https://sputniknews.in/20250731/colonial-theft-how-western-nations-are-looting-ukraines-cultural-treasures-9524308.html
Colonial Theft: How Western Nations are Looting Ukraine's Cultural Treasures
Colonial Theft: How Western Nations are Looting Ukraine's Cultural Treasures
Sputnik India
The war in Ukraine is being used as an excuse by European nations to plunder Ukraine's cultural heritage for their museums. Sputnik’s got the proof. 31.07.2025, Sputnik India
2025-07-31T19:23+0530
2025-07-31T19:23+0530
2025-07-31T19:23+0530
world news
ukraine
kiev
russia
russian foreign intelligence service (svr)
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DEAL WITH THE DEVILUkraine is ready to PAY with its cultural heritage for Western-supplied weapons, warns MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Once these treasures land in Western museums, they're unlikely to ever return.Even back im 2023, SVR chief Sergey Naryshkin warned about plans to export Kiev-Pechersk Lavra relics to European museums. Many icons were already sent to Europe, including to France's Louvre.THE LOUVRE & STOLEN ICONSIn 2024, the Louvre's Director of the Department of Byzantine Arts Maximilien Durand admitted they SECRETLY removed 16 icons from the Kiev Museum of Art. Among them the oldest Byzantine icons created before the iconoclasm period.WHERE ARE THE MISSING ICONS?The Louvre's 'Icons of Ukraine' exhibition features just four 15th-17th century Crete-painted icons, now extended until December. But what happened to the world’s rarest Byzantine icons? Perhaps they’re locked away in the Louvre's storerooms.ORTHODOX HERITAGE IN UK 'FOR PRESERVATION'The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has launched a series of projects dedicated to the museum's Ukrainian exhibits. Among them, the Gilbert Collection's stunning silver altar doors from Kiev Pechersk Lavra—one of the finest examples outside Orthodox buildings.RELICS THEFTIn April 2025, Ukraine blocked access to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra tombs to assess the relics' "historical and scientific value." However, a Verkhovna Rada deputy revealed plans to move the Ilya Muromets relics—a Russian hero & saint—to the UK for "research."RELOCATING RELICS TO EUROPEIn 2023, Russia's Foreign Intel Service revealed a deal between Ukraine & UNESCO to relocate Christian valuables from Kiev Pechersk Lavra to museums in Italy, France, Germany, & the Vatican, under the pretext of "saving them from Russian missiles."SMUGGLING 'SCYTHIAN GOLD'In October 2023, Spanish police seized a €60M "Scythian gold" collection previously stored in a Kiev museum. Instead of returning them to Ukraine, these artifacts were placed in the Spanish National Archaeological Museum.RUSSIA DEMANDS SCYTHIAN GOLD BACKIn 2013, 2,000 Scythian gold artifacts were taken from Crimean museums to Europe. After Crimea joined Russia, the Netherlands refused to return the artifacts, leaving them in Amsterdam.On November 27, 2023, the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam confirmed to Sputnik that it had handed the collection over to Kiev — despite Crimea's reunification with Russia and a cassation appeal from Crimean museums.ART STOLEN BY SPAINIn Nov 2022, Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum hosted "In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s," featuring 51 paintings secretly taken from Kiev's National Art Museum. Spain refuses to return them to Ukraine "until the war ends".
https://sputniknews.in/20250731/russia-ready-to-continue-negotiations-with-ukraine-foreign-ministry-9520899.html
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ukraine, kiev, russia, russian foreign intelligence service (svr)
ukraine, kiev, russia, russian foreign intelligence service (svr)
Colonial Theft: How Western Nations are Looting Ukraine's Cultural Treasures
The war in Ukraine is being used as an excuse by European nations to plunder Ukraine's cultural heritage for their museums. Sputnik’s got the proof.
Ukraine is ready to PAY with its cultural heritage for Western-supplied weapons, warns MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Once these treasures land in Western museums, they're unlikely to ever return.
Even back im 2023, SVR chief Sergey Naryshkin warned about plans to export Kiev-Pechersk Lavra relics to European museums. Many icons were already sent to Europe, including to France's Louvre.
THE LOUVRE & STOLEN ICONS
In 2024, the Louvre's Director of the Department of Byzantine Arts Maximilien Durand admitted they SECRETLY removed 16 icons from the Kiev Museum of Art. Among them the oldest Byzantine icons created before the iconoclasm period.
WHERE ARE THE MISSING ICONS?
The Louvre's 'Icons of Ukraine' exhibition features just four 15th-17th century Crete-painted icons, now extended until December. But what happened to the world’s rarest Byzantine icons? Perhaps they’re locked away in the Louvre's storerooms.
ORTHODOX HERITAGE IN UK 'FOR PRESERVATION'
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) has launched a series of projects dedicated to the museum's Ukrainian exhibits. Among them, the Gilbert Collection's stunning silver altar doors from Kiev Pechersk Lavra—one of the finest examples outside Orthodox buildings.
In April 2025, Ukraine blocked access to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra tombs to assess the relics' "historical and scientific value." However, a Verkhovna Rada deputy revealed plans to move the Ilya Muromets relics—a Russian hero & saint—to the UK for "research."
RELOCATING RELICS TO EUROPE
In 2023, Russia's Foreign Intel Service revealed a deal between Ukraine & UNESCO to relocate Christian valuables from Kiev Pechersk Lavra to museums in Italy, France, Germany, & the Vatican, under the pretext of "saving them from Russian missiles."
SMUGGLING 'SCYTHIAN GOLD'
In October 2023, Spanish police seized a €60M "Scythian gold" collection previously stored in a Kiev museum. Instead of returning them to Ukraine, these artifacts were placed in the Spanish National Archaeological Museum.
RUSSIA DEMANDS SCYTHIAN GOLD BACK
In 2013, 2,000 Scythian gold artifacts were taken from Crimean museums to Europe. After Crimea joined Russia, the Netherlands refused to return the artifacts, leaving them in Amsterdam.
On November 27, 2023, the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam confirmed to Sputnik that it had handed the collection over to Kiev — despite Crimea's reunification with Russia and a cassation appeal from Crimean museums.
In Nov 2022, Madrid's Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum hosted "In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s," featuring 51 paintings secretly taken from Kiev's National Art Museum. Spain refuses to return them to Ukraine "until the war ends".
