Last weekend, Finnish customs stopped three shipments bound for Russia at the Vaalimaa border crossing, the agency said in a press release. The artwork was borrowed from Russia to museums and galleries in Japan and Italy. Sami Rakshit, director of the Finnish Customs Enforcement Department, did not specify the exact number of works or give details about the artists in response to questions from the Washington Post. The Russian Ministry of Culture quoted the Russian news agency Moskva as saying that the work of art had been borrowed in Italy from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and the Tretyakov State Gallery in Moscow, according to Reuters. The Hermitage Museum did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The European Union has imposed extensive sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, as have the United States. The Finnish Foreign Ministry has confirmed to Finnish customs that the EU sanctions list includes works of art, the agency said. “It’s important that sanctions are implemented effectively. Imposition of sanctions is part of our normal operation and we always direct our controls based on risks. “The missions that are now under criminal investigation have been identified as part of the usual law enforcement work,” Rakshit said. How will Russia feel about the sting of sanctions? The customs service has launched a preliminary investigation and will continue to consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will discuss the matter with the European Commission. “Finnish customs will keep the art of confiscation as long as it is needed for research as evidence. “What happens next will depend on the outcome of the investigation,” Rakshit told The Post. The seizure of the artwork comes a week and a half after Finnish customs seized 21 yachts suspected of belonging to Russian oligarchs. Rachel Pannett contributed to this report.
