THE HAGUE, September 4. /TASS/. Scythian gold artifacts in the Netherlands are being readied for shipment to Ukraine, Yasha Lange, a spokesman for the University of Amsterdam, told TASS.
"The collection has not been handed over yet," he said. "We and all the interested parties are currently making preparations for its shipment."
The Scythian Gold is a collection of more than 2,000 items that were put on display at the Allard Pierson Museum of the University of Amsterdam in February 2014. The collection’s future came into doubt when Crimea reunited with Russia in March 2014. Crimea’s museums and Ukraine both laid claim to the collection. The University of Amsterdam, which oversees the Allard Pierson Museum, put the return of the items on hold until either the dispute was legally resolved or the parties came to terms.
The Supreme Court of the Netherlands on June 9 released a ruling upholding the verdict of the Amsterdam Appellate Court demanding that the Scythian gold collection be transferred to Ukraine. Alexander Tkachenko, the Ukrainian Culture Minister at the time, said that the country was negotiating with the Netherlands to recover the collection without having to pay the storage expenses for the exhibits for almost 10 years. The amount has not been officially disclosed, however, according to some reports, the bill is about 100,000 euros.