Lawyer Alexander Dobrovinsky: "We do not believe the insurers'

[Евгений]

According to Russia's insurers, collectors are increasingly hedge their treasures. However, well-known Moscow lawyer Alexander collector Dobrovinsky told Elena Kiseleva, it is not quite true.

- Your collection insured?

- Personally, I use the services of the insurers only when the collection of travel from the walls of my apartment. Then do need to insure against loss, fighting, vandalism, etc. The rest of the time on my collection extends insurance apartment. As it is insured that all that is in the room. Nevertheless, I am obliged to resort to the insurers, because my china - breakable objects (Mr. Dobrovinsky collects porcelain .- "Money"). Fortunately, to steal such a collection is difficult: the fact that pack 4 thousand items to five months. Another thing, when things go to the exhibition or when collectors take them with colleagues, and then change for the best: the road to china might have something happen.

- In Russia, in principle, agreed to insure the collection?

- Very rarely. Due to the fact that we do not believe insurers. The money must pay in advance, then known as the insurer will behave. Insurance companies know that the money taken in the first place, and give to the latter. Insure collection of mostly if not do without it. In the West things that become public policy, for example, bought at auction Sotheby `s, rarely insured. It is impossible today to sell the stolen thing the whole world knows. There is, perhaps, a couple of idiots who can buy it for one hundredth of the price, but the risk is too great, and show it to anyone not. So certain things insure much less than things hidden.

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- Who do you trust from the insurers more - foreign or domestic?

- Of course, more credible cause foreign insurers. In my opinion, business development for the Protection of works of art in Russia will go in that direction, as it is organized, for example, in Switzerland. They distributed depots located in the customs area. Not only that sealed things fall into place for safekeeping, the same compiled an inventory of each of them. And for that inventory managers will give everyone who wishes to see them. It can even hold auctions. Can you imagine that there is a guard! I saw a completely crazy collection of one of the most expensive artists of the twentieth century from more than one hundred items. We have such services yet.

- Which is easier to insure the collection?

- Yuvelirku: the objects themselves are small and defy description. In addition, jewelry is easy to verify the identity. Determine the authenticity of the diamond today, even a beginner can gemologist. Incidentally, the substitution of stone collector entails criminal liability. But to establish the authenticity of the paintings becomes more difficult, because the technology now being improved counterfeiting every year. The same with numismatics: in Russia the market is walking mass of counterfeit collectable coins.

- There have been any cases where insurers denied you?

- There were. Refused because they did not understand the value of the collection. In early 1990 I began collecting porcelain, and then he was not in vogue. It is now exorbitant price for it. There are rumors that one collector recently bought a statuette, which I bought for $ 3,5 thousand in 1994. And in May, she was sold for $ 650 thousand in 1996, I had the exhibition at the Pushkin Museum. And the carriage 4 thousand items - this is a serious event, but more on those roads that were in Moscow in 1996. So I tried everything to insure this, and nothing happened. Came insurers - if more was not Western - and say: do not understand. And did not take. This year, in May, I bought a painting at auction Sotheby `s in London and still can not find the appropriate carrier and the insurer.

- Adequate whether, in your opinion, insurance rates for expensive things?

- Today, tariffs, in my opinion, extremely overpriced. I think that the insurance things from some unforeseen events such as fire, flood, natural disaster or a leaking ceiling should not exceed one tenth of a percent. Because none of the collectors will never destroy what created his own hands for decades. Therefore, insurance rates in 1-2%of the cost of collection is highly overstated, especially given the fact that such amount is paid each year. Although I was offered and even more expensive.

Collection - it's quite expensive. First of all, no insurer will undertake to insure some things without their assessment. And that's OK, because if you say: "I have a masterpiece of Rembrandt, be ready to confirm it in practice. And if you have ten paintings, their estimate is much easier than some of my collections - porcelain, small plastic, etc. To begin with, that make an inventory of 4 thousand items of porcelain is quite difficult. And this is only the first step. Professional appraisers porcelain pretty small. No one museum employee did not write that this thing is worth so much. He will say: "Yes, this thing is real." But you have something you want to understand on how much all this wealth can be insured. And here, insurers say: You want to insure how, within the limits of how you will pay. Begins trading - 1%or 1,5%.

Money is incident quickly: you doing an assessment at their own expense, and after that you still regularly pay 1-2%per year for the thing that hangs and does not ask for bread. Rate may be neutralized in protracted negotiations with insurers, depending on the state house, where the collection. If the room is protected by a man with a gun, of course, the tariff will be lower. And if a collection of Faberge is a communal, do not know whether the general will undertake to insure it.

[Meister]

actually now got a lot of Russian insurance companies, with significant (Ingosstrakh, Rosno, Sogas, etc.), which is specialized engaged in this direction. Another issue to insure that things are constantly in the home collection, insurance does not make sense, but the transport is required. Rates are very different (0,1-3%). You can only insure against theft or fire, as you can from all at once. Our insurers are now working on the Western methods: against all risks, ie they describe the cases where non-payment insurance. The situation on the art market is changing for the better, the infrastructure is developing, that look and lending works of art will appear)

[Nedogonov]

Сообщение от Meister

actually now got a lot of Russian insurance companies

DHL also insures the paintings in transit - 1%is convenient - all in one bottle.