Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications Mykola Tochytsky has officially confirmed that Russians are actively trading Ukrainian artifacts stolen from the occupied territories on the black market. According to the latest data, this amounts to over 1.7 million items of stolen Ukrainian cultural heritage.
Points of attention
- Sanctions have been imposed by Ukraine against individuals and entities involved in the theft and destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
- The ongoing battle to preserve and protect Ukrainian cultural heritage showcases the importance of global cooperation and vigilance.
Russia continues to destroy Ukrainian culture
The aggressor country is actively stealing Ukrainian cultural heritage.
This applies to both archaeological finds and museum collections.
According to the minister, Russia appropriated them for itself, ignoring all existing norms of international law.
And if in ancient times, when the Russians stole our name and our history, they took exhibits to the Hermitage or Moscow museums, now they are successfully trading them on the black market.
Mykola Tochytskyi
Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine
The head of the department also noted that, thanks to colleagues from different countries, these stolen artifacts are being returned.
As Tochytskyi noted, during trips abroad, he was often given these items.
The minister drew attention to the fact that the Ukrainian authorities first imposed sanctions against cultural, museum and other figures of Russia in February.
"We are talking about 55 individuals and three legal entities, for whom we have clearly proven their involvement in the theft, destruction, and destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage," Tochytskyi emphasized.
