Photo:
NEWS/Oleg fochkin
In “new Moscow” for the first time held a joint RAID of police and the Moscow cultural heritage Department to identify and arrest “black diggers”. The chief archaeologist of Moscow Leonid Kondrashov said that it is a new experience for his Department, but such raids will become a regular. According to experts, over the past five years, Russia had bought more than a million metal detectors and at least half of them are using “black diggers”. The damage from their activities is estimated at hundreds of millions of rubles, not to mention the irreparable damage to the history and culture.
Last weekend was perfect for both legal and “black archeologists”. The grass in the fields “new Moscow” has not grown, sowing is not started and the wet soil was allowed to work more effectively to metal detectors. Illegal immigrants caught on the territory of the settlement of Rogovskoye, where there were battles of the Patriotic war of 1812 and the battle in 1941.
It is in these places and began the famous Tarutino maneuver undertaken by Mikhail Kutuzov, and therefore, black diggers is especially attractive. They’re here looking for buttons from the uniforms, pads for horse harness, swords, the insignia of the regiments. Some of the findings — rare lining on clothing or kiver, according to professional archaeologists, on the black market can cost up to 200 thousand rubles.
The purpose of the RAID — working between public inspectors and the police on the basis of the agreement between the Department of cultural heritage of Moscow, the Public Council under the local police Department, all-Russian society of protection of monuments (Voopik).
While preparing for departure, the place has arrived Leonid Kondrashev, who, along with legitimate archaeologists made a detour of the territory in search of “black diggers”. And the Deputy head of the settlement of Rogovskoye Elena Hotovitzky confirmed “news” that illegals come here a lot and they regularly.
— I am for them right from the window of his house with the binoculars watching, — said Elena Hotovitsky. — Every weekend they appear in the box next to Rogowski. And then the weekdays come. The earth every year pushes to the surface, splinters, grenades, buttons.
Further on went to the village krucha, where called and reported the arrest of the offender. It said the archaeologists and called police. However, the detainee did not resist, took him red-handed — with a metal detector, a shovel and gloves. This is a classic set of “black diggers”.
It turned out that “hunt” came a military engineer communications, which serves the nearby parts. Now it is waiting for administrative penalty from 1,5 to 5 thousand roubles. The detector, which is not less than 30 thousand rubles confiscated.
The RAID continued in legal excavations, led by the head of Department of archaeological researches of the State historical Museum Michael Geany. According to him, pseudo-archaeologists often become members of official expeditions. After all, some of them digging not for profit, but simply out of interest in history. These are real scientists not pushing and help and teach.
Annual expedition in the area of the tarutinsky maneuver going since 2009.
— On this land in October 1812, Russian troops first retreated, but the enemy gradually they were overtaken, — said Mikhail Geany. — On a site where there are excavations on the morning of 3 October 1812 our left the village of Spas-Kuplia in the direction of Tarutino camp. And on 17 October, the French convoy with wine and provisions, came to the camp, and they were drinking heavily. The French did not know that early in the morning Kutuzov give the order to counterattack. The Cossacks came and cut the horses girth straps, the French were in confusion. Here, near the village of Deterence, and there was a serious battle, which gave rise to the Tarutino battle.
Professional archaeologists have a “open letter” that give the right to research. Gives them the Ministry of culture. And the lion’s share of the finds of illegal immigrants goes to the black market. According to Michael Goranova, the diggers managed to plunder very important facilities.
— It’s just a national disaster. It is important not only finds, but also places where they are found to restore a historic moment. And fans just throw everything they do not need — said the archaeologist.
Sometimes the excavation is dangerous. Yet during the RAID, the participants considered the findings of archaeologists, one of them dug up f-1 grenade without a fuse, lying in the field in 1941. To destroy it, immediately called Ministry.
In the Troitsky administrative district is more than a hundred objects that evoke the interest of illegal immigrants. The chief archaeologist of Moscow Leonid Kondrashov has told “Izvestia” that the Department of cultural heritage aims to establish a rapid response to signals on the detection of “black diggers”, which is organized hotline: +7 (916) 146-53-27.