Rural treasure: vintage luxury trunk used to store corn

An elderly couple in Ukraine has used a 130-year-old trunk from French luxury brand Louis Vuitton to store corn for chickens, according to RT's Ruptly video agency.

The news took over Chinese social media platforms on Thursday, with netizens calling it a reckless, wasteful act.

Aleksandr and Aleksandra Sokhranych, from the tiny village of Mokhnach, didn't realize they owned a historic artifact in the trunk, which they valued for its moisture resistance more than anything else.

Decades passed until one of their relatives, who had an understanding of luxury goods, told the couple of the trunk's worth. They didn't sell the leather suitcase after learning the truth, but donated it to a local ethnographic museum for safekeeping.

A stainless steel cauldron has now replaced the trunk, so their chickens will continue to be fed.

Museum director Maksim Bulakh said that he checked the trunk's authenticity at a Louis Vuitton boutique in Kiev. He learned that it was probably produced in the early 1880s and cost at least $11,000. The artifact may fetch more at auction, given the history behind it. Some Louis Vuitton trunks have been sold by auctioneers for over $100,000.

Bulakh believed the item may have come from a Russian imperial train, which derailed in the area in 1888. Tsar Alexander III was said to have supported the roof of a carriage on his shoulders to allow his family escape the accident.

Local peasants, including the couple's ancestors, contributed to the rescue efforts and were gifted the passengers' belongings as an expression of gratitude. But that's just one possible back story.

When it comes to Louis Vuitton, people first think of its classic print and handbags, but central to the brand is travel, which allowed the Louis Vuitton family to develop its revolutionary suitcase with refined and elegant design as well as durable materials.