Lithuanian customs officials intercepted a smuggled church bell at the Šalčininkai border crossing point with Belarus on March 16, authorities said on Saturday.
The bell, weighing 260 kilogrammes, was being transported by a citizen of the Republic of Moldova in a Mercedes Sprinter van. During the routine inspection shortly after midnight, customs officers discovered the bell hidden under bags in the vehicle. The driver had initially declared that he was not transporting any prohibited or declarable goods.
The Moldovan driver was unable to provide any documents proving the bell’s origin or ownership, telling officers he was unaware that such documentation was required.
Customs officers, suspecting that the bell may be a cultural heritage object or possibly looted property from Ukraine, seized the item and filed an official goods detention report. They also noted the possibility of international sanctions violations and initiated procedures to determine the item’s customs classification and value.
The bell is now under review by experts from Lithuania’s Department of Cultural Heritage, who are assessing whether it qualifies as cultural heritage.
According to the driver’s statement, the bell originated from Podolsk, Russia, and was being transported at the request of Russian Orthodox Patriarchs Kirill and Nikolai. He claimed the final destination was Moldova, with the route passing through Belarus and Lithuania.
Inscriptions on the bell suggest it may have been dedicated to Saint Petro Mohyla, a 17th-century Orthodox metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus' and a figure revered in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The investigation is ongoing, and Lithuanian authorities are coordinating with cultural heritage and international law enforcement agencies to determine the bell’s provenance and legal status.
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