The document, which was handed over to journalists, directly refers to the need to clarify the list of "places for evacuation of valuables" from Crimea to the territory of the Russian Federation in case of disasters or military operations.
Points of attention
- The occupation administration of Crimea is preparing to export museum valuables to the territory of the Russian Federation.
- This may be the beginning of the process of looting Crimean museums and taking away valuable cultural heritage.
- Russian scientists and activists of the "Argo" project are already investigating crimes in the cultural sector, in particular the looting of museum funds by Russia. There is a high risk that the most valuable exhibits from Crimea will be exported to the internationally recognized territory of the Russian Federation, violating the cultural and historical rights of Ukraine.
The most valuable specimens will be transported from Crimea to the territory of the Russian Federation
The Department of the occupation administration of Crimea, responsible for historical artefacts and cultural objects on the peninsula, ordered subordinate institutions to prepare museum valuables for "evacuation".
This is evidenced by the letter of the "Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Crimea" addressed to the heads of museum institutions of the peninsula.
The document does not indicate the reasons and places of possible removal of valuables, but there is a high risk that the most valuable specimens will be transported from Crimea to the internationally recognized territory of the Russian Federation:
It is essential that the list of such places, according to Russian laws, should have been approved a long time ago. Still, they are asking to clarify the information through a new "letter from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation".
Museum administrations have been given time to respond until July 1 this year.
Crimean museum workers create electronic registers of works of art and transfer information to the Russian Federation
The Russians are trying to speed up the typology and evaluation of museum artefacts in Crimea. Museum workers in Crimea create electronic registers of works of art and historical monuments and transfer the information to the Russian Federation's electronic museum fund.
According to an old Russian tradition, Moscow is preparing to loot Crimean museums and take away the most valuable exhibits when the time comes for the Russians to leave Crimea.
It is interesting that the letter's signatory—"Deputy Minister of Culture Andriy Rostenko"—is doing the best he can with the case of the looting of Crimea. He is the former head of the occupation administration of Yalta.
He also managed to serve time in the same Russian pre-trial detention center on charges of dealing with land near the sea. However, the case did not reach the court. Rostenko was quietly released and found himself in a new direction of activity—in the Ministry of Culture.
Note that the looting or destruction of historical and cultural objects and monuments in the territories occupied by Russia has been brought to a systemic level. At this moment, thousands of artefacts of Ukrainian origin are kept in Russian museums.
Russian scientists are involved in illegal activities, and they should also be held accountable for their actions. Volunteers of the "Argo" project are engaged in a systematic study of Russian crimes in the cultural sector.
