special services have carried out extensive work to return these treasures. The 565 returned items will be added to the collection. We believe that after the return of Crimea, the artefacts will return home. Grateful to the world community, which stands in solidarity with Ukraine. Thanks to everyone involved in this mission – the return of Ukrainian culture," said Rostyslav Karandiyev, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

Ambassador Jennes de Mol noted that the return of the collection is a sign of the independence of the Dutch judicial system, which has undergone long trials: "Ukraine has a legitimate interest in protecting its cultural heritage, so the District Court of Amsterdam applied the legal norms of the Hague Convention and the UNESCO Convention. And here we are. Crimean treasures are safely returned to Ukraine. I hope that in the foreseeable future, the artefacts will return to Ukrainian Crimea."

Acting Minister of Culture of Ukraine Rostyslav Karandiyev, together with the authorized representative of the Museum, opened one of the boxes and showed part of the artefacts. The collection will soon be fully exhibited.

Recall that since January 2014, the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam has hosted the exhibition 'Crimea – the Golden Island in the Black Sea.' Before that, in 2013, the unique collection was exhibited at the LVR-Landesmuseum in Bonn, Germany.

After the illegal occupation of Crimea by Russia, Moscow demanded to appropriate the collection and take it to the occupied territory. After the refusal, the Russian side initiated a legal process that lasted until 2023.

It was also reported earlier that the Archaeological Museum of Amsterdam waived Ukraine's debt for storing the 'Scythian Gold' collection.