Around 170 rare works by Russian classical authors were stolen from libraries across Europe between 2022 and 2023, causing estimated losses of about $3.3 million, The Guardian reports.
According to the outlet, the thefts took place in libraries across nine countries — Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Estonia. Investigators believe the stolen items were primarily works by Alexander Pushkin, one of Russia’s most celebrated literary figures.
The stolen volumes are believed to include first editions and other valuable publications from the 19th century. Many of them were kept in restricted-access collections, and the thefts were often discovered only weeks or months later.
Authorities in several European countries are cooperating to trace the missing works and identify possible connections between the thefts, which appear to have followed a similar pattern. Some experts suspect a coordinated operation targeting Russian literary heritage, possibly linked to private collectors.
The case underscores the growing demand for rare cultural artifacts on the international black market — and the vulnerability of Europe’s literary treasures, even in well-protected institutions.
