Customs Officials in Odesa Prevent Export of Rare 19th Century Books
Customs officials in Odesa successfully intercepted the illegal export of two books dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries from Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Odesa customs.
The incident occurred at the «Reni-Jurjuleshti» border checkpoint. During an inspection of a bus heading to Bulgaria, customs officers found a complete collection of works by German poets Friedrich Schiller, printed in 1883 in Stuttgart, and Eduard Mörike, published in 1904 in Dresden, in the luggage of a Ukrainian passenger.
It was also noted that the stamps and markings suggest that both books were likely part of the collection of the Odesa Regional Universal Scientific Library named after M.S. Hrushevsky.
«This is one of the largest and oldest libraries in Odesa, established in 1875. The library operated even during the occupation of Odesa in World War II, as indicated by the Romanian stamp found on the books», the report stated.
The books were confiscated under the customs violation protocol, and an expert assessment will determine their status as cultural and historical artifacts.
