Problem Getting Manuscript through Customs

[John Dunn]

In the 1970s and 1980s this was a common problem, but I have never
heard of it happening in post-Soviet times.  In Soviet times the
ekspertiza was obtained from the local upravlenie (branch) of the
Ministry of Culture.  Being a person who never throws anything away,
I have before me one such document issued by the local office of the
Ministry of Culture in Leningrad in 1985.  My (limited) experience of
this procedure was that the officials were relatively (by 1970s
Soviet standards, please note) easy to deal with, though I was
concerned only with books, not manuscripts; I would suggest that the
author in question will find it easier if he can find a friendly and
knowledgeable Russian to help him.

Two points to note: characteristically, after all the trouble my
Russian minder went to to get the 1985 document, the customs at the
airport showed a total lack of interest. Also, in the 1970s, the
problems caused by this alleged regulation led the British Council to
reach agreement with the Foreign Office to allow notes accumulated by
British exchange students to be exported in the diplomatic bag.  If
the author happens to know a friendly diplomat, willing to bend a
rule ....

I hope that helps.

John Dunn.

>I am posting this for Christi Stanforth at Oxford U. Press, who finds
>herself in an absurd situation with Russian customs and one of her authors'
>manuscript.  Please reply directly to stanforthc at oup-usa.org (or if you
>think your advice might interest the entire list, at least copy her).
>
>Around the beginning of May I sent a copyedited ms. to an author who lives
>in the States but is spending the summer in Moscow. Yesterday I learned that
>when he tried to FedEx the reviewed ms. back to me, the Russian customs
>officers said nyet:  . . .
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>   options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                     http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------


--
John Dunn
School of Modern Languages and Cultures (Slavonic Studies)
University of Glasgow
Hetherington Building
Bute Gardens
Glasgow
G12 8RS
Tel.: +44 (0)141-330-5591
Fax: +44 (0)141-330-2297
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------