An attempt to illegally export rare cultural values from Ukraine was thwarted by Kyiv customs officials.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Unique Collection Stopped at the Border
During the inspection of an international express shipment heading from Rivne to Poland, customs officers discovered 27 exquisite items: among them were mirrors, boxes, tableware from coffee and tea sets, as well as a nutcracker and a door knocker. The package appeared ordinary on the outside, but expert analysis determined that it contained a complete collection of unique household items with silver plating, created by Polish craftsmen in the second half of the 19th to the early 20th century.
Historical and Artistic Value of the Items
According to experts from the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, all discovered items were manufactured at the legendary Warsaw factories Fraget, Norblin&Co, Bracia Henneberg, Roman Plewkiewicz&Co, Fabryka Wolska pod Warszawa, and other workshops that operated during the existence of the Kingdom of Poland. The collection includes four items from Fraget—a brand known for its quality—five items from the innovative company Norblin&Co, six from Bracia Henneberg, famous for its mirrors, as well as products from other well-known factories.
Each of these items carries not only material but also historical and artistic value, as they embody the style, craftsmanship, and traditions of their time.
“Each of these items is not just an object, but a story, style, and craftsmanship embodied in metal,” the experts note.
According to current legislation, the export of cultural values outside Ukraine is only permitted with a special certificate. In this case, the necessary permit was not obtained, so all items remained in Ukraine, and a protocol for a customs violation was drawn up against the citizen who attempted to send the package.
Note: Fraget is a legendary factory from Warsaw, whose products once adorned tables in Kyiv, Odesa, Vilnius, and Tbilisi. Its competitor Norblin&Co became famous for introducing the alloy “verit”—a technology that was a breakthrough in the field of silver plating.