Crimean artifacts to be returned by A'dam museum

Crimean artifacts of the 'Crimea, gold and the secret of the Black Sea' exhibit will be returned by the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam. The loan contracts were signed before the political unrest in Ukraine.

The director of the Russian State Museum 'de Hermitage' in St Petersburg, Michail Petrovski, expressed concern about whether artifacts from Crimea, currently on exhibit in Western Europe, would be returned, since the peninsula is now annexed by Russia. "We are not planning on keeping the artifacts. We signed agreements, which we intend to keep," said a spokesperson for the museum. However, that is easier said than done. The art originates from five Ukrainian museums, four of which are in Crimea. It is not clear whether the art will be returned to Crimea or to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. Lawyers will have to review the rightful ownership of the objects and the museum will also consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The exhibit at the Allard Pierson Museum has been extended to August 31, announced the museum today.