MOSCOW, May 1. About 200 rare editions of books by Russian classics were stolen from European libraries, writes the New York Times.
“Police are now investigating a large-scale coordinated series of thefts of rare 19th-century Russian books—mostly first and early editions of Pushkin—from libraries across Europe,” the material says.
According to Europol, more than 170 books worth more than $2.6 million have been stolen since 2022. The library of the University of Warsaw suffered the most, from which 78 copies were missing.
It is noted that the cost of books ranges from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars each. In most cases, the originals have been replaced with high-quality copies that even imitate Foxings, indicating a complex operation.
According to experts, the disappearance of so many books of the same kind from so many countries in a relatively short period is unprecedented. The thefts forced libraries to strengthen security, and dealers to show increased vigilance regarding the origin of Russian books, the article summarizes.
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