Netherlands returns Scythian Gold to Ukraine amidst Crimea dispute

The Netherlands has returned a treasure known as the Scythian Gold, originally from Crimea, back to Ukraine. It had been preserved for more than a decade in an Amsterdam museum. The museum decided against transferring the collection to Russia, even though Russia had annexed the Crimean Peninsula in the meantime. Today, the nearly three-ton treasure was transported to the Pechersk Lavra in Kiev.

The Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam recently returned this treasured artifact to Ukraine. The Scythian Gold has been stored there since 2014.

The Scythian Gold is a collection of gold ornaments weighing 2971 kilograms, handcrafted and used by the tribes inhabiting the Black Sea's northern coast, including Crimea, from the late 8th or 7th century BC. Russia tried to claim this multi-million dollar treasure from the Dutch, but their efforts did not succeed.

In 2013, the Netherlands borrowed several exhibits from Crimean museums, which they safeguarded. Immediately after Crimea's unlawful annexation, Russia demanded the collection's return from the Dutch authorities.

However, much like other Western countries, the Netherlands didn't recognize the annexation of Crimea or Ukraine's eastern territories. This dispute ended up in a Dutch court. The authorities in Moscow garnered no assistance from this. In December 2016, the Amsterdam District Court ruled that the Scythian Gold belonged to Ukraine and ordered its transfer to a museum in Kiev. Russia contested this verdict, prolonging the legal confrontation for many years.

In October 2021, the Dutch court affirmed Ukraine's ownership rights over the Scythian Gold. Despite this ruling, the transportation of the collection was greatly delayed, likely due to the continuing war. In the end, Ukraine successfully recovered the treasure, thwarting aggressive intentions.

The invaluable artifacts will be placed in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. On Monday, they were transferred to the Pechersk Lavra in Kiev, where they will stay until the end of the war and until the Crimean Peninsula returns within Ukraine's borders. Afterward, they will be moved back to their original location.