Russia likely set to empty Crimean museums under pretext of evacuation

Russian occupation authorities likely have issued the directive to empty Crimean museums and transfer artifacts to Russian territory to local emergency officials.

On its website, the so-called Ministry of Emergency Situations of Crimea wrote a reminder that one of the rescuers' duties is the "evacuation not only of the population but also of cultural valuables."

"The third, most important task of civil defense is the evacuation of the population, material and cultural values to safe areas," the post states. It claims the mission involves "planning, preparing and carrying out evacuation" and "preparing safe areas to accommodate the population, as well as the creation and organizing of evacuation bodies”

On 22 May, the Russian occupation authorities ordered the removal of the most valuable exhibits from the Isaac Brodsky Art Museum in Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported.

On 27 June, the Kherson Art Museum identified 50 stolen artifacts after photographs surfaced at the Central Museum of Taurida in Russian-occupied Crimea. Among the latest identified works was a painting titled "Forest Song" by Vladlen Vaganov.

Crimea's occupation regime is also reportedly preparing paperwork to transfer over 300,000 exhibits from the Chersonese National Museum in Sevastopol for supposed restoration work outside Crimea.

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