Estonia returns to Ukraine hundreds of antiquities stolen by Russians from the occupied south

In 2018, at the Luhamaa checkpoint, Estonian border guards found cultural values hidden in a truck traveling from Russia: gold and silver jewelry, ancient coins, 274 items in total. The truck was driven by a Latvian citizen named Ivans.

Customs officers reported the incident to the Estonian Department for the Protection of Antiquities. A detailed examination and study of the seized artifacts showed that they originated from the territories of southern and eastern Ukraine. In turn, this was confirmed by Ukrainian scientists. It is known that since 2014, hundreds of archaeological excavations have been carried out in the temporarily occupied Crimea, the results of which cannot be determined. 

"Residents of Ukraine have no idea about these findings. In fact, they are deprived of the opportunity to make decisions about their own historical heritage," said Nele Kangert, an adviser to the Estonian National Heritage Board.

In addition, there is a lot of evidence of the export of Crimean treasures to Russia by "black archaeologists". It is also assumed that the jewelry was stolen from museums in Crimea and Kherson.

Among the confiscated items were objects of various ages, including coins of the Greek period of Crimea, precious Scythian and Sarmatian jewelry, artifacts from the early Iron Age, as well as the V-IV centuries BC and the VII-X centuries AD. 

Estonian museum workers conserved and restored the artifacts. Before repatriation, the items were put on public display at the Estonian Historical Museum. The exhibition "Stolen Treasures. Ukrainian Gold" was held there from January 24 to 28, 2024. In this way, the organizers tried to draw the attention of the world community to the problem of illicit trafficking in cultural property and show the heritage of the Ukrainian regions that suffered the most from the war. 

On January 23, Ukrainian Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia Maksym Kononenko and Estonian Minister of Culture Heidi Purga signed an agreement on the transfer of cultural property to Ukraine. 

Ivans was tried in March 2023. He pleaded guilty to smuggling and got off with a fine of 500 euros. Nothing is known about the man's accomplices, but the assistant prosecutor suggests that the scammer was used by organized crime.