SBU’s cultural gesture

On January 19 the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) handed over 678 ancient coins, seized from a smuggler, the citizen of a Baltic country, to the Art Arsenal museum complex, the SBU press service reports.

Experts believe that the coins, which date back to the 1st millennium BC, testify to the high level of development of ancient states and reflect the history of numismatics. It was proved that the foreigner had been buying ancient coins on Odesa’s black market at the request of European collectors. Before going abroad, he hid them in the gearbox of a Dnipro motorcycle. The coins were found by customs officers. The foreigner has been convicted and the coins have been confiscated to fill state coffers.

There have been other similar cases in SBU practice. Over the past two years, law enforcers have seized from criminals about 10,000 precious items of cultural value, including 130 icons, more than 8,000 coins, 318 orders and medals, 30 pictures, 104 ancient books, 9 units of antique weapons, and other items. Almost 4,000 pieces of art and other objects of cultural value have been returned now to religious communities, museums, archives, and repositories of the National Art Museum of Ukraine, the Museum of Historical Valuables and the National Kyiv Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve. The rest of the seized articles are being temporarily held by the SBU as material evidence. Once the investigation is over, they will also be handed over to cultural and religious establishments.

COMMENTARY

Yurii SAVCHUK, chairman, State Service for Controlling the Transfer of Cultural Valuables across the State Border of Ukraine:

“The coins, which the Security Service of Ukraine has handed over to the Art Arsenal museum complex, date back to the 1stt century BC-4th century AD. It is regrettable that illegal traffic in the items of cultural value has assumed menacing proportions in this country. This applies even to such old valuable rarities as antique coins. On the other hand, I am pleased to note that the SBU has made a strenuous effort and managed to prevent these coins from being smuggled out across Ukraine’s state border.

“There is a large numismatic collection kept at the National Museum of Ukraine’s History. According to experts, this collection costs an estimated 26,920 hryvnias. By any assessment criteria for items of cultural and historical value, each of the coins is priceless. So it is very gratifying to point out that another 678 Roman-era coins will be added to the large collection of antique numismatic items. Academics and numismatic experts will now have a splendid opportunity to carry out research on the basis of the enriched collection of ancient Roman coins at the repositories of Ukraine’s state-run museums.”