Russia: Tourist Caught in Legal Bind for Buying Souvenirs

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | August 29th, 2007 | Trackback

The story of a Chilean citizen who is a doctoral student at the University of Missouri became a cautionary tale for travelers when she bought cheap souvenirs from a street vendor in the town of Voronezh, 365 miles south of Moscow. The Red Army medals and old rubles she purchased, appraised by officials at just over $20, were deemed cultural treasures and thus fell under a law prohibiting their export. She has been detained for two months awaiting trial even though she had no idea the law existed or that the items, readily available on the streets, were “cultural treasures.” The law covers art and religious objects more than 50 years old, antique medals and awards, among other things. The maximum sentence is seven years in prison.

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