Is this a hypothetical question, or did you strike gold?
If you hit a stash of ancient coins or your shovel pulls up pottery shards, put your shovel down, cover the area with a tarp or plastic, and secure the edges so no cats or snoopy neighbors can burrow under. Then throw back a shot or two of very strong alcohol to console yourself and call +7 (916) 146 5327, the hotline of the Moscow cultural legacy department, which is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Someone will come out to examine the site, which must be left untouched to help specialists learn as much as possible about what was there, how it got there, how long it was there, and so on. They will then take over the recovery of the artifacts. If it's on your property, throw back another shot and hope or pray that they won't want to dig up your entire yard or house to find more treasure.
So if it's on your property, do you get to keep it? Or get a finder's fee? Or at least get one measly coin? No, no, and no again. The law says that all archeological finds belong to the state. So if you catch sight of a glint of gold in the pile of dirt dug up on the street near your Moscow apartment building, you can grab it — but you have to hand it over, even if the workers had tossed it away.
What you do get: the thanks of a grateful nation for helping them enrich their knowledge and understanding of the past.
Now don't you feel better?
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
