Archaeological artifacts seized from the group of "black archeologists" transferred to the State Museum Fund

Today, April 14, 2016 at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Republic of Tatarstan in performance the Supreme Court verdict on  case of "black archeologists"  transfer   of  the  seized  archaeological items to    the State Museum Fund as well as passing  specific technical objects of searching to   bailiff service.

We remind that the verdict of Chistopol Municipal Court of the Republic of Tatarstan as of 17.12.2015 on case №1-136 / 2015 a group of "black archeologists" were condemned.  There  were detained in the Chistopol region of the Republic of Tatarstan on the site of the illicit withdrawal  of archaeological artifacts at the site of the archaeological heritage " Novoaleksandrovsk (Kyzyl-Yalanskoe) selishe ".

It was established that in July 2014  the  group of young people in a preliminary conspiracy, acting from selfish motives, in violation of the requirements of the current legislation on the protection of cultural heritage committed a serious crime aimed at the illegal acquisition of archaeological objects for the purpose of personal enrichment and collecting. As a result of the illegal actions by  "black archeologists" on the monument  of archeology  more than 50 archeological artifacts were seized  dating from X-XVI centuries, including coins, spherical bronze buttons XII-XIII centuries, frame –scutal  bronze buckle, copper pendant relief    ornament , ring.

One of the members of the group was  sentenced  by the court  to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and 6 months in a penal colony. 4 more participants sentenced to probation.

By decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan as of  02.16.2016, a  prison term of the convict  in a penal colony  was reduced to 3 months. The rest of the participants  the sentence  remained  unchanged.

In transfer of archaeological artifacts took part  Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan Svetlana Persova, Deputy Director of Development Institute of Archaeology named after  O.H. Khalikov,  AS RT Fayaz Huzin, head of the Museum of Archaeology Institute of the  RT  Academy of Sciences  Asiya Mukhametshina, and head of  Department of Medieval Archaeology Institute of Archaeology of the  RT  Academy of Sciences  Zufar Shakirov.

Press service of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan