In April 2022, Estonia’s University of Tartu Library was visited by two men claiming to be Ukrainian researchers seeking refuge from the war in Ukraine. They requested access to rare 19th-century first editions of works by Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol, Russia’s literary giants. Speaking in Russian, they explained they were studying censorship in czarist Russia for a scholarship application to the United States. The librarians, eager to assist, granted them permission to study the books. Little did they know, this encounter would unravel a sophisticated heist involving the disappearance of valuable literary treasures.
Krista Aru, the library’s director, described the men’s elaborate scheme as “terrible.” The discovery of the missing books, replaced with expertly crafted facsimiles, sent shockwaves through the library community. What initially seemed like an isolated incident quickly escalated into a multinational criminal conspiracy targeting rare 19th-century Russian books across Europe.
Since 2022, over 170 books worth more than $2.6 million have been reported missing from libraries in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Finland, France, and several other countries. The stolen works, primarily first and early editions of Pushkin’s writings, hold immense cultural and historical significance. The brazen nature of the thefts, with expertly crafted replicas replacing the originals, has left authorities scrambling to uncover the perpetrators behind this audacious scheme.
Dubbed “Operation Pushkin” by investigators, the probe has led to the arrest of nine individuals connected to the thefts in various European countries. The intricate network of associates, potentially acting on behalf of larger entities, has shed light on the shadowy world of rare book theft and illicit trade. The stolen books, with their high market value and historical importance, have raised concerns about the vulnerability of public institutions like libraries to sophisticated criminal operations.
As the investigation continues, the hunt for the masterminds behind the thefts intensifies. The stolen books, symbols of Russia’s rich literary heritage, have become prized possessions in a shadow market fueled by geopolitical tensions and cultural nationalism. The audacious heist of these rare treasures has not only exposed the vulnerabilities of library security but also underscored the enduring allure of Russian literary classics in the global antiquarian book trade.