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Russian Academy of Sciences to do everything possible to secure Butyagin's release

According to the institute, thanks to the work of the Myrmekion archaeological expedition led by Butyagin, the main stages of the ancient city's history were identified and documented in detail, and unique archaeological material was collected, which gained worldwide fame

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. The Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Archaeology will do everything possible to secure the release of Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, who was arrested in Poland, the statement on the institution’s website said.

"The detention of a highly educated and responsible archaeologist who scrupulously performed his professional scientific duties and carefully adhered to the law when researching antiquities is absurd and violates international legal norms and the ethics of international scientific communication. We hope for a speedy resolution to this situation and will do everything in our power to secure his release," the statement said.

According to the institute, thanks to the work of the Myrmekion archaeological expedition led by Butyagin, the main stages of the ancient city's history were identified and documented in detail, and unique archaeological material was collected, which gained worldwide fame. All the finds obtained during the excavations were transferred to the East Crimean Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve in Kerch, including two famous coin hoards from 2002 and 2003, which are now on display in the Hermitage’s Golden Treasury.

"I think media support is significant and powerful. As for legal support, I believe the state authorities will stand up for our colleague and compatriot. <...> We must ensure that this person does not end up in Ukraine. This must be done," Nikolay Makarov, vice president of the Russian Academy of Sciences and director of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Archaeology, told TASS.

Detention of scientist

Alexander Butyagin, a Russian archaeologist and employee at St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, was detained by Polish special services on December 4 while traveling from the Netherlands to the Balkans. According to Polish media reports, he refused to answer any questions from investigators. A Warsaw court ruled to detain the archaeologist for 40 days, and a formal extradition request from Kiev is expected.

In November 2024, Ukrainian authorities charged a Russian archaeologist conducting excavations in Crimea in absentia. His name was not mentioned in official reports, but according to several Ukrainian media outlets, it was Butyagin.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that employees of the Russian embassy in Warsaw had visited Butyagin and were "in contact with his lawyer, who will appeal the court's decision on his temporary arrest." The Hermitage emphasized in an official comment that Butyagin strictly complied with established international standards for conducting archaeological research, both legal and ethical.

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