Work to return cultural values lost during WWII organised in Belarus
At the initiative of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Belarus’ Culture Ministry has compiled a list of cultural values displaced from the BSSR territory during the Great Patriotic War and subject to return, sb.by reports with reference to the official website of the Prosecutor General's Office
The list includes 694 cultural objects, including icons, paintings, books, sculptures, as well as other items of decorative, applied and fine arts. One of Belarus’ main values – the Cross of St. Yevfrosiniya Polotskaya made in 1161 by master Lazar Bogsha – was taken out of the country during the war years and has not been found to this day. The Slutsk belts – recognised as a national relic and a historical cultural symbol – were stolen and not returned to the republic. Only single copies and fragments of such belts have been preserved in Belarus.
Prior to the initiation of the criminal case on the genocide of the Belarusian people, there was actually no information about the values lost during the occupation period. Systematic work on their search and return was not conducted. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, this list is not final, and the work on the identification of lost cultural values, determining their value and repatriation to Belarus continues.
A number of foreign countries have been identified as possible locations for relics from the list, e.g., the United States of America, Israel, Ukraine, Poland, etc. The objects of Belarus’ cultural heritage can be found both in foreign institutions and private collections.
At the suggestion of the Prosecutor General’s Office, as part of the activities of the commission for the identification, return, joint use and introduction into scientific circulation of cultural values located outside Belarus (under the Council of Ministers), an audit was organised in 2024 across museums, libraries and archives with an aim to identify lost cultural values from the period of the Great Patriotic War. In addition, the Prosecutor General’s Office initiated additional involvement of research staff in this work.
As a result, the Culture Ministry has organised work on registering and valuation of lost values, developed and ensured the implementation of measures to establish their locations for return to Belarus. In turn, the Foreign Ministry has organised relevant work in the field of international co-operation.
As a result, the Culture Ministry has organised work on registering and valuation of lost values, developed and ensured the implementation of measures to establish their locations for return to Belarus. In turn, the Foreign Ministry has organised relevant work in the field of international co-operation.
The supervisory authority stressed that if there is information about the location of cultural values displaced from the BSSR territory during the Great Patriotic War and subject to return, it is possible to apply (including on a confidential basis) to the commission for the identification, return, joint use and introduction into scientific circulation of cultural values located outside Belarus (under the Council of Ministers).
