During excavation of Melitopol mound in the middle of the previous century archeologists found Scythian gold artefacts: jewelry, horse harnesses, etc. The Hermitage was looking forward to obtaining those as it had been the traditional place to bring the most valuable finds.

But Ukrainian scholars adamantly refused to do that. Some artefacts were left in Melitopol and most taken to Kyiv.

In 2022, the occupiers decided to have revenge. Despite claims of the Russian media that not a single valuable exhibit had been taken from Melitopol and the collection of local lore museum was completely in place, nobody has seen either Scythian gold or other rarities since the beginning of the city’s occupation. And their fate is unknown.

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