A senior Bosnian lawmaker has launched an initiative to open negotiations with Russia aimed at returning a 12th-century charter regarded as one of the most important documents of Bosnia’s medieval statehood.
Denis Zvizdić, a member of the leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s House of Representatives, said the country should seek the return of the Charter of Ban Kulin, dating from 1189, which is currently held in a museum in St Petersburg.
In an initiative submitted to Bosnia’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, Zvizdić described the charter as a foundational document of Bosnian statehood and a key part of the country’s cultural heritage.
“The original document is kept in St Petersburg, while another copy, which is effectively a trade agreement with the Republic of Dubrovnik, is preserved in Dubrovnik’s archives,” Zvizdić said.
He added that international practice allows for the restitution of culturally significant artefacts through bilateral negotiations and argued that the time was right for Bosnia to launch a formal procedure for the charter’s return.
The Charter of Ban Kulin, issued in 1189, regulated trade relations between the medieval Bosnian state and merchants from Dubrovnik, granting them freedom of trade within Bosnian territory.
Written in Latin with elements of Old Slavic and Bosnian Cyrillic script, the document is considered a milestone in the history of literacy and language in the region and a symbol of Bosnia’s medieval diplomatic relations with its neighbours.
Russia has not publicly commented on the initiative.