Article 1. The Chief Principles of the Civil Legislation

1. Civil legislation shall be based on recognising the equality of participants in the relationships regulated by it, the inviolability of property, the freedom of agreement, the inadmissibly of anybody's arbitrary interference into private affairs, the necessity to freely exercise civil rights, the guarantee of reinstatement of civil rights in case of their violation, and their protection in court.

2. Citizens (natural persons) and legal entities shall acquire and exercise their civil rights of their own free will and in their own interest. They shall be free to establish their rights and responsibilities on the basis of an agreement and to define any terms of the agreement, which are not at variance with the legislation.

Civil rights may be restricted on the basis of a federal law and solely insofar as it is necessary for the purposes of protecting the fundamentals of the constitutional system, morality, health, rights and lawful interests of other persons providing for the defence of the country and state security.

3. When establishing, exercising and protecting civil rights and when discharging civil duties, participants in civil law relations shall act with good faith.

4. No one is entitled to gain an advantage as the result of the unlawful or unfair behaviour thereof.

5. Commodities, services and financial means shall move unhindered throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation.

Restrictions on the movement of commodities and services shall be imposed in conformity with a federal law if this is necessary to provide for security, and to protect human life and health, the environment and cultural valuables.