Ukraine has recovered two archaeological objects illegally exported to Australia – a temporal pendant from the 3rd millennium BC and a medieval arrowhead from the 12th-13th centuries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
The Australian Border Service intercepted the items in October 2023 when they arrived in Sydney in two packages sent from Ukraine. Following an investigation into possible illegal export of cultural property, Australian Minister for the Arts Tony Burke signed a return order in February 2025 and personally handed the artifacts to Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko in August.
The pendant likely belongs to the Yamnaya cultural-historical community, while the arrowhead is typical of ancient Rus monuments, according to the ministry's statement.
"The return of Ukrainian artifacts is an important component of restoring historical justice and confirming the historical continuity of Ukraine," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said during the transfer ceremony. "This is especially important in the conditions when Russia is waging a genocidal war against Ukraine and is trying to erase our history. Each returned historical object is part of our national memory and our identity."
The recovery resulted from cooperation between Ukrainian and Australian customs services and Australia's Office for the Arts. The objects were confiscated under Australia's Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986.
Over the past decade, joint efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have secured the return of multiple cultural valuables stolen during World War II and in the 2020s. Previous recoveries include paintings "Lovers" by French artist Pierre-Louis Goudreau and "The Secret Departure of Ivan the Terrible before the Oprichnina" by Ukrainian artist Mykhailo Panin from the United States, a 1708 charter from Tsar Peter the Great from Germany, and the "Scythian gold" collection from the Netherlands.
In March 2023, the United States transferred a flint ax from the Late Eneolithic-Early Bronze Age, two iron sabers and an iron sword from the Middle Ages. In October 2023, 14 cultural valuables previously stolen by Russian forces from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories were transferred to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.
"We will continue to actively work on the return and preservation of our cultural heritage," Sybiha said, according to his press service.