Russian army prepares to export museum valuables from Crimea
The Central Museum of Taurida in the occupied Simferopol (photo: wikipedia.org)
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the so-called Department of Administration, responsible for historical artifacts and cultural objects on the peninsula, has issued an order to prepare museum valuables for export, according to the National Resistance Center (NRC).
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the so-called Department of Administration, responsible for historical artifacts and cultural objects on the peninsula, has issued an order to prepare museum valuables for export.
In a letter from the mincult in occupied Crimea to the heads of museum institutions in the captured Ukrainian peninsula, this is explained as a measure for the evacuation of existing valuables, but the reasons are not specified in the document.
The Center notes that most likely, the most valuable specimens are intended to be transported from the occupied Crimea to Russia.
It is noted that in the corresponding letter, which the NRC received for disposal, there is a direct mention of the need to clarify the list of places for the evacuation of valuables in case of disasters or military actions.
The administrations of museums in the occupied territory of Crimea were given time to respond by July 1.
"Another point from the letter indicates that at least some of the cultural and historical monuments will be exported outside the peninsula," the Center said.
In addition, there is information that the Russian forces are trying to expedite the processes of typologization and evaluation of museum artifacts in occupied Crimea. Currently, museum professionals on the peninsula are creating electronic registries of works of art and historical monuments - the information they gather is being transferred to the electronic museum fund of the Russian Federation.
"Following the old Russian tradition, Moscow is preparing to plunder Crimean museums and export the most valuable exhibits when the time comes for Russians to leave Crimea," the NRC said.
According to the Museum Affairs Department of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, a year after the Russian occupation of Crimea, only 1.2 million out of 12 million museum objects remained in Crimea.
As early as the autumn of 2022, it became known that the Russian forces were developing an evacuation plan for archaeological finds made of precious metals from museums located in the occupied territory of Crimea. They were planning to transport them to the territory of the Russian Federation.
