Kyiv Customs seized 11th–13th century crosses that were being illegally sent by post to Kazakhstan. The valuable finds were returned to the Lviv Historical Museum in accordance with a court decision, according to the Lviv Regional Council website.
The crosses are double-sided, decorated with enamel, and are authentic examples of Christian metalwork in Rus. The production of such crosses was established in Kyiv at the end of the 11th century and reached its peak in the 12th century.
“The archaeological finds were illegally sent in an international postal shipment from Dnipro to Kazakhstan. Archaeological objects are not subject to sale, collection by private individuals, or export outside Ukraine. Therefore, Kyiv Customs seized the items prohibited for shipment,” the customs office reported.
This is not the first attempt to export valuable artefacts from Ukraine. Earlier, Kyiv Customs recorded an attempt to export valuable jewellery, whose beads date back to the 1st–12th centuries, to Germany.