Six Georgians tried in Paris for theft of rare Pushkin and Lermontov editions
An international network of six Georgian nationals is appearing before French justice for having stolen rare nineteenth-century books, including original editions of Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov, from several public libraries in France and across Europe.
Six Georgians tried in Paris for theft of rare Pushkin and Lermontov editions
Six Georgian citizens were brought before the Paris court, accused of having stolen rare original editions of Russian classics from the nineteenth century, including works by Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov. This case, revealed by the AFP news agency, sheds light on a series of thefts that extends across the whole of Europe and has caused losses counted in millions of euros.
According to an article from Euronews cited by Múlt-kor, the targeted works were principally rare copies of nineteenth-century Russian classics, with a total estimated value of several million euros. The accused face charges of organised crime and attempted theft, with some also having to answer charges of misappropriation of exposed cultural property. If convicted, they risk up to ten years in prison.
The burglaries in France took place in 2023, notably at the Diderot library of the École normale supérieure in Lyon, at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and at the University library of languages in Paris. Investigators believe that the offenders presented themselves as researchers or readers, borrowed the rare and valuable works, photographed and measured them, then replaced them with copies that were nearly indistinguishable.
One of the accused, Mikheil Z., aged 50, visited the Bibliothèque nationale de France forty times between March and October 2023, requesting mainly access to manuscripts and rare editions of Pushkin. He claimed to be studying the concept of democracy in nineteenth-century Russian literature. In November, the library discovered that nine works had been replaced by copies: eight concerned Pushkin and one Lermontov. The damage is valued at approximately 650,000 euros.
Mikheil Z. admitted to the theft during the investigation, but denied any collaboration with the other accused. He stated that he acted out of greed and resold the books in Russia to a person named "Maxim".
The case is not limited to France. Similar thefts have been committed in Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, which led to the creation of a joint investigation team with the participation of Europol and Eurojust. The authorities estimate that manuscripts have disappeared from libraries in approximately ten European countries, and the number of rare Russian works stolen is valued at nearly 170.
None of the missing volumes have yet been recovered. The legal representative of the Bibliothèque nationale de France has however indicated that the institution has not given up hope of seeing them one day returned to its collections.
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)