ST. PETERSBURG. Oct 29 (Interfax) - Customs officials at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo airport have handed 20 icons and other religious items over to the Russian Culture Ministry's local branch since the beginning of 2021 to be subsequently transferred to museums, the customs press service said in a statement on Friday.
"Culture Ministry experts concluded that a significant portion of these items have historical, cultural, and artistic value," the press service said.
They include a framed St. Luke the Evangelist icon, which a U.S. citizen tried to take out of Russia. According to experts' conclusion, the icon was created in Russia in the 19th century.
Customs officials have also handed over a St. Nicolas icon and a kiot cross, which were seized from a Japanese citizen. Both items date back to the 19th century.
In another development, a passenger boarding a Mexico-bound flight at the Pulkovo airport was stopped from taking a St. Mary the Consoler of Evil Hearts icon out of Russia.
An examination established that the frame of the icon was made in the 19th century, and a seal impression indicating that the icon's frame was made from silver in a St. Petersburg workshop in 1832 is visible on it.