On the Ukrainian-Polish border, customs officers discovered an ancient icon in a Volkswagen Crafter

During the customs inspection of a Volkswagen Crafter belonging to a Ukrainian citizen returning from Poland, an ancient icon was discovered. This valuable item was found among the traveler’s personal belongings, and the author’s signature and inscription on the back confirmed its authenticity.

The State Customs Service of Ukraine reported this.

At the Shehyny-Medica checkpoint on the border with Poland, Lviv customs officers discovered an attempt to illegally transfer a cultural asset—a 17th-century icon by the Swiss master Andreas Asper.

This art object depicting a scene from the Gospel was found during customs inspection. Experts from the Andriy Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv estimated the icon at 25,000 US dollars, which, in terms of hryvnia, exceeds 1 million, emphasizing its significance in the historical and cultural context.

In the event of an attempted illegal export, customs officers drew up a report on the violation of customs regulations in accordance with Part 3 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine, which regulates liability for the movement of cultural property across the state border.

Recently, several cars were also confiscated at the border with Poland, the owners of which were unaware of their criminal past. These vehicles were wanted in various European countries.