Museum Collections of Greece in International Relations in the 19th – 21st Centuries: «The Parthenon Marbles»

The article is based on a report presented on March 22, 2024 at the All-Ukrainian Scientific Conference «History of International Relations of the 19th–21st Centuries» (to the 190th anniversary of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor Anatolii Kostiantynovich Martynenko). The idea and key theses were formulated during studies at the Ioannis Kapodistrias National University of Athens under the FIESPA program (2023) and within the framework of academic mobility at the same university (2024), which became possible thanks to the assistance of Dr. N. Lavidas. The relevance of the topic is determined by the problem of preserving, transferring and returning historical and cultural heritage in the modern system of international relations. The Parthenon Marbles could become a precedent for resolving similar cases in international practice. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to clarify the historical and political circumstances of the movement of the Parthenon Marbles, analyze the evolution of the debate on their return, and identify the significance of this case for contemporary Greco-British relations, as well as understanding the role of cultural heritage as a factor in international diplomacy. Results. The paper is based on a historiographical method that allows us to explore some interpretations of the conflict surrounding the Parthenon Marbles as a disputed good that pits one of the world’s superpowers, Great Britain, against a country that considers itself a cultural superpower, Greece. It has been noted that the Parthenon is often perceived as the most important symbol of modern Greek national identity. It is argued that the conflict over the «Elgin Marbles» (or «Parthenon Marbles») is evident in the very name. The first of them focuses on the person thanks to whom the marbles ended up in the British Museum, the second emphasizes their origin and reminds of the need to return the collection to Athens. The key changes in the status of the Parthenon from its construction to Lord Elgin’s tenure have been identified. It has been revealed that the legitimacy of the grounds for the relocation of the Parthenon Marbles is now seriously questioned: the ferman, traditionally used as an argument in the debate, has not been found in the Ottoman archives. The intellectual atmosphere in which the discussions regarding the «Parthenon Marbles» unfolded is explored, and the role of Lord Byron in this discussion, as well as other notable figures of the 19th – 20th centuries, is noted. The role of Melina Mercouri, as well as other state and public figures of modern Greece and the international community, in the struggle for the reunification of the «Parthenon Marbles» is particularly emphasized. Conclusions. In conclusion, it is noted that a fair and diplomatically balanced decision to return the Parthenon marbles to Athens, where they can be reunited with the rest of the frieze in the New Acropolis Museum, can serve as a model for resolving similar situations in the field of cultural policy, in particular for states whose historical artifacts are in the collections of other countries.