Organised Crime and Illegal Activities in Relation to the Cultural Goods: Case Study of Russia

Abstract

Thorough the history, the icon was respected, but also- during some turbulent political history of Russia, it had been rejected, forgotten and hunted, and quite often, it was the subject of sacral violations. In the past thirty years, icon became one of the most wanted objects for art dealers. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many criminal organizations used market liberalisation. During the ten years period around 27 million icons disappeared in Russia. Knowledge about the meaning and content of icon tells us that icon does not belong to the commercial space. In the God serving function of the icon, the church is the place where it belongs. Therefore there is no ortodox chuch withot the icon. In a secular place, icon in a way becomes de-iconised, and it looses its purpose of essentional mean of communication with God and saints.