The Office of the Prosecutor General has returned nearly 900 archaeological artifacts to the state
The Putivl District Court of Sumy Oblast, acting on a lawsuit filed by the Office of the Prosecutor General, recognized the state’s ownership of 892 archaeological artifacts and cultural treasures that are of exceptional historical, scientific, and cultural significance to Ukraine.
The unique collection was in the possession of a private individual and had not been voluntarily transferred to the state.
The court ruling allowed the artifacts to be returned to state ownership and ensured their proper preservation.
Among the seized items are weapons, ancient coins, brooches, crosses, rings, pendants, arrowheads, and other artifacts of domestic and religious use.
The collection spans the period from the 8th century BCE to the 13th century CE, including artifacts from the Early Iron Age, the Early Middle Ages, and the era of Kievan Rus’.
The prosecutor’s office emphasizes that due to their archaeological origin and special historical and cultural value, these items belong to the state and are under its protection.
According to the agency, keeping such artifacts in private ownership posed risks of their damage, loss, or illegal disposal. Furthermore, this hindered scientific research and the use of the artifacts in cultural and educational activities.
The Office of the Prosecutor General stated that it will continue to take measures to protect and return cultural heritage, which is an important part of Ukraine’s history.
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Earlier in Australia, archaeologists discovered unique artifacts—a temple pendant, which likely belonged to the traditional jewelry of the Yamnaya cultural-historical community of the 3rd millennium BCE, as well as an arrowhead dating to the 12th–13th centuries. These items were illegally removed from Ukraine and imported into Australia in late 2023.
As a reminder, during excavations in December 2024 in the Poltava region, specialists from the Bilsk Historical and Cultural Reserve discovered a Cossack kulielika. This is a rare artifact.
On Khortytsia Island, due to the drop in the Dnipro River’s water level, an artifact related to the construction of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant was found. The wheel found in the water was part of the grounding system for the towers erected on the island. It was donated to the museum by a team led by historian and Zaporizhzhia resident Oleksandr Shkalikov.
