The FSB stopped the export of ancient bracelets and rings from Russia by mail. Video

The Leninsky district court of Tambov sentenced two Russians to 5.5 years in prison for attempted smuggling of cultural property. The decision of the court each sentenced to 5 years 6 months of suspended imprisonment, according to the Federal security service (FSB) of Russia.

The sentence has entered into force.

We have established that the residents of the regions through international mail tried to organize the illegal transfer of cultural property outside Russia. To implement their criminal intent, they handed over parcels to the post office of the city of Tambov, intended for shipment to the UK and France. As a result of the set of measures, the movement of these parcels outside the country is not allowed, the FSB said in a statement (RBC has at its disposal).

In August 2024, two residents of the Tambov region tried to organize the illegal transfer of 135 items worth about a million rubles outside Russia through international mail.

The FSB published footage of seized archaeological artifacts of the medieval culture of North-Eastern Russia and the Western Caucasus, which tried to take to the UK and France (the corresponding video is available to RBC).

The published footage shows how the attackers come to the post office and try to send packages in boxes. Next, archaeological objects removed from parcels are shown.

The expert of the Ministry of culture on cultural values Anna Kadieva on the video (is available to RBC) said that she received 74 items seized during the investigative and search activities. According to her, the collection with a range from the X century BC to the XIX century is divided into several blocks.

The largest of them are artifacts of the Koban cultural and historical region, which occupied the central regions of the North Caucasus in the X-IV centuries BC. Among the most ancient are belt buckles with spiral shields and suspension in 2.5 revolutions of the X century BC, Kadieva said.

According to her, the artifacts of the VII-V centuries BC include hryvnias with twisted ends, a pin with a Christmas tree ornament, two pendants in the form of birds with animal heads, leech-shaped fibules, as well as several types of bracelets - with spiral endings, cuff-shaped and simple.

Kadieva drew special attention to the ring with protrusions on the surface, dating back to the II-III centuries AD, which probably originates from the Western Caucasus: similar ornaments were found in the burial grounds of the so-called Golden Cemetery in the territory of the modern Krasnodar Territory.

The collection also includes bracelets of the XII-XIII centuries, characteristic of the urban culture of Volga Bulgaria, and Orthodox crosses of the XVII-XIX centuries. According to Kadieva, the latter could be found during the looting of Russian settlements or ancient cemeteries.

Russian legislation criminalizes smuggling of cultural property. For their illegal movement across the border on a large scale can face up to five years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 1 million rubles.