Saratov museum returned the stolen 30 years ago curiosities
28/01/201020: 09
SARATOV, January 28 - RIA Novosti, Alexander Light. FSB officers and criminal investigation police department of the Saratov Region on Thursday returned the Saratov State Art Museum named after Alexander Radishchev two rare book editions of the XIX century, which were stolen from the museum for nearly thirty years ago, told RIA Novosti agency spokesman Tatiana Breus.
"The rapid development of the FSB was 42-year-old resident of Saratov, which, according to some sources, was searching for a buyer for the book Dalmatov" Russian embroidery and Stasova "Russian folk ornament" in 1889 and 1871 editions, respectively, "- said Breus.
According to authorities, these books, among others, were stolen from the library fund an art museum in the 70 years of the last century. Some items stolen from the museum did not return, because the kidnappers managed to sell them, among them were two of these books.
"There was a real danger that the books, the sale could fall into the hands of foreign collectors, and then it's cultural heritage would be lost forever to our state," - said the agency interlocutor.
She added that the FSB had discussions with the citizen who wanted to sell the artefacts belonging to the state, and saved him from committing a crime under article 164 of the Criminal Code (theft of items of value), whereby the punishment as imprisonment for a term of six to ten years. Then a man voluntarily surrendered value, and counter-intelligence officers and police returned them to the museum.
http://www.rian.ru/culture/20100128/206726711.html