This content was published on 07 April 2022 – 12:42
Moscow, Apr 7 (EFE).- Moscow has protested in Helsinki over the arrest of art objects belonging to Russian museums at Finnish customs, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported Thursday.
“On April 7, the Finnish ambassador in Moscow, Antti Helanterä, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry and a strong protest was expressed to him regarding the seizure by Finnish customs authorities of cultural property belonging to Russian museums,” it says. the official note.
According to Moscow, the pieces were stopped when they were transported to Russia through Finnish territory after participating in exhibitions in Italy and Japan.
Russia adds that Helsinki argued the move because of the economic sanctions imposed against Russia by the European Union.
“What is happening cannot be called anything other than legal arbitrariness. The return of artistic assets that were legally abroad in the framework of cooperation between cultural institutions cannot be subject to restrictions,” the note adds.
Moscow indicates that it expects an early resolution of the situation and the return of the art objects to Russia.
“Until such a decision is made, the Finnish side is fully responsible for the storage of those works of art,” it says.
The Russian press previously reported on the retention of some trucks in Finland in which more than 200 paintings from the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg and the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the two most important museums in the country, were transported. EFE
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