The valuables, with an estimated monetary value in excess of a million dollars, were lost nearly a century ago, and discovered in one of the oldest buildings in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.
National University of Uzbekistan researchers stumbled upon the collection, which includes rare works of art, gold and silver coins, a plethora of antiques, Orthodox icons, and more, during excavation work in the basement of a building built in 1870, kun.uz reported.
Uzbek authorities have taken the historical treasures under state protection, and transported them to the city's museum. Some of the pieces will be handed over to a group of German and Polish specialists for restoration. Academics continue to compile the find, as they research the secret room where the valuables were found.
