I remember back in the day whenever you acquired something that resembled art in Russia, be it a cartoon sketch from the street or a malevich, you needed customs docs. Lately, have been flying out of DME on BA, where you check bags before customs, so nobody really cares what you're taking out. Next week, however, I'm flying SU out of SVO where customs in BEFORE checkin.

Question for those who fly Aeroflot more than I: Will the customs goons be upset if I buy a cheap painting or two (<$500 value) without registering them? Do they notice things like that when they scan bags before check-in? If yes, know of any way to expedite the registration process as I'll only be in Moscow 1 weekday before returning to LHR...

Thanks for your thoughts!