LOST TREASURE HUNTERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 846, 14 December 1929, Page 36

LOST TREASURE HUNTERS

“GOLD SNIFFLERS” IN RUSSIA EMPLOYED BY SOVIET Hunting for buried treasure has become at present a special occupation in Russia, and a remunerative one, says the Moscow correspondent of the “Daily Express.” The Soviet Government has the ftrst claim on this occupation, hut private people also partake in the new business. There are at present more than 10,000 Government employees whose job is to search palaces, old buildings, and even forests with the object of discovering treasures hidden there. When the aristocrats escaped abroad after the revolution they were unable to take with them all their treasures, and they hid them with the hope of recovering them afterward. Few. however, succeeded in getting their property out of Russia. Many were shot by the Bolsheviks while escaping. A number died abroad and | took with them the secret of their I hidden property. In the meantime some of the buried treasure was discovered by the Soviet agents owing to the servants and trustees who betrayed the secret hiding places. Part of the hidden property was unearthed by the special Soviet officials, who are called by the population “gold snifflers.” These “gold snifflers” are grouped in categories according to their speciality. There are specialist, for palaces, for churches and monasteries: some have specialised in examining walls and vaults by knocking. There was a case in the Kasan district, when peasants discovered treasures hidden by the former landowner. They sold the property to a “nepman" (private trader) and arranged a feast on this occasion. They bought vodka and all the villagers were drunk for ten days. This drew the attention of the Government! officials, who interfered. The peasants, however, refused to give up the remaining money, and every man in the village was arrested.