MOSCOW, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – The US refusal to return seven books from the collection of Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson to Russia has affected the cultural exchanges between the two countries, almost completely halting joint exhibition projects, Russia’s deputy minister of culture told journalists Monday.
“This has seriously affected our relations with the Americans. Cultural exchange has been limited, in particular in terms of exhibitions,” Grigory Ivliev said, adding that musical exchanges still continue.
Last week the Moscow Commercial Court upheld a claim of the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Russian State Library against the United States and the Library of Congress, ordering the defendants to return seven books from the Schneerson collection to Russia.
At the request of the plaintiffs, the court also awarded $50,000 for each day of non-compliance to the order.
According to Ivliev, Russia is still awaiting the reaction of the defendants to the ruling.
“We are waiting for the defendants’ reaction, they can appeal this decision. Soon after this decision enters into force we will conduct works aimed at its implementation. Russia and the United States have no agreement on rendering legal assistance in such cases, and apparently we will be forced to resort to all possible alternatives,” the minister said, adding that the return of these seven books is pivotal for the entire collection as well.
He noted that part of the Schneerson collection belonging to Russia comprises 4,500 books.
The Minister also said that the Russian Ministry of Culture was ready to hand over the Schneerson collection to the Jewish Museum if it guarantees the safety of the books.
“We are negotiating with the Jewish Museum a possibility to hand over these books for the free use, providing the museum guarantees their safety. This does not mean, however, that there will be no state control,” Ivliev said.
Seven books from the prominent and rare Judaic Schneerson Library were loaned to the US in 1994 for temporary use under the International Library Subscription system. The books were to be returned upon request. In March 2013, the Russian State Library filed a claim for the return of books, but they were not given back. The books are now in the hands of the non-profit organization Agudas Chasidei Habad.
Library of Congress Director of Communications Gale Osterberg commented on the news of the lawsuit, maintaining that the Library of Congress had not committed any violations in relation to the books.
The Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn was expelled from the USSR in 1927. He moved his collection of books to Poland, where they remained after the invasion of Nazi Germany. In 1945, the collection was taken by the Red Army. In 1950, Schneersohn died, leaving no orders regarding his collection.
The US Court for the District of Columbia earlier ordered the Russian government to pay $50,000 a day before the date of return of the Schneerson library to the American Hasidims.
