Customs halts export of dreidels and 19th-century icon from capital

Customs service officers in Kyiv intercepted a batch of items that may hold historical significance. During the inspection of international postal shipments, they discovered three Jewish Hanukkah dreidels, a metal icon of Old Believer origin, and an altar cross dated to the 19th century.

Routes and cargo status

The dreidels and the cross were intended for delivery to the United States, while the antique icon was bound for Estonia. However, the senders failed to provide the necessary permit documents, which are mandatory for exporting cultural assets out of Ukraine. Due to signs of antiquity, customs officers handed the finds over to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine for expert examination.

Expert research results

Museum specialists confirmed that the three small dreidels are traditional dreidels — an attribute of an ancient children's game closely associated with the celebration of Hanukkah. The faces of these items are engraved with Hebrew letters forming the phrase "A great miracle happened there." According to the experts' findings, the dreidels are of archaeological origin, and similar specimens are quite limited in Ukrainian museum collections.

Also among the seized items was a metal icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "Joy of All Who Sorrow." Researchers classified it as a sample of 19th-century Old Believer cast copper plastic art. Previously, such small icons were used as amulets or hung near the headboards of sick people.

The third item was an eight-pointed crucifix of the altar type. Such crosses were traditionally an attribute of clergy.

Legal consequences

Under current legislation, the export of cultural assets abroad is possible only with the appropriate permits. Since no such documents were present, customs officers drew up protocols for administrative offences. The identified items have been seized pending court decisions in the relevant cases.

It was previously reported that border guards had stopped an attempt to export three icons that may have historical or cultural value. The driver then explained that the plan involved restoring the items abroad with a subsequent sale. Currently, these icons are also undergoing expert examination to determine their origin and value.