The issue of protecting cultural property in the context of armed aggression against Ukraine and the illegal transfer of cultural objects from occupied territories has highlighted the need to improve conflict-of-law regulation. The absence of unified international conventions and clear rules on applicable law in disputes concerning cultural property creates significant obstacles to restitution. The purpose of the article is to examine modern approaches to determining applicable law in disputes involving cultural property, analyze foreign judicial practice, and substantiate the necessity of reforming Ukrainian legislation in this field. The study considers the traditional principle of lex rei sitae, which ensures simplicity and predictability but may deprive original owners of their rights in cases of bona fide acquisition. The case Winkworth v. Christie’s illustrates how applying foreign law can effectively transfer ownership to a later acquirer. Alternative models such as lex originis and the bonae fidei emptor clause are discussed as mechanisms to balance the interests of original owners and bona fide purchasers. Special attention is given to U.S. judicial practice, where flexible methods such as the “most significant contacts” test and “governmental interest analysis” are applied. Cases including

Autocephalous Greek-Orthodox Church v. Goldberg and Cassirer v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection demonstrate diverse approaches, though this diversity may lead to legal uncertainty. The article also examines the application of lex flagi to cultural objects found in neutral waters, emphasizing its controversial nature and potential risks. The author arrives at the conclusion that while lex rei sitae remains the dominant principle, its shortcomings necessitate the adoption of special conflict-of-law rules. Incorporating lex originis together with the bonae fidei emptor clause into Ukrainian legislation would strengthen mechanisms for the restitution of cultural property illegally exported from Ukraine.

Journal articles

1. Aygn M, ‘The applicable law to cultural property’ [2016] 4(6) International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science 57.

2. Chechi A, ‘When Private International Law Meets Cultural Heritage Law – Problems and Prospects’ [2017] XIX Yearbook of Private International Law 269 https://doi. org/10.9785/9783504386078-014.

3. Favero Diego, ‘Lex rei sitae e traffico illecito di reperti archeologici’ [2012] IV(20) ARCHEOMAFIE 38.

4. Fincham D, ‘How adopting the Lex originis rule can impede the flow of illicit cultural property’ [2008] 32 Columbia Journal of Law and the Arts 111–150.

5. Kryvolapov B, ‘Cultural Property Protection in Private International Law’ [2024] 8(1) Bratislava Law Review 171 https://doi.org/10.46282/blr.2024.8.1.382.

6. Lanciotti A, ‘Roszczenia restytucyjne z zakresu podwodnego dziedzictwa kultury – sprawa Brązu Getty’ego’ [2021] 50(2) GdaĔskie Studia Prawnicze 68 https://doi.org/10.26881/ gsp.2021.2.04.

7. Reyhan P Y, ‘A Chaotic Palette: Conflict of Laws in Litigation between Original Owners and Good-Faith Purchasers of Stolen Art’ [2001] 50(4) Duke Law Journal 955 https://doi. org/10.2307/1373101.

8. Symeonides S C, ‘A Choice-of-Law Rule for Conflicts Involving Stolen Cultural Property’ [2005] 38(4) Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law 1177.

9. Shuba B, ‘Zakhyst kulturnykh tsinnostei: Lex rei sitae vs. protydiia nezakonnomu obihu (mizhnarodnyi dosvid)’ [2017] 3 Aktualni problemy vitchyznianoi yurysprudentsii 215 (in Ukrainian).

Theses

10. Dudenko T, ‘Tsyvilno-pravova okhorona prav na kulturni tsinnosti ta yikh oborotozdatnist’ (dys kand yuryd nauk, 2017) (in Ukrainian).

Websites

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