Fodor's Expert Review Petersburg Antiques Salon

This shop stocks icons, Carl Fabergé jewelry, furniture, and vintage lamps. There is also Soviet propaganda porcelain, such as ashtrays in the shape of an Uzbek man reading a newspaper, or tea sets featuring the heroes of the Russian Revolution. Some are collectors' items that once belonged to some of Russia's finest museums. Keep in mind that it's against the law to export any item that's more than 100 years old. In theory, taking out even a rusted nail would be a breach of the law. With any antique purchase you make, you need an export certificate, which can be obtained only at the state-run Board for the Preservation of Cultural Valuables and only after an expert assessment that can take up to three days.