Russia threatens to break ties with Dutch museums over Holland’s intention to return the Scythian gold to Ukraine
The Minister of Culture of Russia, Vladimir Medinsky, argues that the continuation of inter-museum relations with Holland is impossible if the court decides not to return the collection of Scythian gold to the Crimean museums, as he stated during an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
“This concerns an unprecedented alienation of museum values. It can only be compared with museum thefts of the times of the Italian campaigns of Napoleon or fascist aggression. I believe that the decision of the Dutch court is absolutely politicized," the Minister said.
At the same time, the Russian Minister is sure that all norms of international law, museum law, precedents, and traditions "are on the side of the Crimean museums."
On December 14, 2006, the District Court of Amsterdam decided to return the exhibit, "Crimea: Gold and the Secrets of the Black Sea," which were brought to the Allard Pierson Museum from museums in the Crimea before the peninsula’s annexation, to Ukraine.
On March 28, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal received an appeal from representatives of the Crimean museums against the decision of the court on the Scythian Gold exhibits.
Kyiv expects that the exhibits will be returned to Ukraine before the end of next year, after the completion of all proceedings. As it was stated earlier in Kyiv, these exhibits in the future will be returned to the Crimea after the de-occupation of the peninsula.
After the annexation of the Crimea, Ukrainian authorities stated that artifacts were not the property of museums, but belonged to the state of Ukraine. However, the Crimean museums insisted that the valuables be returned to them. In this case, the museum in the Netherlands decided not to transfer the exhibits either to Ukraine or the Crimea until a decision by the court or an agreement between the parties was reached.
Four Crimean museums filed a lawsuit in Amsterdam against the Allard Pearson Museum demanding the return of the collection to the Crimea.