Kyiv customs officers discovered a military artifact in a parcel headed to the United States from the Rivne region — a 1915 protective helmet that, according to experts, belonged to a Prussian officer of the Armed Forces of the German Empire.
This was reported by the State Customs Service.
As customs officials said, the sender of the parcel turned out to be a resident of the Rivne region, and the addressee was a recipient in the USA.
Given the signs of antiquity, customs officers sent the item for examination to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. And experts confirmed that it is a rare military artifact.
“Museum experts have determined that this is a pickelhaube (pickelhelm) – a protective helmet of a Prussian officer from 1915. All metal elements are made of a copper-based alloy and gilded, which is typical of the officer corps of the army of the German Empire,” the report says.
A rare 1915 military helmet discovered in a mail shipment to the US by Kyiv customs officers. Telegram/State Customs Service
As noted by the State Customs Service, the helmet retains the original brass coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia with an eagle under the royal crown. On its chest are the letters “FR” (Frederick I), and on the ribbon is engraved the motto in German: “With God for King and Fatherland.”
Inside, the dome is lined with husky-type leather with a regimental stamp. Both the stamp and the text were recognized by experts as original. According to their conclusions, the helmet probably belonged to a veterinarian of a Jaeger regiment of the Armed Forces of the German Empire.
A rare 1915 military helmet discovered in a mail shipment to the US by Kyiv customs officers. Telegram/State Customs Service
“According to experts, memorial Prussian officer pickelhaube helmets are practically not found in the antique markets of Europe, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation, and similar specimens are rare. The item has cultural and historical value,” the customs service informed.
The department emphasizes that according to the legislation of Ukraine, for the export of cultural and historical values abroad, an appropriate certificate from the Ministry of Culture is required. No permits were provided to customs officers. Therefore, the helmet was seized pending a court decision.