According to Dobrzyński, Aleksander B. was detained in Poland, a renowned Russian archaeologist and one of the managers of the famous Hermitage Museum.
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The Internal Security Agency detained a Russian scientist. Who is Alexander B.?
As RMF FM radio established, officers of the Internal Security Agency intercepted the scientist during his trip around Europe. The Russian moved between the Netherlands and the Balkans, giving a series of lectures. On the Warsaw stage of the route, he was captured by the services, which operated on the basis of a Ukrainian arrest warrant.
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After the arrest, the Russian was taken to the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, where he refused to provide explanations. The prosecutor, citing the provisions on extradition and the Polish-Ukrainian agreements on legal cooperation, asked the court to apply pre-trial detention. The Warsaw court agreed to this request, ordering a 40-day isolation period, which is intended to enable Ukraine to formally send extradition documents.
Russian scientist Alexander B. Photo of the Ukrainian prosecutor's office
Long years of destruction of heritage. A Russian scientist “studied” occupied Crimea
Kyiv accuses Alexander B. o conducting illegal excavations in Crimea after its occupation by Russia in 2014. According to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, the activities of archaeologists from the Hermitage Museum were intended to damage the “Ancient City of Myrmekion” site in Kerch. Estimated losses amount to over UAH 200 million.
The Ukrainian prosecutor's office emphasizes that Aleksandr B., holding a managerial position in the ancient archeology department of the Hermitage, was to be responsible for field work in Crimea from the beginning of the Russian occupation. The allegations concern not only carrying out excavations without permits, but also causing the destruction of part of a valuable cultural monument. If the Ukrainian authorities consent to extradition, the scientist could face a sentence of one to 10 years in prison.
Information about the detention was officially communicated to the Russian side. Due to the situation in Russia, his planned lectures are canceled, including the lecture “Ancient Monsters in Myths and Art”, which he was supposed to give in Moscow on December 19.
Representatives of the Ukrainian authorities remind that since 2014, the Crimean Peninsula has been subject to systematic destruction cultural traces of both the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian communities. They emphasize that this is an element of Russia's broader policy, which – in their opinion – is aimed at erasing local identity and subordinating the region historically and symbolically.
The examples cited include works in the Khan Palace in Bakhchisarai, a unique cultural monument of the Crimean Tatars. Ukrainian officials also draw attention to illegal excavations carried out both at the Myrmekjon site and during the construction of the strategic Tauris highway. The pace of work on this investment – one of the most important for the Kremlin – required rapid archaeological activities, which, according to experts, led to serious damage.
