Russians Warned: Risks of Buying Willow Branches from Street Vendors

As Palm Sunday approaches, street vendors traditionally begin selling willow branches. However, this type of street trade is not always legal and can lead to various forms of liability. Experts have issued warnings regarding the potential legal risks involved.

Lawyer Lyudmila Ayvar explained that cutting willow branches without proper authorization can be considered a violation of environmental protection laws. Depending on the specific circumstances, this could result in administrative penalties (under Articles 8.25 or 8.28 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation), and in cases of significant damage, potentially even criminal liability (under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

It's important to distinguish between the parties involved. Typically, responsibility falls on those who harvest and sell the willow. A buyer is usually not considered an accomplice, as their actions generally lack the intent to commit an offense.

"However, the line can be thin. If it's not a spontaneous purchase but a prior agreement—essentially an order for illegal harvesting—it could be qualified as complicity," Ayvar clarified.

According to her, this represents a systemic issue: legislation is designed to protect natural resources and does not provide exceptions for traditional customs, yet a transparent mechanism for legal harvesting and sale is absent. As a result, this practice recurs annually, and law enforcement remains selective.

Lawyer Alexander Khaminsky added that willow itself is not listed in the Red Book of endangered species. In practice, sellers are more frequently held accountable not for cutting branches, but for trading in unauthorized locations—such as near metro stations, at bus stops, or along roadsides.

"The amount of the fine typically ranges from 500 to 2000 rubles, although regional authorities are constantly discussing increasing these penalties," Khaminsky noted.

Furthermore, strict restrictions on collecting rare plants and mushrooms listed in the Red Book remain in effect. Violation of these norms can lead to fines ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 rubles for citizens. Separately, lawyer Olesya Slezkin reminded that administrative and criminal liability can also apply to cultivating Salvia divinorum (Diviner's Sage) on personal plots.