The Netherlands has returned archaeological artifacts illegally removed from Ukraine

The Netherlands has returned 8 valuable archaeological artifacts that were illegally removed from Ukraine.

The Director of the Inspection of Information and Heritage at the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science of the Netherlands, Alfred Russ, has returned 8 archaeological items to the Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands. These items were previously illegally removed from the territory of Ukraine, as reported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

The artifacts include arrowheads and spearheads from various archaeological cultures and regions of Ukraine. Dutch customs intercepted Ukrainian cultural heritage items after their arrival in the Netherlands in March 2023. The Inspection of Information and Heritage collaborated with experts from the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden to investigate the origins of the items. The investigation revealed that the items were likely illegally removed.

 After experts from the National Museum of History of Ukraine confirmed this conclusion, the Inspection took the items under protection. Meanwhile, the owner of the items to whom they were addressed waived any claims to them, as they constitute cultural heritage of Ukraine protected by law. Additionally, they were found to have been illegally exported.

Previously, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine stated that these archaeological items are cultural treasures of Ukraine. They hold historical, scientific, and ethnographic significance for the state. The items were removed from the territory of Ukraine in violation of national legislation on the export, import, and return of cultural treasures. Therefore, they need to be returned to Ukraine and transferred to the collections of state museums

The items are being returned to Ukraine in accordance with the The UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Both the Netherlands and Ukraine are parties to the Convention. Member states are obliged to assist each other in identifying illegally exported items and take appropriate measures to return them to the country of origin. In this case, the Inspection investigated the origin of the items, and their owner waived any claims to them.