A guide to the export and import of cultural goods between Russia ...

Russia
Сhapter 4: Russia
In practice, though, individuals and corporations learn about the status of a particular
object through Rossvyazokhrankultura´s activity. This body operates an Automated Electronic
Registration and Search System (known as “ERPAS” in Russian) to keep track of
cultural goods lost during the Second World War, cultural goods that have been stolen, or
illegally removed from Russia and cultural goods that are banned from export.
In 2006 the Cultural Goods´ Conservation Department of Rosokhrankultura published a Catalogue
of Works of Art and Antiquities under Search (for more about these publications, visit the
website: http://www.rsoc.ru/main/directions/culturesearch/roszisk/268/). This Catalogue lists
only a small fraction of the lost treasures and will be followed by more publications.
Do museums and galleries need authorisations for the temporary export of their cultural
goods (e.g. for exhibition abroad)? Do non-profit organisations need them too?
Yes, they do. All cultural goods, without a single exception, intended for temporary export
must go through the procedure laid down in the Cultural Goods Export and Import Law.
The rules set out in the Law apply to all cultural goods, no matter who owns them, and are
binding for all individuals and legal entities, resident and/or present in Russia.
The specific procedure for temporary export authorisations applies only to those cultural
goods whose export is banned under art. 9 of the Cultural Goods Export and Import Law
(for more details, see the answer to the question, “Are there any restrictions on classes
of objects to be taken out? What other special rules do I need to know about?” further
in this section). Understandably enough, requests for temporary export authorisations
come most frequently from museums (since they own treasures listed in Russia’s Museum
Stock). For other cultural goods (that is, for those that do not belong to the categories
banned from export), regardless of whether they are to be exported temporarily or on a
permanent basis, the general procedure for export authorisations applies (see the answer
to the question “What needs to be done…?”).
The application form for temporary export of cultural goods is available at this address:
http://new.rosohrancult.ru/works/import/.
The request is to be filed by the owner of the cultural good or by a person authorised
to do so by the owner. The power to issue a certificate authorising temporary export of
cultural goods held permanently in public and municipal museums, archives, libraries and
other public repositories of cultural goods is exercised by Rossvyazokhrankultura´s Cultural
Goods Conservation Department, or by Rossvyazokhrankultura´s territorial offices on
behalf of the management of Rossvyazokhrankultura.
The request is to be accompanied by:
(1) A list of cultural goods, if more than two, providing a detailed description of each
(in triplicate);
(2) Three photographs, at least 8 by 12 cm, of each object; no photographs being
required for archives documents, printed matter, coins, historic paper money
and decorations;
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