Ukraine and Estonia sign memorandum on return of 274 archaeological artefacts

With the direct assistance of our organisation, the Estonian Government transferred 274 artifacts of special value to Ukraine. The artefacts date back to the fourth century BC. The mentioned artifacts were solemnly handed over on the 2nd of February 2024. At the handing over procedure from the side of Ukraine was the Head of the Patronage Council of our organisation Igor Ostash, who personally put a lot of effort into this important event.

The Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has signed a memorandum with the Ministry of Culture of Estonia on the return of 274 archaeological artefacts illegally exported from Ukraine, which were confiscated by Estonian law enforcement officers during an attempt to import them into the country.

"During the full-scale invasion, Russians stole thousands of archaeological artefacts from the occupied Ukrainian territories. ... each return of stolen items home is extremely important: it is both a replenishment of our material cultural heritage and a contribution to the restoration of justice," said Rostyslav Karandieiev, acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy.

The document was signed on behalf of the ICIP by Ukraine's Ambassador to Estonia Maksym Kononenko, and on behalf of the Estonian side by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia Heidi Purga. Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ihor Ostash handed over the memorandum to Karandieiev during the meeting.

In 2018, the Estonian Police and Border Guard successfully prevented the smuggling of a number of archaeological artefacts into the country. Among them are 274 items belonging to the cultures of the Early Iron Age and Iron Age from the V-IV centuries BC to the VII-X centuries AD and are part of the cultural heritage of Ukraine. In particular, a collection of silver and gold coins, gold beads and other jewellery.

As Ukrinform reported, on 18 January, acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostyslav Karandieiev, together with Ukrainian Ambassador to Estonia Maksym Kononenko and Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ihor Ostash, discussed the transfer of Ukrainian archaeological artefacts from Estonia.