Engovatova A.V.

Key words: rescue archaeology, methods of investigation, practice and legislation on protecting archaeological sites.
The article summarizes the results of 40 years of work of the special Department of the IA RAS which conducts preventive and other rescue excavations. The article addresses the issues of legislation on protecting archaeological sites and tells of the role of state academic institutions (research institutes, museums and universities) and commercial organizations in rescue archaeology. The article offers statistical data on rescue archaeological investigations in Russia.