Crimean gold to be sent to Kyiv

Court: Crimean gold to be sent to Kiev

An example of Scythian gold, found in a royal tomb in Ukraine in 1971. Archive image. – Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/AP/TT

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has decided that a priceless gold treasure from the Crimean Peninsula should be handed over to Ukraine. Just before Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, the gold treasure, “The Scythian Gold”, was loaned to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam. Both Ukraine and four different museums in occupied Crimea have since claimed the treasure during a discussion that has lasted for ten years. But the tax goes to Kiev and to the Ukrainian state – not to Crimea, according to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

The court believes that the issue is thus settled. According to the court, Ukraine has “a legitimate interest in protecting the country’s cultural heritage”. Lower courts have previously reached the same conclusion, angering Moscow, which described the decisions as political.

The Scythians were a nomadic people who had their heyday for 900 years from 700 BC. They left behind ornate weapons and jewelry, often in gold.

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