National Museum of Ukrainian History Opens Exhibition of Scythian Gold Recovered from Occupied Crimea

In the Treasury of the National Museum of Ukrainian History, the exhibition "Treasures of Crimea: Return" has been unveiled. The exhibition features Scythian gold saved by international courts from Russian occupiers of the peninsula.

The exhibition showcases 565 exhibits from four Crimean museums: the Bakhchysaray Historical and Cultural Preserve, the Central Museum of Tavrida (Symferopol), the Kerch State Historical and Cultural Preserve, and the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos (Sevastopol). These include ancient Greek, ancient Roman, late Scythian, Sarmatian, Hun, and Gothic artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations in Crimea from the 19th to the 21st centuries.

Since the beginning of Russia's occupation of Crimea, these artifacts were housed at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam for the exhibition "Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea." Russia attempted to reclaim the Scythian gold for the occupied peninsula. However, in June 2023, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands put an end to this historic decision and affirmed the necessity of returning the artifacts to Ukraine.

The exhibition of Scythian gold can be viewed in the Treasury until Crimea is fully de-occupied. Afterward, the collection will be relocated to the peninsula.

The opening of the exhibition "Treasures of Crimea: Return" was attended by the President's wife, Olena Zelenska, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy Rostyslav Karandieiev, Director of the National Museum of Ukrainian History Fedir Androshchuk, and other guests.

As noted by Zelenska, the newly opened exhibition demonstrates ten years of legal battles and the brilliant work of Ukrainian and foreign lawyers, museum professionals, and diplomats.

"True national treasures are not what is hidden or appropriated somewhere. They should be accessible to people and enrich not just one state, but the whole world. I believe that, just like these treasures, Crimea will return home to be part of the free world. And then Scythian gold will return to Crimean museums," she added.