In 2006 Ukraine’s customs agents stopped some 200 attempts to smuggle out articles of immense historical and cultural value. They confiscated more than 1,800 precious works of art, 53 percent of which were military decorations and medals, and 7 percent, religious items. The rest of the contraband consisted of articles of historical value, antique tableware, etc. Administrative proceedings were soon launched, with criminal prosecution in 17 cases.
Volodymyr Russkov, deputy head of the State Customs Service in charge of law enforcement coordination, told The Day: “Contraband items are smuggled into Ukraine primarily from Turkey. Lots of them come from Russia. There are cases registered at Polish, Slovak, and Hungarian border checkpoints, where such valuables are both exported and imported. In fact, I can’t think of a single country from where there have been no attempts to smuggle such items into Ukraine. However, we can only record the border checkpoint where such an attempt has been made. As for the origin of these valuables, it’s anyone’s guess.”
Over the past couple of years there has been an increase in the number of cases of unlawful exportation from Ukraine of articles of historical and cultural value. Only 37 percent of smugglers were identified as Ukrainian nationals. Whereas a few years ago customs inspectors would detain such contraband only when they were on their way out of Ukraine, today in 30 percent of all cases, “bona fide” exporters are detected when they smuggle their goods into Ukraine.
Oleksii Orekhov, deputy head of the Crimean Regional Customs Authority told The Day: “Our main task is selective customs control. Unfortunately, our customs authorities are not authorized to conduct investigations. This is a restriction. If we could receive more data from other law enforcement agencies, we would probably have better results. One day, our customs inspectors stopped a truck that was quite old. But its entire lower part was freshly painted; there were also signs of recent puttying on the water tank. This led to a more thorough inspection. In the end, items of historical and cultural value were found in the tank.”
A special commission is convened after an administrative or criminal court ruling is issued in a given case. This commission includes representatives of various agencies, who are empowered to decide where to transfer the confiscated valuables. On June 6, 2007, the Customs Service of Ukraine officially transferred confiscated historical and cultural valuables to Ukraine’s museums, churches, and libraries.
Bishop Mykhailo Lesiuk, dean of Holy Protection Church in Brovary (Ukrainian Orthodox Church: Kyiv Patriarchate), told The Day: “Icons must be part of Ukrainian churches, part of the spiritual wealth of Ukraine. Half a year ago I wrote a letter to the Customs Service of Ukraine, asking for the most valuable icons to be returned to the Church. It was the first letter to which the CSU responded. God willing, it won’t be the last one. I received an offer to accept the icons. This was the first time our Church took part in a transfer of such treasures. To date, we have been given nine icons, mostly dating from the 19th-20th centuries, but there are several 18th-century icons.”
The National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine is closely collaborating with the Interministerial Council for the Return and Importation of Valuables. The library’s director-general, Tamara Vylehzhanina, says that the library recently received 120 books and newspaper issues that will expand its rare book collection.
Customs officials claim that individuals planning to smuggle historical and cultural valuables out of Ukraine don’t stand much of a chance. When you board a flight, you will have to undergo a series of complicated customs inspection procedures. It is also difficult to smuggle large collections because professional customs inspectors detect them quickly. The easiest way is to place small contraband articles among your everyday items.
Customs inspectors are generally instructed not to bother ordinary citizens. If you look like one and only have a carryall, you have a good chance of passing customs without attracting undue attention. But if you get nervous, your behavior will betray you, because customs inspectors have a sharp eye.
