The Kyiv customs office has transferred unique artifacts to two Ukrainian museums that were seized from smugglers during attempts to illegally export them outside of Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
According to law enforcement officials, the Donetsk Regional Art Museum received two icons from the 19th to early 20th century:
“The Protection of the Holy Virgin”
and
“Mother of God of the Hodegetria”
, which were being smuggled to Australia disguised as souvenirs.
Transfer of Cultural Treasures
Additionally, the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve
“Pereiaslav”
was given a bronze cross-encolpion from the 12th to 13th century. This artifact was attempted to be sent by mail. It is worth noting that similar crosses were used in Rus’ for storing the relics of saints.
These cultural treasures were returned to state ownership in accordance with a court decision, and their transfer to museum collections took place with the support of the expert council of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.