Russian archaeologist who carried out illegal excavations in Crimea served with notice of suspicion

The Prosecutor's Office of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol has served a Russian archaeologist with a notice of suspicion over illegal excavations at a Ukrainian cultural heritage site. His excavations caused Ukraine damages worth 200 million hryvnias (about US$4.8 million).

Source: Security Service of Ukraine and Office of the Prosecutor General

Details: He was the head of the archaeology sector of the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. He worked in Crimea and carried out work on the territory of the Ukrainian archaeological complex Ancient City of Myrmecium near Kerch.

The suspect was served with a notice of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 298 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on illegal archaeological work and destruction of cultural heritage sites.

Quote: "The Security Service, together with the National Police and the Prosecutor's Office, collected evidence against a Russian citizen who is looting Ukrainian cultural heritage in temporarily occupied Crimea. According to experts, his ‘archaeological expedition’ on the peninsula caused Ukraine more than UAH 200 million in losses." 

More details: The Ancient City of Myrmecium is a cultural heritage site of national importance.

Since 2014, the suspect has been heading the Myrmecium Archaeological Expedition, conducting illegal excavations in Crimea. Over 10 years of work, the team of archaeologists exploited "areas of hundreds of square metres". As a result, the Russians removed the so-called cultural layer of the peninsula to a depth of almost 2 metres.

During this time, the excavations were also visited by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

During the work in Myrmecium, archaeologists damaged a Ukrainian historical site. They also do not have any permits from Ukrainian government agencies.

"For 10 years of occupation, the Russian Federation and its occupation administration have been facilitating illegal archaeological excavations on the peninsula, which causes the destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage sites. The occupiers also carry out illegal restorations of such sites to distort the history of Crimea and demonstrate its ‘Russian’ component," the Prosecutor General's Office said.

The Main Directorate of the National Police of Crimea and Sevastopol, with the support of the Department for the Protection of National Statehood of the Security Service of Ukraine, is now underway with a pre-trial investigation.

In addition, the issue of putting the archaeologist on the international wanted list for crimes against Ukraine's cultural heritage is being resolved.

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