Exporting Of Items.

[DougD]

what i meant by stone is that there might be a pre-1955 law, but you can get alot of pre-1955 items out if the customs guy (if they even bother opening you suitcase) does not know what he is looking at.

Trying to take ANYTHING out is a risk, but non-metal items are safer whatever their age than medals / orders.

DougD

[Christophe]

Yes, it is interesting to notice that uniforms are, as such, not formally depicted as being not subject to export...

Ch.

[Tretov]

Christophe,

and other collected items

As borderguard/customs clerk, you can fit almost anything into that depending on your mood.

[paddywhack]

you cant even take fragrments of the things in the law out!! now thats harsh!!!!!(first post after a long absense!!!hurra!! )

[tinmoldova]

You should be very careful with Belarus. It is one of the few remaining bastions of Sovietdom where the relics have actual value to the residents; not just historic to the Ministry of Culture or merely involving obtuse rules regarding national patrimony, but real value for free transportation, pensions and other benefits as in Soviet times. Thus, objects are harder to find, and the penalties steeper.

The argument that non-metal objects are ok to export whereas metal objects are not is nonsense. Such arguments look at only the likelihood of items showing up on an X-ray machine, and the possibility of a secondary search at an airport, not at the value or standing of the piece under the law. Lukashenko is on the dark side of the moon diplomatically (and some would say mentally), and Belarus one of the places I definetly wouldn't want to even approach the wrong side of the law. What you could find in Belarus you can find more readily, cheaply and carefree elsewhere.

[scook17]

Tim,

My wife comes from Belarus, and I've been there more than a few times. Basically it's a police state, run by the vastly popular (according the recent rigged election) Lukashenko who runs it like a dictator. Political oponents dissappear. The state media is censored. Police beat confessions out of people, so yes, Belarus is not a good place to get on the wrong side of the law.

Hence the question, what ARE you allowed to bring out, which I think has been answered pretty well.

Kind Regards,
Shane Cook.

[sovvisor]

HI
I have a friend in china for the moment and he has found many chinese medals. ARe there any restrictions on taking them out of the country?
Best

[Tretov]

I do not have any personal experience from China, but I have the CERTAIN FEELING that the Chinese government don't like that their medals are brought out (and, eventually) sold on eBay.

[charlet]

a good friend of mine explored China (he was pretty experimented with Ukraine and Russia) and told me the customs did not care at all about Mao stuf. Medals could be more difficult but they look after imperial period stuf which is by far more costly and asked by rich collector. He presented a huge statue of Mao, 1meter tall and the customs officers laughed...so zero risk about old unfirms, papers, badges, memorabilia.
But fees and confiscation if you dare to buy an regular uniform used today by the army!

[tinmoldova]

To take this back to Belarus: Has anyone been able to find what the Belarus law actually says about militaria and other collectibles?

I'm not sure the question of what you can legally take out of Belarus has been answered: "Generally OK" in an earlier response means to me the item is allowable on a case be case basis based on the whims of a borderguard (which is probably the case to a certain extent in all places), not based on the clear rule of law (yes I too am wincing at turning this phrase while talking about Belarus). I know, for example, in Moldova, patrimony extends to items manufactured well into the 1960s, so I am a little surprised to hear that older items are "good to go" in Belarus.