October 26, 1920 - TRC issued a decree for the sale abroad RHTS

[Santa]

October 26, 1920 -
TRC issued a decree for the sale abroad Russian art treasures

At the end of 1917 in the People's Commissariat of Education were appointed commissioners for the protection of artistic and historical sites and private collections, and the ministry of the imperial court was transformed into a historic property and the Commissioner of Monuments Board with him.

Estates were nationalized (including museums), palaces and private collections, property of religious organizations, state agencies, the imperial family, abolished the right of inheritance. This was followed by instructions on the fate of the property of emigrants and orphan expropriated property, the seizure of precious metals, money, and different values, banning the export of objects of special cultural significance abroad.

October 5, 1918 SNK decree appeared on the integration and safeguarded the works of art, "in whose possession they may be located." One after another, were converted to state previous public or private museums and collections. The existing museum organizations were unable to perceive the enormous flow of nationalized, expropriated and confiscated.

After a number of interim solutions in 1920 creates a state depository of values ​​of the RSFSR (Gokhran), where a mandatory all agencies and officials are obliged to hand over valuables and where have all the flock expropriated and confiscated treasures.

October 26, 1920 issued a decree of the SNK "On collecting and selling antiques abroad» (primarily for the interests of the country), in which, inter alia, said: "Offer Narkomvneshtorg organize the collection of antiques, the Petrograd expert committee, and establish a premium for quickly and profitably sell them abroad ... Instruct Narkomvneshtorg hastily to consider establishing a similar committee in Moscow and, where appropriate, to organize it. "

Based on the decision creates Antique export fund, from 1921 - State Fund values ​​for foreign trade. The first mass expropriation of property for immediate sale was related to the church property.

January 2, 1922 there is a decree "On liquidation of church property." Lenin and Trotsky had hoped to gain hundreds of millions and even billions of rubles. Trotsky wrote that it was better to help out this year, 50 million rubles, than to hope for 75 million next year because next year could happen the world proletarian revolution, the bourgeoisie will remove and sell the value, the workers will confiscate them, and then the money is not nowhere be.

Revenue from the campaign amounted to 4.65 million rubles for the purchase of bread left one million, the remaining money went to conduct the campaign. The next ten years were the era of ruthless and intensive sales values, not just the state but also a museum store - much higher than last quoted at antique markets, and power, stepping its own laws, devastated the national repository.