Books: illustrative photo. Freepik
As reported by the Polish publication polsatnews.pl
In 2022–2023, books by Russian-language authors disappeared from the University of Warsaw’s library, but new data reveal another scheme: rare books were sold to Russia through closed resale networks. The case is gaining international attention thanks to the investigation.
Among the stolen publications were the first editions of the works of Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Ivan Krylov, and Mikhail Lermontov. The total value of the stolen rarities is estimated at about 3.8 million zlotys.
According to investigators, the rarities were sold at auctions in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. A Georgian citizen named Mihail Z. admitted guilt and claimed that he acted on behalf of a Russian. He was charged with participating in the theft of 78 incunabula.
Investigation Timeline and the Suspects
According to the investigation materials, the thefts lasted from December 2022 to October 2023. Mihail Z. registered as a reader at the University of Warsaw and at other library facilities in Prague and Vilnius, where he studied the rarities. He said that the Russian who led the operation indicated which exact books needed to be stolen, and was responsible for their sale in Russia through the Litfond auction house.
The case is being investigated by an international investigative group named ‘Pushkin’. In Georgia, two more suspects – Anna J. and Mate T. – have been detained. They have been charged with involvement in an organized crime group and the theft of five incunabula. The Georgian prosecutor’s office has transmitted to Poland the materials of its own investigation and the list of seized rarities. The Polish authorities are checking the provenance of the books from the Warsaw University collections.
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