Russian Historian Says Moscow Will Continue Pursuit of 'Scythian Gold' Return to Crimea

Russia will continue to press for the return of a collection of ancient Scythian gold artifacts to Crimea, historian Mikhail Myagkov said, according to a report by the Russian state news agency TASS.

Myagkov, who serves as scientific director of the Russian Military Historical Society, was quoted as saying that "Russia will never drop this issue," referring to the long-running dispute over the artifacts.

The Scythian gold collection consists of ancient artifacts that had been on loan from Crimean museums to an exhibition in the Netherlands at the time Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Following the annexation, which is not recognized by Ukraine, the United Nations, or most of the international community, a Dutch court ruled that the artifacts should be returned to Ukraine rather than to the Crimean museums that had lent them.

TASS did not provide additional details in its report regarding the specific legal or diplomatic steps Myagkov or Russian authorities intend to pursue, nor did it include comment from Ukrainian officials or independent legal experts on the matter.

The dispute over the Scythian gold has remained a point of contention between Russia and Ukraine in the years since the initial court rulings, reflecting broader unresolved questions over the status of Crimea and its cultural property.