The Allard Pierson Museum in the Netherlands has handed over Scythian Gold to Ukraine’s National Museum of History. These artifacts will be safeguarded until the de-occupation of Crimea, as stated by Ukrainian museum authorities. From February to August 2014, the Allard Pierson Museum hosted an exhibition titled “Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea,” showcasing items from the collections of four Crimean museums. However, in the same year, Russia occupied Crimea, and the “Scythian gold” remained in the Netherlands.
The occupation authorities on the peninsula insisted on the return of the artifacts to Crimea. After a decade of legal proceedings, the Supreme Court of Amsterdam ruled to transfer the collection to Ukraine. Ukraine, in turn, was required to compensate over 110,000 euros for preserving the collections, but the Allard Pierson Museum voluntarily waived the compensation.
The items from Crimean museums underwent an independent verification process before being meticulously packed in accordance with museum regulations. Subsequently, the artifacts were transported to Kyiv. Currently, experts are examining the condition of these objects, which include 565 items such as ancient sculptures, Scythian and Sarmatian adornments, and Chinese lacquer boxes dating back two thousand years.
