SIMFEROPOL, October 27. /TASS/. Russia is doing its utmost to bring the Scythian Gold collection back to Crimea, the region's head Sergei Aksyonov told reporters on Wednesday.
"In my view, it was an expected decision. We have only legal methods to employ in this fight, including retaliatory sanctions. I believe that the Russian Foreign Ministry, the government are doing their utmost to bring the collection back home," he said.
The Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled on October 26 that the Scythian Gold collection should be handed over to Ukraine as it was "part of the cultural heritage of the Ukrainian State" and belonged "to the public part of the State Museum Fund of Ukraine."
Russia announced plans to file a cassation appeal against the court's decision. Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin handed down instructions to assess the situation.
The Scythian Gold collection of over 2,000 items was on view at the Allard Pierson Museum of the University of Amsterdam between February and August 2014. After the peninsula reunited with Russia in March 2014, uncertainty over the collection arose as both Russia and Ukraine claimed the exhibits. In this regard, the University of Amsterdam suspended the collection’s handover until either the dispute is legally resolved or the parties come to terms.
In December 2016, the Amsterdam District Court ruled that the Scythian gold treasures be returned to Ukraine based on Dutch laws and international regulations. In March 2017, Crimea’s museums filed an appeal against the decision. In March 2019, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal reversed the district court’s ruling but did not make a decision on the collection's ownership.