As part of its propaganda campaign, the Kremlin is attempting to impose an alternative reality on the world regarding “Scythian gold.” Russian diplomats at the Russian Embassy in Washington opened a photo exhibition with the provocative title “Crimean Gold: ‘Civilized’ Europe Plunders Russian Treasures.”
Russia’s allegations of the “theft” of historical artifacts are completely baseless, explains the Center for Countering Disinformation. In 2023, after nearly a decade of legal proceedings, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands finally ruled that the collection of artifacts known as the “Scythian Gold” is part of Ukraine’s state museum collection and not the property of Crimean museums occupied by Russia. In November 2023, the collection was officially and lawfully returned to Kyiv.
Through such propaganda campaigns, the Kremlin seeks to create the false impression among Western audiences that the lawful court decision to return the “Scythian gold” to Ukraine constitutes “looting.”
Previously, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported that the Russians had held a similar manipulative exhibition in Moscow. Now, the Kremlin is attempting to export this propaganda tool to the West.