Russian ruble: history. History of the emergence and development of the ruble

Russian ruble– the official monetary unit of the Russian Federation. Bank code - RUB (before denomination in 1998 - RUR). Banknote denominations: 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 10 rubles. Coins: 10, 5, 2 and 1 ruble, 50, 10, 5 kopecks and 1 kopeck, which has now been withdrawn from circulation. The name of the monetary unit comes from the word “to chop”, the original word is “stump” (part of the ancient monetary unit of the hryvnia). There is another version, according to which “ruble” comes from “rub” (in Slavic languages means “edge”, “scar” or “border”), which is associated with the technology of making ancient coins - the first rubles were silver ingots processed along the edges.

Illustration: Website Numismat.ru

Modern Russian banknotes depict architectural monuments of different cities of the country: on the front side of the 5 thousand banknote there is a monument to Muravyov-Amursky in Khabarovsk, on the back there is a bridge over the Amur; 1 thousand rubles – a monument to Yaroslav the Wise in Yaroslavl and the Church of John the Baptist, respectively; 500 rubles – monument to Peter I in Arkhangelsk and Solovetsky Monastery; 100 rubles – quadriga of Apollo and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow; 50 rubles – statue of the Neva and the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island; 10 rubles - Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel and Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station. The front side of the coins shows the denomination in floral ornament, the reverse side contains the coat of arms of the Russian Federation, the inscription “Bank of Russia” and the year of issue.

On October 12, 2017, the Bank of Russia introduced new banknotes in denominations of 200 and 2000 rubles, the symbols for which were chosen based on the results of an all-Russian vote. The banknotes use an improved security complex and elements with increased relief for visually impaired citizens, and also take into account modern design trends.

The history of the Russian ruble can be divided into three stages: pre-revolutionary ruble, Soviet and Russian.

The first issue of new Russian money was carried out in 1992 under conditions of hyperinflation. The exchange rate was 125 rubles per dollar. There was a refusal of kopecks, and even the smallest monetary unit became 1 ruble, and in 1993 - 10 rubles, coins were not minted at all. By the end of 1992, the exchange rate exceeded 400 rubles per dollar. On October 11, 1994, the so-called “Black Tuesday” occurred when the ruble fell to 3,926 per dollar.

By 1995, the smallest banknote was 1 thousand rubles. In 1998, denomination was carried out at a rate of 1,000 to 1 and the Bank of Russia banknotes with which we deal today appeared. After denomination, the exchange rate was 5-6 rubles per dollar.

By the end of 1998, as a result of the default, the exchange rate dropped to 20 rubles per dollar (at the same time, as a result of the devaluation, industry grew by more than 40 percent).

Illustration: Website Numismat.ru

The second time devaluation was carried out under the control of the Bank of Russia at the end of 2008 as a result of the international financial crisis. Then the rate was lowered by more than 30%, the historical maximum was 36.45 rubles per dollar. But in the spring it returned to previous levels. As of September 2011, the exchange rate fluctuates between 29-32 rubles per dollar.

In relation to other currencies, the ruble is still not freely convertible, but there are already plans to “liberate” it, and a gradual liberalization of currency legislation is being carried out.

The main factors influencing the modern ruble are world prices for energy resources, such as oil, natural gas, as well as other raw materials, including non-ferrous metals. At the same time, Russia, unlike many European countries and the United States, does not have a large external debt. Thus, given good international conditions, investments in Russian currency can be attractive. Moreover, according to purchasing power parity, calculated, for example, using the Big Mac index, there is a prospect of a strengthening of the Russian ruble.

Ruble/… Morphemic-spelling dictionary

I; m. 1. In Russia, Belarus and Tajikistan: the main monetary unit (equal to 100 kopecks); a monetary sign of this denomination. Ancient river Paper, metal, anniversary r. Tsarsky district (pre-revolutionary). Silver ruble issued in 1924... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

Ruble- USSR. 1924 Silver. RUBLE, monetary unit Russian Empire, USSR, Russian Federation (equal to 100 kopecks). The concept of “ruble” arose in the 13th century. in Novgorod as the name of half a hryvnia (a silver ingot weighing about 200 g). Started in 1704... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

The main Russian monetary unit. The term ruble originated in the 13th century. in the northwestern Russian lands, initially as a synonym for the term hryvnia and denoted the main monetary unit, later the name of the monetary unit was assigned to it. In XIII... ... Economic dictionary

Noun, m., used. often Morphology: (no) what? ruble, why? ruble, (see) what? ruble, what? ruble, about what? about the ruble; pl. What? rubles, (no) what? rubles, what? rubles, (I see) what? rubles, what? rubles, about what? about rubles 1. The ruble is the main monetary... ... Dictionary Dmitrieva

Monetary unit of the Russian Empire, USSR, Russian Federation (equal to 100 kopecks). The concept of the ruble arose in the 13th century. in Novgorod as the name of half a hryvnia (a silver ingot weighing about 200 g). Since 1704, regular minting of the silver ruble began... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

RUBLE, monetary unit of the Russian Empire, USSR, Russian Federation (equal to 100 kopecks). The concept of the ruble arose in the 13th century. in Novgorod as the name of half a hryvnia (a silver ingot weighing about 200 g). Regular minting began in 1704... ...Russian history

- (rouble) Standard monetary unit of Russia, equal to 100 kopecks. Finance. Explanatory dictionary. 2nd ed. M.: INFRA M, Ves Mir Publishing House. Brian Butler, Brian Johnson, Graham Sidwell and others. General editor: Ph.D. Osadchaya I.M.. 2000. Ruble Ruble... ... Financial Dictionary

Rublevka, ruble; ruble, yuks, wooden, ruble, re, tselkach, rublishko, tselkovik, narokruble, rublevik, torn, crunch, efimok Dictionary of Russian synonyms. ruble ruble (colloquial); ruble, ruble (obsolete); tselkach, tselkovik (obsolete simple) / with... ... Dictionary of synonyms

Monetary unit of Russia. One ruble is equal to 100 kopecks. The term ruble originated in the 13th century. in the northwestern Russian lands. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001 ... Dictionary of business terms

Books

• Ruble in the post-Soviet space. This collection is compiled based on materials round table The ruble in the post-Soviet space and is dedicated to the problems and prospects of using the ruble as a currency in the space...
• The ruble in the currency space of Europe, Bunkina Margarita Konstantinovna, Semenov Artur Mikhailovich. 288 pp. The formation of the European Monetary Union and the birth of the euro are the result of the experience accumulated by Europe during evolutionary processes, which shook its history for centuries. From…

When paying for this or that product, few people thought about the history of the ruble...

According to the chronicle, in the 13th century, when paying for a product whose value was less than an ingot, it was chopped into pieces and these pieces were called “ruble.” This is the Novgorod "hryvnia".

During the reign of Peter the Great, for more convenient calculation, the ruble was divided into 100 parts, each part was called a “kopek”, which served as an example for other states.

To cover expenses in Turkish war coins had to be replaced with paper media. In 1915, the final withdrawal of coins took place, which led to the depreciation of the ruble.

1917 Collapse of the Empire and monetary system. National banknotes published outside the country. Other countries have similar experiences in different time frames. So, at one time, the Ukrainian hryvnia was issued in the capital of Germany, Berlin.

1923 issue of gold chervonets, which were used for settlements with other states.

In the 80s, in honor of the Olympics, which took place in Moscow, coins were made from precious metals: gold, silver, platinum.

During the Soviet era, monetary reforms were carried out repeatedly. 1991 The Moscow Mint issued the Russian ruble, which is still used today.

After the collapse of the USSR, many independent states began to introduce national currencies: hryvnias, litas, manats, etc. But Belarus chose rubles as its national currency, but with a different design and was popularly called “bunnies”, since on the 1 ruble banknote there was a hare is drawn.

In 1993, a national currency was introduced in Transnistria - coupons, which was denominated in rubles, and in 1994 Tajikistan introduced the ruble into circulation as its national currency.

1998 A decision was made to improve the ruble externally, but this did not lead to any fundamental external changes.

This is the history of the emergence, development and fall in the value of the ruble. Despite the course of history, the ruble continues to be the monetary unit of many states...

When did the first money appear in Rus'? In what form were they used and for what? We will talk about all this today.

In the 9th century in Rus', animal skins, stones, and food were considered money. But the most valuable commodity in Rus' was Russian furs. Our forest was very rich in various animals. This attracted traders from the East, especially Byzantine Empire, where gold coins were already minted. This is how money appeared in Rus'.

Western European coins were also imported into Rus', and therefore money in Rus' was called “zlatniki” and “serebrenniki”. Then it came up with its own Russian name - the ruble. A silver ingot from Novgorod was called a ruble, and half of it was called a half.

Throughout the history of existence Ancient Rus' money and its types

there were many, many names. At first they were called zlatniks and silver coins, then hryvnias of silver, then Prague groschen, dirhams, kuns, nogat, pools, money. The list could take a very long time, and many of the names are unknown to us. But paper money came to our country late, under Tsarina Catherine II.

The history of money in Rus' is full of mysteries. The modern ruble coin is not at all similar to the ancient money that preceded it. A few centuries earlier, in its place there was the skin of a fur-bearing animal.

The emergence of money plays a key role in the development of the ancient economy, trade, and crafts. The history of money traces the history of the founding of a state, its mentality, the path to sovereignty and identity. No cash– there is no state and production. Therefore, money has not always served as a means to create financial comfort for citizens. Their general historical significance attracted famous scientists, whose scientific ordeals culminated in unraveling the nature of money and clarifying the relationship between it and the state of the country.

In the beginning, it was customary to consider scraps of fabric, stones, and skins as financial means.. But the fabrics deteriorated, the skins became damp and were subject to destruction by moths, the shells were quite fragile, the stones were heavy and inconvenient, especially when the purchase was substantial. The existence of barter exchanges slowed down the growth of trade; it was also not always possible to determine the value of things. The creation of a system of banknotes put world history to a new stage of development. The world is divided into buyers and sellers.

Convenient iron money was loved not only by Russian people, but also by residents of all continents. The minting of coins covered the whole world with its power and became a true innovation against the backdrop of payment using skins and metal ingots. Each powerful medieval state was distinguished by a special coin. Since statehood in Rus' was slowed down by endless military conflicts and attacks by foreign troops, there was no national currency, which did not affect the sense of patriotism and self-awareness of the Russians. Arab dirhams suited the inhabitants of Rus' as the main currency notes. Roman denarii served as an auxiliary currency. Fine Byzantine coins were also the most commonly found on the Russian market.

Monetary units, regardless of their origin, bore original Russian names, which were assigned to the skins of fur-bearing animals: “rezana”, “nogata”, “kuna”, etc. Colorful names, isn’t it? If you listen to them, you can find a logical approach: “kuna” is the skin of a marten, “nogata” is a piece of skin from the leg of an animal, “rezana” is a fragment from the skin of the head of an animal, which was less valued.

When do we start talking about the history of the origin of money specifically in Rus'? We trace the origins back to the circulation of foreign money, but starting from the 10th century the situation changed irrevocably. Rus' turned into a powerful state with its own religion, culture and currency.

Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko – the dawn of Russian statehood

Dirhams from the Arab Caliphate, called “kuns,” circulated in Rus' thanks to Arab merchants. But in the 10th century, the flow of silver coins with Arabic script stopped. They were replaced by roughly minted Roman denarii. But the reign of Vladimir Svyatoslavich brought new trade and economic relations and a new faith to Rus'. Baptism in 988, crushing victories in wars, established relations with Byzantium - everything was conducive to the creation of new banknotes. This is where the history of the emergence of money in Russia began.

Active production of “zlatniks” and “silver coins” began. Since the idea of ​​​​creating Russian money itself was not new, they were passed on characteristic features Arabic and Byzantine coinage.

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It should be noted that the trade value of the coins was not as high as, for example, the cultural and political value. Zlatniks and silver coins instilled in the people love for God, reverence for religious faith and the prince. If there had been an economic need for money, it would have existed, but, demonstrating to the resident of Kievan Rus his main priorities, the coin depreciated 30 years after its appearance and disappeared for three centuries.

Where to get money from?

The history of the development of money in Rus' does not hide difficult periods of struggle for Russian statehood. The Tatar-Mongol yoke strangled trade, blocked cash flows to Russian lands, foreign economic relations changed their direction. The highly developed Byzantium, with its spiritual culture and political power, ceased to be the closest ally of Rus'.

Interesting video about the appearance of money:

Silver and gold became the rarest guests in Kievan Rus, since there was no one to import precious metals, and their deposits were not found. In a word, the difficult 13th century deprived Kievan Rus not only of its sovereignty, but also of everything it had accumulated, including its own money. Golden Horde dirhams served as the national currency. But the coins of gold and silver sank into the abyss of time and oppression. There were some items that were used for petty trade, but they did not carry any political significance.

But why is the coinless period still fruitful from a historical point of view? Because it was in the 13th century that the Russian monetary unit, the ruble, appeared. But it wasn't paper bill and not even a coin. The silver bar, created in Novgorod, became the forefather of our monetary unit.

Renaissance

Or maybe it’s the 14th century, with which the dawn of the Russian national currency began again! This dawn was driven by cultural and economic upsurge. Despite being under the Horde yoke, the Russian lands responded to the onset of the Renaissance with an increase in trade and the formation of new trade relations. North-Eastern Rus' soon recovered from the Tatar raids. Trade grew stronger in the cities of the Russian principalities. Indeed, Rus' in the 14th century was warlike, distrustful and fragmented: each prince tried to create an independent political space. And the coins began to fall again.

The history of money in Rus' has not known a richer and more turbulent period. Each principality minted unique coins glorifying princes and God: Russian people have always been distinguished by piety. The princes grew bolder, and a variety of coins flooded Kievan Rus. Over the course of some fifty years (the end of the 14th century), coinage appeared in Moscow, Ryazan, Novgorod, Rostov, Tver, Yaroslavl, etc. I would like to remind you that coinage as such was absent in Rus' for about three centuries, which was the reason for the low quality of coinage . Under Yaroslav the Wise it was a masterpiece, and in new Rus' it was a piece of wire struck with a coin with an image. The Arab image did not leave Russian money for a long time.

During the Renaissance, Russian silver coins began to be called “dengi”, which means “ringing”. Metal money still remained the only means of payment. They prevailed in money circulation even with the introduction of paper banknotes and banknotes. In addition to silver money, copper pools were made. Both types of money were used as a full-fledged means of payment and settlement.

Iron money of the Moscow state

The Muscovite state began with Moscow, a strong principality under the reign of Dmitry Donskoy. As already mentioned, this principality is one of the first to resume minting coins after a long period without coins. After the victory of Sultan Totamysh on the Kulikovo field, Dmitry Donskoy was forced to pay tribute. We again observe impeccable adherence to Tatar-Arab traditions in Moscow coinage. The permanent image of the prince adorned the obverse. On the reverse there is a distorted and illegible Arabic inscription “Sultan Tokhtamysh”.

In the 15th century political fragmentation Rus' manifested itself in the abundance of mints in Rus'. There were about 20 of them. The variety of shapes, images, materials and sizes confused traders, therefore, trade relations became difficult.

The coins still demonstrated the power of their creators and religious beliefs people. Ryazan coins showed the Prince's name and coat of arms, while Tver coins showed hunters with weapons and animals. On the coins of Novgorod, Saint Sophia was minted, who was considered the guardian of the territory, and a city resident who accepted her blessing. The Novgorod coin cannot be confused with coins of other principalities: the addition of “Veliky Novgorod” clarified the history of its origin. The coins of Pskov also contained information about the mint: “Pskov money” was indicated on the obverse. In Rostov there were coins with the image of the confession of John the Baptist and the name ruling prince. There were also primitive options - an image of the prince’s head in full face and profile.

All these characteristics of the coinage indicated a real need for reform of monetary policy. Russian lands, under the rule of princes or the people's council, were united into an integral state, and the circulation of a nth number of various banknotes caused difficulties even earlier, not to mention the new period of development.

The reform of the monetary circulation system was introduced in 1534. The changes brought precision and clarity to the monetary circulation system. Now in the centralized Russian state there were only three mints: Pskov, Novgorod and Moscow. The same type of national money was produced in these yards.

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Further development of coinage

The creation of the Moscow state from individual principalities, scattered like pearls on Russian lands and on the pages of history, became a major milestone that determined the development of culture, economy and international trade. Throughout the entire 16th and even half of the 17th centuries, the same coins were steadily in circulation in the Moscow state: kopek (the name was taken from the image of a warrior with a spear that was minted on it), denga (valued 2 times less than a kopeck), half (1/ 4 kopecks).

It would seem that the standardization of money should simplify the process of trade and money circulation, but due to the uniformity of denominations, new problems arose. Then they counted not by kopecks, but by altyns (6 kopecks), dengi, and a little later - hryvnias (20 money), half rubles, rubles (2 half rubles). The cost of goods in the barn books was recorded, for example, not 20 kopecks, but “3 altyn and 2 dengi.” Neither the hryvnia, nor the altyn, nor the poltina existed as a type of coin. These were nothing more than counting units. The hryvnia is not a monetary sign, but the weight of a silver bar for which a necklace of 20 silver money could be exchanged. The ruble in the form that we know now did not exist. It existed in a counting abstraction, but in reality it was a bag of “scale” coins.

Why did the coins of the Moscow State receive the nickname “scales”? The technology for making coins has hardly changed. Silver was “dragged”, i.e. they rolled a thin wire out of it, chopped it into equal sections, flattened them, obtaining teardrop-shaped tokens, and then struck them with a coin. These were thin plates the size of a fingernail, which really resembled scales. From the significant year 1534 until the 17th century, the design of coins remained unchanged. And Ivan the Terrible, and Boris Godunov, and Peter I remained true to tradition: the denomination of the coins also did not change. A noble man had huge boxes filled with “scales.” And the minting did not stop under any circumstances.

The coinage of the Moscow state was adapted to any historical and political conditions. Even in times Polish-Lithuanian intervention at the dawn of the 17th century, the militia resisted the invaders by producing coins on which the name of the deceased king of the glorious Rurik dynasty was immortalized (this was Fedor Ivanovich). Although an official order was issued in Moscow to mint coins with low weight and the name of the Polish king Vladislav, who was proclaimed the Russian Tsar. When Mikhail Romanov ascended the throne, the previously existing system of money was restored. It was 1613.

There have been repeated attempts to counterfeit money and issue coins with a different denomination.

The history of the appearance of money in Russia has seen amazing Polish-Russian coins with double denominations, Finnish-Russian pennies, Russian-Georgian money, which never took root in the monetary circulation of the Moscow state.

1654 marked the beginning of the minting of long-awaited coins with a substantial denomination. Rubles, half-rubles, half-half-rubles coexisted with the “efimka”. "Efimka" was borrowed from Western European cultures. It was an ordinary thaler with a coin countermark and an issue date of 1655. But the “efimki” were not popular among the Russian people: exotic appearance did not inspire confidence.

The order to mint copper coins, which had no external differences from silver. Copper money was an economical option for the Moscow state, which did not mine precious materials. They had to be purchased from other countries, and silver utensils had to be melted down to obtain the necessary raw materials. It was expensive and troublesome. All transactions with silver and gold took place strictly under state control; illegal import and export was threatened with severe punishment. The arrival of copper coins in place of silver coins caused widespread discontent. Raised in 1663 popular revolt, and the new money with a large sign sank into oblivion, leaving behind the traditional kopecks, dengi and half rubles.

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