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An artifact from the collection of the Mariupol Museum is included in the global list of the Ten Most Wanted Antiquities

Published 11 August 2025 year, 11:26

This was announced during a public discussion organized by the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, DC. The event was dedicated to the study of Russian aggression against the cultural heritage of Ukraine.


The discussion focused on joint efforts to preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage in the face of its systematic destruction by Russia during the war.


One of the key moments of the discussion was the announcement of the inclusion of a Ukrainian artifact - a bone bull figurine from a child's burial in the Mariupol Neolithic cemetery dating back to the 6th millennium BC - in the global list of The Antiquities Coalition's Ten Most Wanted. This is a significant event for the entire Ukrainian cultural community and the Mariupol community.


The list of the most wanted antiquities includes cultural treasures from all over the world - looted or stolen and still missing. The inclusion of the Mariupol artifact in this international list emphasizes the global importance of protecting and returning to Ukraine cultural property lost due to Russian aggression.

Historical background.

Name of the artifact: bull-shaped figurine

Material: upper front side of a bull's tusk

Dimensions: 17 × 38 mm

Date: VI millennium BC.

Finding site: a child's burial from the Mariupol Neolithic burial site, Mariupol, Azovstal Plant territory

In 1930, during the laying of blast furnace No. 1 at Azovstal, a burial complex dating back to the sixth millennium BC was discovered, which went down in history as the Mariupol Neolithic burial ground and is one of the largest Neolithic monuments in Eastern Europe.

The archaeological research was conducted under the direction of Professor Makarenko and with the participation of the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore. This is the only surviving animal figure found during this archaeological expedition. Mykola Makarenko's report, published in 1933 based on the results of the excavations, stated: "It was made by a skillful hand, technically adept and artistically familiar with animal forms."

The Atlantic Council think tank created a video of the event, which showed an artifact that was kept in the collection of the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore until its collection was damaged and partially destroyed by Russian military aggression. The fate and whereabouts of the unique museum object are currently unknown.

Based on the materials of the Mariupol Museum of Local Lore