On March 25, 2025, Irina Volk, spokeswoman for the head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), informed the public that "officers of the Main Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (GUUR) together with the Federal Security Service (FSB)" had discovered and seized in Moscow a collection of gold coins from the I-V centuries stolen from "the historical museum of Saint-Remi in the city of Reims, France," the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel reported. But it was later revealed that the organizer of this theft, as well as dozens of others in France and around the world, was Russian-French citizen Pierre Malinowski.
Malinowski was Jean-Marie Le Pen's aide in charge of contacts with Moscow. He is president of the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historical Initiatives, whose vice-president is Elizaveta Peskova, the daughter of Putin's press secretary. Peskov himself is constantly involved in the activities of the foundation and meets with Malinowski. Moreover, Malinowski has met personally with Putin on several occasions, and is now a major star in the state media as a French citizen who has escaped from "rotten Europe" and happily lives in Moscow.
MVD reported that as a result of investigative activities in the antique store 79 coins, stolen in the French museum, were seized and the question of their return to France is being resolved.
In France, the case of theft of coins and other historical values from the Fort de la Pompelle, Saint-Remi museums and the Municipal Historical Center is being investigated. Only one person has been detained as part of the case – a former military man who had been moonlighting as a security guard at some of the museums since 2018. It was found that he was sent for this job by his good acquaintance, Pierre Malinowski. At nights, the guard stole rare coins, etc. from the museums' vaults discreetly. And then personally met with Malinowski in Moscow or the UAE, where he gave him these items. The French investigative authorities identified Malinowski as the organizer of the thefts.
When the guard was on trial, Malinowski somehow found the phone number of the French investigator and wrote him a proposal: under the guarantee that he would not be arrested, he was ready to come from Moscow to the trial and testify. However, the judge rejected such an offer.
According to VChK-OGPU, Malinowski is at the head of a whole group engaged in the theft of antiques in Europe, which are then sold in Russia, Arab and Asian countries. He lives between Russia and the UAE. And the chances that Malinowski will be behind bars are minimal.