Juliette Mély // Photo credit: Europe 1 9:00 a.m., February 14, 2024
For two years, original books by great Russian writers have been stolen and replaced by imitations in European libraries: in Poland, Switzerland, Lithuania. The National Library of France was also the victim of these usurpations last January. The Bulac (University Library of Languages and Civilizations) in Paris was also the victim of a burglary of this type in October.
Aglae Achechova, curator of the Russian collection, delicately turns the pages of a book by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The library has around ten of his original works. On the night of October 9, thieves tried to take it.
“The object of these thefts is the books by Alexander Pushkin which were published during his life. These are rare editions, because there were few printings at the beginning of the 19th century,” says She. But this time, the thieves left with less valuable copies.
Original books that sell for up to 100,000 euros on the Russian market
For two years, European libraries have been the target of thieves. Flights which coincide with the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. “If a Russian collector legally buys a work in Europe, it is possible, but it will cost him much more,” explains the curator. Additionally, some Russian collectors do not have access to certain auctions in Europe.
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On the Russian market, an original Pushkin book can cost up to 100,000 euros. So the thieves try to empty the libraries. “It’s really sad for readers who will no longer be able to see the originals in certain libraries,” laments Aglae. As a precaution, BULAC took a series of security measures that are now kept secret.