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

Сhapter 4: Russia
Russia
(c) Cultural goods kept at public and municipal museums, archives, libraries
and other publicly financed repositories of cultural treasures of the Russian
Federation. This rule may be extended, at the discretion of authorised bodies of
government, to other museums, archives and libraries; and
(d) Cultural goods created more than 100 years ago, unless provided for otherwise
in the Cultural Goods Export and Import Law.
These restrictions notwithstanding, cultural objects listed in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) can
be temporarily exported from Russia.
2. Article 37 of the Cultural Objects Export and Import Law, however, affords a possibility
for cultural goods that are banned from export in accordance with Article 9 of the Law to
be exported under certain conditions. One possibility extended by the Law is related to
individuals leaving Russia for permanent residence in another country: they can take some
of their cultural goods with them provided, however, that they can prove their ownership
of such objects, which they consider family relics or keepsakes, and that these are not
kept permanently in public or municipal museums, archives, libraries or other publicly
funded repositories of cultural goods.
A similar possibility exists for individuals leaving Russia to take up permanent residence
abroad with collections of cultural goods, if they have concluded contracts to donate
some items of special cultural, historic or other interest in their collections to public museums,
archives, or libraries, or contracts to transfer such items to those institutions on
terms set by the public institutions. This possibility does not apply to Russian citizens
going abroad for a temporary stay only.
3. Article 38 of the Cultural Objects Export and Import Law gives priority to the state to
purchase cultural goods intended for export. Similar priority rights are also set out in the
laws of some EU countries
4. Among the more specialised rules are those that apply to certain types of cultural
goods that can be exported or imported under special rules imposed in addition to the
general rules set out in the Cultural Objects Export and Import Law. In particular, these
are cultural goods containing precious metals and gems, and also weapons and arms of
cultural value.
Which other documents are needed to export cultural goods from Russia? Which customs
organs are authorised to clear outbound cultural objects?
Cultural goods are a commodity that must be shown in a written declaration when
exported from Russia. Therefore, when their owner is going through the customs
(the “red channel”) he/she must produce two copies of a customs declaration on
official forms.
The customs declaration is always to be backed up by an export certificate issued by
Rossvyazokhrankultura.
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