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.

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.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more