Professor Recovers Family Silver Treasure Buried in Ukrainian Forest Before Soviet Invasion

In October 2019, retired law professor Jan Glazbsky discovered a long-lost family treasure buried in a forest in western Ukraine. Guided by a pencil-drawn map created from memory by his father Gustav 30 years earlier, Jan used a metal detector to locate a cache containing valuable silverware, hunting rifles, and a jewelry box. The treasure had been buried just before the Soviet Red Army's invasion, when the noble Glazbsky family fled their estate near the Dniester River, close to the then-Soviet border.

The family’s estate, located near the village of Khamilova, was abandoned as the Soviet forces advanced. Jan’s father Gustav and his brothers scattered worldwide, with Gustav eventually settling in South Africa where Jan was born in 1953. The family patriarch Adam stayed behind but the rest hid their valuables in the forest to protect them from confiscation.

For decades, the treasure was considered a family legend until Jan persuaded his aging father to document the map and instructions. Despite concerns about landscape changes over 80 years, the map accurately led Jan to the buried items, which were remarkably well preserved. Jan emphasized that the discovery’s significance was emotional and moral rather than monetary.

The find was reported by the French science and technology magazine Futura, highlighting the extraordinary preservation and historical value of the artifacts. Jan’s successful recovery underscores the enduring connection to family heritage despite decades of displacement and upheaval.