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Russia

Russia lets you sell images of buildings, but a photo whose main subject is a public monument is restricted, and photographing official or military sites is dangerous.

Verified Jun 28, 2026 2 official sources
Permit: conditionalPanorama: Limited

Guidance, not legal advice

Rules change and enforcement varies. Confirm with the issuing authority before you shoot. Drone law depth lives at Drone Authority.

Permit

Conditional

Issuer: Site owner for commercial and many managed shoots; no permit for ordinary public photography

Cost: No permit for casual public photography; commercial shoots and many managed sites need permission

Casual public photography needs no permit. Photographing military, government, border, and certain infrastructure sites is prohibited and risks equipment seizure.

Drone / airspace

Drones must be registered with Rosaviatsiya and flights authorized; many regions impose outright bans

Flying is heavily restricted over Moscow, government, and military areas. For detail, see Drone Authority.

Street / public space

Yes to photograph, but Civil Code Art. 152.1 generally requires consent to publish an identifiable person's image

No consent needed when the person is incidental in a public place and not the main subject.

Freedom of panorama

Limited

Civil Code Art. 1276: architecture in public may be used commercially, but fine art and photographs permanently in public may not when the image is the main object or used for profit.

Practical notes

  • Selling a photo of a public monument or sculpture as the main subject can infringe even though it stands in public.
  • Do not photograph police, government buildings, military, or border facilities; strategic-site rules are broad and enforced.

Sources

Keep shooting

Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side:

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