“Is it forbidden by law to sell meteorites?”

A representative of the Chelyabinsk Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Anzhelika Chirkova, reported on February 19 that a substance was seized from a resident of the Chelyabinsk region, which he tried to sell, passing it off as a fragment of a meteorite that fell in the Urals.

The seized fragment was sent for examination to determine its exact composition and determine whether it poses a health hazard. Police are checking advertisements for the sale of meteorite fragments that residents of the Chelyabinsk region post on the Internet. Although Russian legislation does not prohibit citizens from searching for and selling meteorites, restrictions are imposed only on exporting them abroad.

Finding such advertisements on the Internet is not difficult. PublicPost called several meteorite sellers and found out what the fragments smell like, why they are so expensive and why in Russia they are not afraid of either radiation or the police.

- Andrey?

No.

— And your number is on the website avito.ru. Did you leave an ad there?

A! Yes, yes, yes. What about the meteorite? I'm listening to you.

— Tell me, why did you decide that it was a meteorite?

I was in Chelyabinsk, in short, at that moment. And I found him.

— Weren’t you afraid to take it in your hands?

No.

— Why do you have such a price? Other sellers are noticeably more expensive, for example.

Laughter can be heard on the phone in the background. The seller also starts laughing.

- Do you find it funny?

Well, yes. ( Continues to laugh. )

- Maybe you can tell me what it really is?

A meteorite for real!

- What does it look and feel like?

Solid.

- Solid? What does it smell like?

What does it smell like?? Space! ( Laughs. )

- What size is it?

( Suddenly more serious .) 10 centimeters.

- How can you buy it?

I'll send you the address by mail.

- Alexander?

Yes.

— Tell me, is this your advertisement on the website avito.ru about the meteorite?

Yes.

- Can you tell me in three words how you got it?

You know, at the moment I am in the field. I go and collect. From the moment the meteorite fell, the weather was clear - there was no snow, there was nothing.

- And what, did you just fill your pockets full?

Well, you won’t have full pockets, although...

— What size are the fragments? Like the photo in the ad?

Here I am holding a piece in my hand. It is a centimeter, probably two long, so oblong, pear-shaped.

— What does a meteorite feel like? Stone? Metal?

Inside there are such stones... sort of gray in color. In general, they are like metal, they are magnetic there.

—Are you sure that this is a meteorite?

They just sent it off for examination.

-Who made it?

( Pause. ) In Chelyabinsk, in general, they gave it away.

— Isn’t it dangerous to keep a meteorite with you? Because of radiation.

They checked him there, he was not dangerous.

- How much does a fragment cost? Your price is not indicated.

Well, let’s say a pebble of two centimeters is five thousand.

— Do you know that the police are looking for those who sell meteorite fragments? Aren't you afraid to sell?

What can they tell me? The fact that I walk around the field, collect stones and sell them? Is it illegal to sell meteorites?

— Hello, Evgeny?

Yes.

— Evgeny, hello. Tell me, is this your ad on the website avito.ru about a meteorite?

Yes.

—Can you describe it in three words? Are you sure it's a meteorite?

Well, yes, well, did you hear “Deputatskaya Village” on the news? That's why it's Stalin's, but we call it Deputatskaya. That's where it turns out... the first fragment flew there. Did you hear it on the news? A shrapnel pierced the roof. It turns out that they found more than one. They are so heavy. One was sold - it was two hundred grams.

- How much did they sell it for?

This is what I don't know. I think the guy sold it, he went to Chelyabinsk with it.

- What does it feel like? Stone? Metal?

He's made of stone. Well, I have a smaller sample. I set the one that is larger - 80 grams.

- Why is the price so high? What were you focusing on?

For weight and volume evon. Others, if you look at them, they look like they’re just off the mark, but they sell them for five or seven.

— Aren’t you afraid to hold it in your hands or put it in your pocket? What if there is radiation?

We don't have such equipment. From what I've read on TV...and online, they're totally...you can keep them. There, one user wrote that he had up to five tons of these meteorites. Some kind of millionaire, American, it turns out.

— But the media report that the police are looking for people who sell meteorites. Aren't you afraid?

Why be afraid? I didn't steal it. There's also an interesting system there. As I heard, they will confiscate them. It seems like it will be examined and then returned. But it is clear that no one will return anything anywhere. They will confiscate it and use it for their own purposes. We live in Russia, so we can expect anything.