Australia returned important archaeological artifacts to Ukraine: what awaits them
Kyiv • UNN
Australia handed over illegally exported archaeological artifacts to Ukraine, including a temporal pendant and an arrowhead. These unique objects, confiscated in Australia, will take their rightful place in the exhibition of one of Ukraine's museums.
Australia has handed over to Ukraine archaeological artifacts seized from offenders that were illegally exported from our country. Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha expressed gratitude to the Australian side for transferring the important exhibits, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reported, writes UNN.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the transfer of Ukrainian archaeological artifacts discovered in Australia. On Tuesday, October 7, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, and the acting Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, Tetiana Berezhna. The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially handed over to his colleague unique archaeological items confiscated in Australia: a temporal pendant, which may belong to the traditional ornaments of the Yamnaya cultural and historical community of the III millennium BC, as well as an arrowhead from the XII-XIII centuries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported that these unique objects were illegally exported from Ukraine and imported into Australia at the end of 2023 and intercepted upon arrival in Sydney thanks to the cooperation of Ukrainian and Australian customs and the Office of Arts Affairs.
Subsequently, they were confiscated in accordance with Australia's Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986.
The ministers signed an act of acceptance and transfer of the exhibits to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine so that they can take their rightful place in the exhibition of one of the Ukrainian museums, where visitors can see them.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha expressed special gratitude to the Australian government for its cooperation in intercepting and combating crime, as well as assisting in the preservation and return of unique Ukrainian artifacts.
The return of Ukrainian artifacts is an important component of restoring historical justice and confirming Ukraine's historical continuity. This is especially important in conditions when Russia is waging a genocidal war against Ukraine and trying to erase our history. Every returned historical object is a part of our national memory and our identity. We will continue to actively work on the return and preservation of our cultural heritage.
The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that by returning cultural values, Ukraine restores not only individual moments of history, but also the right to its own memory, dignity, and cultural continuity, which is part of our struggle for freedom and the future.
Ukraine has a rich cultural heritage. We have something to be proud of and something to show the world. The return of cultural values home contributes to the protection of identity and national interests. We thank Australia for its consistent position in the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural property. This is an example of effective international cooperation that helps Ukraine restore justice and preserve cultural heritage.
During the meeting, the ministers discussed how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications will strengthen coordination of actions to search for, identify, and return cultural values lost during the war and in previous periods.
Sybiha and Berezhna also coordinated steps to attract additional funding from international partners for the protection and development of Ukrainian culture and heritage, and the production of Ukrainian content.
It is also noted that the Ministers separately focused on further joint steps to counter Russian efforts to whitewash war crimes through culture, in particular, systemic opposition to performances on foreign stages by Russians who support aggression against Ukraine.
One of the topics of conversation was the cooperation between Ukraine and UNESCO. The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Ukraine seeks to be elected to the Executive Board of the organization, and Russia has no place in it.
The ministers also discussed the protection of cultural heritage in the context of Russian aggression and the involvement of international partners for this purpose.
The heads of the ministries also received the Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine, Felix Baumann, with whom they discussed the implementation of joint projects in the cultural sphere and expressed gratitude to the Swiss side for supporting Ukraine. The Swiss diplomat informed about Switzerland's priorities in supporting our state, spoke about the publication "Cultural Profile of Sumy Region Communities" published with the support of the Swiss side, and assured of further solidarity from his country.
Addition
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pere Joan Pons Sampietro. The Head of State proposed appointing a special envoy to the President of the OSCE PA, who will focus on the return of Ukrainian children.