أوtempl Ukrainian authorities notify Russian archaeologist of suspicion over excavations in occupied Kerch
Ukrainian law enforcement notified Russian archaeologist Volodymyr Tolstikov of suspicion of committing a war crime. According to investigators, he conducted unauthorized excavations at the ancient city of Panticapaeum in occupied Kerch and transferred the finds to a museum controlled by Russia.
أبرز النقاط
- Ukrainian authorities notified the head of the ancient-world archaeology department at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts of suspicion of a war crime.
- The suspect allegedly conducted unauthorized excavations at Panticapaeum from 2014 onward.
- The ancient city of Panticapaeum is a nationally significant archaeological site under Ukrainian state protection in occupied Kerch.
- Archaeological finds were allegedly transferred to the so-called East Crimean Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve.
- The museum-reserve’s director previously received a suspicion notice for a war crime and allegedly helped include the finds in the Museum Fund of Russia.
- The suspect faces up to 12 years in prison under the cited provisions of Ukraine’s Criminal Code.
لماذا يهمّ ذلك
The case is the first publicly announced suspicion notice against a Russian archaeologist over unauthorized excavations at a protected heritage site in occupied Crimea. It links archaeological looting in occupied territory to Ukrainian war-crime proceedings and alleges that finds from a Ukrainian site entered Russian museum collections and were exhibited in Russia.
ماذا حدث
Ukrainian prosecutors and law enforcement notified Volodymyr Tolstikov, head of the department of ancient-world archaeology at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, of suspicion under parts of Article 28 and Article 438 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. Investigators allege that, from 2014 onward, he excavated the ancient city of Panticapaeum in Kerch without permits from competent Ukrainian authorities. They say he transferred the finds to the so-called East Crimean Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve, whose director had previously been notified of suspicion of a war crime. According to the investigation, the director helped include the finds in the Museum Fund of Russia and organized their transfer for exhibitions in the Russian Federation. Investigators also assess that the unauthorized excavations caused irreversible loss to the historical and scientific value of parts of the complex.
كيف تصفه المصادر الأوكرانية
Ukrainian authorities frame the excavations as illegal activity on protected Ukrainian territory and as a war crime under Ukrainian law. They emphasize Ukrainian ownership of the archaeological finds, their alleged transfer into Russian museum collections, and the irreversible damage caused to the heritage site.
الخلفية
The archaeological complex of the ancient city of Panticapaeum is located near Mount Mithridat in Kerch and is a monument of national significance protected by the Ukrainian state. Kerch has been outside Ukrainian government control since 2014, the period from which investigators say the unauthorized excavations began.