The Dutch Supreme Court Rules The Ancient Artifact Of Scythian From Crimea Occupied By Russia Returned To Ukraine

Helmet artifacts and gold hijatas returned to Kyiv. (Source: Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam)

JAKARTA - The ancient artifact of Scythian or Orang Badminton, from a museum in Russia's occupied Crimea, was decided to be returned to Ukraine, after a nearly decade long trial process in the Netherlands.

More than a thousand artifacts, including a pure gold helmet and gold neck decoration, were loaned to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, when Russian troops seized and annexed the peninsula in 2014.

Both Ukraine and museums located in Moscow-controlled territory claim ownership rights to these works when the exhibition ends. These items date back to the time of the people living in the area between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC.

"After nearly 10 years of court hearings, artifacts from four Crimean museums presented at the diorama 'Krimea: Gold and Black Sea Secrets' in Amsterdam have been returned to Ukraine," the National Museum of Ukrainian History said.

It said the Allard Pierson Museum had returned 565 items including ancient statues, Scythian jewelry and Sarmatian, as well as Chinese tennis boxes.

The entire collection will later be stored in the museum until the revocation of the Crimean occupation. Allard Pierson Museum said the artifact had been returned to Kyiv two weeks ago.

"This is a special case, where cultural heritage has become a victim of geopolitical development," said Els van der Plas, director of the Allard Pierson Museum.

"We are pleased that clarity has emerged and now they have been returned," he said.

In June, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled that the items should be returned to Ukraine. Kyiv views the artifact as part of its national heritage, while the Moscow-controlled museum says the artifact should be returned to the peninsula due to loan requirements.

Related to that, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying the artifact belongs to Crimea and should be there.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian customs services reported a truck carrying "2,694 kg of cultural wealth" entering the 980-year-old Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monasteries complex, in which further identification processes would be carried out.