By: Kevin Lee

On June 9th, 2023, the Dutch Supreme Court demanded that the collection of 300 Crimea artifacts that were 2,000 years old from a Dutch museum be sent back to Ukraine.

These artifacts were first shown and displayed at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam in 2014. According to an ABC News article, “Both the Ukrainian government in Kyiv and the four Crimean museums that had loaned bronze swords, golden helmets, precious gems and other artifacts to the Allard Pierson demanded the objects back.” However, the museum chose to hold on to the valuable artifacts until a court could make a decision.

According to ABC News, “The legal tug-of-war has now ended with the Hague-based Supreme Court ordering the collection to be returned to Ukraine. Judges cited the lack of national recognition for the Russia-annexed Autonomous Republic of Crimea.”

However, the District Court of Amsterdam said that it should be a Ukrainian court’s decision to see who gets to keep the artifacts. As it is mentioned in an ABC News article, “In 2016, the District Court of Amsterdam cited the 1970 UNESCO convention, finding that the objects must be returned to the sovereign state that loaned them and the issue of ownership should be decided by a Ukrainian court.

Since the District Court of Amsterdam was going to agree to send back the artifacts if Ukrainian courts and Crimean courts demanded the objects back, the Crimean museums agreed to take them back, plus, Russia did too. As mentioned in ABC News, “The Crimean museums appealed and Russia threatened to stop lending objects to Dutch museums if the museum didn’t return the pieces.

So in the end, the Allard Pierson Museum agrees to give the artifacts back, but it is still unclear on when the artifacts will be returned.