Expert: Oleg Khokhlov - 2/16/2004

Question
Russian legal code question: what are the laws with regard to carrying a knife concealed on your person while touring in Russia? Can you get through customs with a knife?

Answer
Dear Philip, firstly, it depends on the type of knife. If you mean a knife that can be qualified as a "cold weapon" then it is prohibited to use it on any airlines and it is prohibited to take it through the Russian border and customs authority. There is a special Russian Federal Law "On weapons" that expressely prohibits the carrying of cold weapons, including knifes, and its use for self-defense.

Generally, please bear in mind that in Russia the concept of armed self-defense is not recognized at the moment, so
in this aspect the state policy is opposite the US one and various sanctions may be applied in case of breach.

Kind regards,
Oleg.