Estonia returns 274 illegally exported cultural artefacts to Ukraine. PHOTOS
Estonia returned 274 cultural heritage items illegally exported by smugglers to Ukraine.
This was reported in the telegram channel of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.
"The National Museum of History of Ukraine presented 274 archeological items, including 115 coins that had previously been illegally exported from Ukraine. They were detained when smugglers tried to cross the border. Estonian border guards and the Republic of Estonia returned them to Ukraine," the statement said.
It is noted that the returned artefacts include Scythian, pre-Roman and Roman jewellery, as well as medieval finds, such as a ceremonial horse harness (turn of the VIIIth - IXth centuries), a ring with a bird holding a laurel branch (X-XII centuries), and coins of Byzantine emperors.
"Now the entire civilised world, which respects international law and is rooting for the victory of our country, as well as for justice to prevail not only in defending the independence of the territories, but also in the legality of the movement of cultural property, is with Ukraine," commented Rostyslav Karandeyev, acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.
He also stressed that Ukraine greatly appreciates the support of the Estonian people. Estonia is helping to restore facilities in the Zhytomyr region, which our Estonian colleagues have actually taken under their patronage.
In addition, in the first months of the full-scale war, it was from Estonia that cargoes with everything Ukrainian museums needed - equipment and packaging materials for the evacuation of cultural property - were sent.
