Hermitage Museum Cancels Archaeological Expeditions in Crimea

June 29, 2026 St. Petersburg Governor's Press Service The State Hermitage Museum has canceled all of its archaeological expeditions in annexed Crimea after Kremlin-backed authorities declared a state of emergency due to ongoing Ukrainian attacks and an acute fuel shortage. “The expeditions are being postponed until the situation improves,” Alexander Butyagin, head of the museum’s archaeology department, told the state-run news agency TASS on Monday. “It’s too difficult to organize normal operations right now.” According to media outlets in St. Petersburg, Butyagin was supposed to lead an expedition in Crimea last month. However, the expedition has since been moved to the southern Krasnodar region. The exiled outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe, citing unidentified sources, reported that at least two other Russian scientific expeditions in Crimea not affiliated with the Hermitage have also pulled out due to the “unstable situation” on the peninsula. The Hermitage itself has not publicly commented on its expedition plans. On Friday, Kremlin-backed authorities in Crimea declared a state of emergency following days of intense Ukrainian attacks that knocked out power in parts of the peninsula and compounded ongoing challenges for residents, including fuel shortages and restrictions on public transit. Butyagin, who has overseen archaeological work at the Ancient Greek colony of Myrmekion in the Crimean port town of Kerch since 1999, only recently returned to Russia. He was held in jail in Poland for several months at the request of Ukraine, which accuses him of carrying out illegal excavations in Crimea. The archeologist was released in April as part of a wider prisoner swap. Read more about: Crimea Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Teenager Killed in Ukrainian Drone Attack on Crimea Crimea's Russian-installed governor said the teenage girl was killed in the northwest of the annexed peninsula. 1 Min read Fire at Crimea Military Site Sparks Evacuations Authorities did not specify the cause of the blaze, but some Russian media reported that detonations were heard in the area. 1 Min read Feature For Russia’s Elites, Kremlin's Failure to Protect Crimean Bridge No Longer Shocks As two people were killed and a key artery to the annexed peninsula was damaged, many in Moscow shrugged. 4 Min read Railway Damaged in Russia-Annexed Crimea Unconfirmed reports suggested that a “detonation” caused the damage and derailed a freight train. 1 Min read