Crimean winemakers have designed a 200-ruble banknote for circulation in Russia with images of the recently annexed peninsula intended to channel the Crimean spirit, inspire patriots — and sell more wine.
The mock-ups, which feature Crimea's Ayu-Dag mountain on one side and picturesque vineyards on the other, were sent to Russia's Central Bank with a request to release the note as tender, the Izvestia newspaper reported Friday, citing a letter from the vice president of the Russian winemakers union and general director of Crimean wine company Legendy Kryma (Legends of Crimea), Mikhail Shtyrlin.
Russia does not currently have a 200-ruble note in circulation.
Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March provoked outrage in the West, but caused a surge of patriotism in Russia. Commemorative 10-ruble coins have already been released, and the Central Bank said this week that it would circulate a Crimea-themed 100-ruble note next year.
Ukraine has hit back with coins celebrating the defeat of Russian troops by Polish-Lithuanian forces in the 16th century.
Crimea is famous for its mostly sweet wines. Shtyrlin said in the letter to the Central Bank that the design “raises the patriotic mood in society and draws attention to Crimea as a winemaking center.”