Russian Archaeologist Accused of Conducting Illegal Excavations in Ukraine

 

                                                                                            

The press service of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and the Office of the Prosecutor General are reporting that the head of the archaeology department at Russia’s State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg has been charged in absentia for conducting illegal excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea for over 10 years. After the occupation of the peninsula and to this day, the "Myrmekian Archaeological Expedition" of the Hermitage has been operating illegally, without having any permits from the competent authorities of Ukraine. These actions of the suspect are actually destroying a legally protected monument of national importance.

The SBU, together with the National Police and the Prosecutor's Office, has gathered evidence against a Russian citizen who has been looting Ukraine's cultural heritage in the temporarily occupied Crimea. [...] In 2014, the archaeologist led an expedition personally visited by Putin, which has been conducting illegal excavations for more than 10 years at a Ukrainian cultural heritage site in Crimea. This includes unauthorized excavations across hundreds of square meters at the Ukrainian archaeological complex Ancient City of Myrmekion, located in the Kerch region. Russians have removed the so-called cultural layer of the Ukrainian peninsula to a depth of nearly 2 meters. [...] Based on the collected evidence, the archaeologist has been notified in absentia of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 298 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal archaeological excavations, destruction, or damage to cultural heritage sites, carried out with the purpose of finding movable artifacts originating from archaeological heritage sites). The individual is planned to be placed on an international wanted list to bring him to criminal responsibility for crimes against the cultural heritage of Ukraine [...]

During the 10 years of occupation, the Russian Federation and its occupation administration have facilitated illegal archaeological excavations on the territory of the peninsula, which has led to the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Ukraine. The occupiers also carry out illegal restorations of such sites in order to distort the history of Crimea and demonstrate its "Russian" component. The investigation into the work at the M site is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

A 2021 report by the 'Golos Krimu' [Crimean Voice] shows the extent of the activities by the occupant: 'Myrmekion. Consequences of the occupation for cultural heritage'.

Involvement of one of the leading scientific cultural institutions of the Russian Federation (the State Hermitage) in unlawful activities on the archeological site increases the threat of impunity for the destruction of the site due to the business, scientific and cultural ties of this institution and its employees with scientific, cultural, political circles of foreign countries. The actions of the occupation authorities, which resulted in unlawful appropriation, unlawful archeological excavations, during which archeological artifacts were seized are a violation of international humanitarian law. These actions of the Russian Federation, together with other actions of the Occupying Power in their entirety may constitute a war crime in the form of extensive destruction and appropriation of cultural property, not justified by military necessity, and carried out unlawfully and wantonly.

Confirmation that this activity is ongoing comes from the website of the Hermitage Museum archaeological expedition in Myrmekion.

Sources

Espresso, 'Russian archaeologist charged with looting Ukrainian heritage in Crimea' Espresso 15 November, 2024 

Anastasiia Bolshakova, 'Russian archaeologist who carried out illegal excavations in Crimea served with notice of suspicion', Ukrainska Pravda Friday, 15 November 2024,