The European Commission will not help Estonia return the presidential regalia that are stored in Russia
In response to a request from a member of the European Parliament, Urmas Paet, for assistance in the return of cultural property exported in 1941, a member of the European Commission, Tibor Navracsics, stated that the European Commission is not able to help Estonia in securing the return of the regalia of the Estonian President that is currently stored in Russia.
According to Urmas Paet, the regalia are of symbolic value to Estonia. Paet also asked to raise the issue of the return of the regalia during talks with the representatives of the Russian Federation. “The European Commission doesn’t have the right to interfere in the issue of the return of Presidential regalia, which was removed by Soviet troops in 1941,” Navracsics responded.
The member of the European Commission noted that there are directives related to the return of illegally exported cultural objects in the EU legal system. “However, all these directives relate to later historical periods and are applied to situations that occurred after their ratification by member States of the international community,” he explained.
The regalia, which are golden chains embellished with a ruby, three sapphires and 98 diamonds, as well as a gold image of the national emblem of Estonia were brought to Russia in 1941. Since 1963, they have been stored in the Armory in Moscow.