Support The Moscow Times!

Russia to Print 20 Million Banknotes Glorifying Crimea Annexation

While the West viewed the seizure of the peninsula as a violation of international law, Russians responded to the annexation with a burst of nationalism and patriotic pride. Denis Abramov / Vedomosti

Russia will print millions of copies of a new banknote memorializing its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine last year, a widely popular move that saw President Vladimir Putin's ratings soar and launched a wave of nationalist sentiment.

Georgy Luntovsky, the first deputy chairman of the Central Bank, said in an interview published by news agency RIA Novosti on Wednesday that the 100-ruble ($1.80) banknote would have a print run of 20 million. Work on the bill's design is not yet completed, Luntovsky told RIA.

Luntovsky told journalists in April that the Central Bank planned to release a banknote commemorating the annexation by the end of 2015.

Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March last year, setting off a battle of sanctions and counter-sanctions with the West that escalated further when the Kremlin was accused of supporting a separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine.

While the West viewed the seizure of the peninsula as a violation of international law, Russians responded to the annexation with a burst of nationalism and patriotic pride.

This is not the first time that a unit of Russian currency has been used to commemorate the annexation. Late last year the Central Bank released two new 10-ruble coins featuring Crimean landmarks, saying at the time that 10 million of each coin would be released.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more