Moscow Returns Part of Romania's Seized National Treasure in 1935

Seventeen dusty freight cars from Moscow arrived at Bucharest's Obor station on June 16, 1935, carrying the first installment of Romania's national treasure. Seized by Soviet Russia after 1917, the returned items comprised over 1,443 crates filled with documents, maps, manuscripts, and some religious artifacts and carpets.

This restitution followed the normalization of relations between Romania and the USSR in 1934. However, the bulk of the treasure, approximately 93.4 tons of gold, largely historical coins, along with the Crown Jewels, remained in Russia. A second installment was returned in 1956, and a third in 2008, but the most significant portion of the treasure is still held in Russia, valued at billions of dollars today.

Romania's decision to enter World War I in the summer of 1916, joining the Allied powers against the Central Powers, proved catastrophic. Despite initial neutrality, the country's unpreparedness, marked by corruption and poor leadership, led to a swift and devastating defeat by German and allied forces. Within months, the Romanian army was crushed, half the territory was lost, and the capital, Bucharest, fell.

The government, parliament, and king relocated to Iași in Moldova, facing the imminent threat of further invasion. In this desperate situation, options for the royal family and government to go into exile were explored, but the routes to allies like Britain were perilous and controlled by enemy forces. The return of national assets became a critical concern amidst this national crisis.