Rare Russian Books Kept Vanishing From Libraries. Why?

Between 2022 and 2023, an extraordinary series of thefts unfolded across Europe as nearly 170 rare Russian books—many of them precious editions of works by Alexander Pushkin—vanished from major libraries. The thefts, stretching from Riga to Paris, appear to be among the most ambitious book heists in modern history.

According to investigators, the thieves often used fake identities to gain access to restricted reading rooms. Once inside, they would either swap the valuable originals for crude facsimiles or simply take the books and disappear. Experts noted that the forgeries were surprisingly unconvincing—one described them as “pretty amateur”—but the stolen works themselves were of immense value. Similar editions have sold for five- and six-figure sums at auction in recent years, underscoring the magnitude of the crime.

The central mystery has been not only who carried out the thefts, but who might have ordered them. “Was this a ring of opportunistic criminals taking advantage of weak security, or something more coordinated—perhaps even a state-backed effort to reclaim pieces of Russian cultural heritage scattered across Europe?” journalist Philip Oltermann asked in his detailed Guardian report on the case.

Investigators eventually tied much of the activity to a network of Georgian suspects, including Beqa Tsirekidze and Mikheil Zamtaradze. Their travel logs and library access records revealed both cooperation and rivalry, suggesting a loosely organized but persistent operation. Both men have since been convicted.

As for whether the plot had deeper geopolitical ties, Oltermann concluded that while speculation about Russian state involvement persists, there is still no concrete evidence to support it. The true motive behind the thefts—and whether others remain at large—continues to intrigue investigators and historians alike.

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