Archaeologist Alexander Butyagin Returns to Saint Petersburg After Detention in Poland
Interfax
Archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, a staff member of the State Hermitage Museum, returned to Saint Petersburg after nearly six months in Polish detention and facing possible extradition to Ukraine. Diplomatic and legal efforts secured his release and repatriation. The case had attracted significant public and scientific interest in Russia.
Archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, a staff member of the State Hermitage Museum, has returned to Saint Petersburg after nearly six months of detention in Poland. The news was announced on May 1, 2026.
Butyagin had been arrested by Polish authorities and faced the risk of extradition to Ukraine. However, diplomatic and legal efforts secured his release and repatriation.
His return marks a turning point in the prolonged case, which had drawn attention from Russia's scientific community and the public. Details of the terms of his release have not been disclosed.
