1 Soviet ruble. USSR ruble

30.09.2019

What income did the average Soviet family have in 1985? What does that income look like? modern conditions? I’ve been wanting to make this comparison for a long time, let’s see what we can come up with.

We take 1985 because it last year classical Soviet system, later Gorbachev’s leadership headed for the revival of capitalist relations, private business, the ability to cash out by bank transfer, conduct financial fraud, private organizations were allowed foreign trade etc.

We will compare urban families.

The average size of a Soviet urban family in 1985 was 3.5 people, in the RSFSR - 3.2 people. (1) The total family income in the same year in the USSR averaged 143 rubles. per capita rubles per month [oops, my eye was confused - data for 1987, in 1985 - 135 rubles. All my calculations should be adjusted by 1%, basically the same))], which means the total monthly income of our family of 3.5 people. was equal to 500.5 rubles (2) Reference:
The average monthly salary of workers and employees of the USSR in 1985 was 190.1 rubles. (3) Family income 500.5 rub. consisted of 396.4 rubles. salary, 47.5 rub. pensions, scholarships, benefits and subsidies, 16.5 rubles. income from personal farming, as well as 39.5 rubles. other income (IMHO this includes shadow income). In addition, in 1985, 88.9 million square meters of free housing, including collective farm housing, were built. total (usable) area, which per capita is 0.32 sq.m., and for our family - 1.12 sq.m. This pace implied that a child born into our family should have received his own personal room exactly at the age of puberty.
To make a comparison, we need to take the structure of monetary expenses of a Soviet family in 1985 and convert it into modern prices.

The structure was as follows:
For food - 33.7%
Fabrics, clothing and footwear - 18.1%
Cars, motorcycles, bicycles - 1.6%
Other non-food products - 11.3%
Alcohol - 3%
Payment for apartments, utilities and maintenance of own houses - 3%
Other cultural and community services - 7%
Taxes, fees, payments - 9.4%
Other expenses - 5.1%
Family savings - 7.8%.

Let us derive approximately the conversion factor of the 1985 Soviet ruble spent on food into modern rubles. The question is not as simple as it might seem. After all, modern products are much inferior in quality to the products of that time. The pricing systems are fundamentally different. For example, meat was bought at both state prices and market prices, but today - only at market prices. The packaging is very different. Today there are more body kits when trading. Therefore, I will take the coefficient for natural bottled milk.
In 1985 - 28 kopecks. per liter of EMNIP, a week ago I bought a one and a half liter bottle of this milk for 75 rubles, i.e. liter - 50 rub. K=179. In order not to argue too much, I remind you that this also includes prices for food in canteens, and there a Soviet four-course lunch for 80 kopecks would be equal today to at least 350 rubles. K=438. And then we ate in canteens at work all the time.
We use this coefficient for milk. 33.7% from 500.5 rub. - this is 169 rubles spent by a Soviet family on food. Today it is 30,251 rubles.
Coefficient for fabrics, clothing and footwear. Here the question concerns my specialty. We'll bring out a man's shirt. 1985 - 10 rubles, modern analogue - 2500 rubles. K=250. Many will argue, because... It seems to ordinary people that clothes are cheaper today. In fact, today a lot of extremely bad clothes and shoes are sold, which Soviet era They just didn't put it on the market. But goods of similar Soviet quality are expensive. Accordingly, modern cheap shoes and clothes have to be changed more often.
In 1985, a Soviet family spent 18.1% or 90.6 rubles on fabrics, clothes, and shoes. Today, with K = 250, it is 22,650 rubles.
To "cars, bicycles, motorcycles". In 1985 VAZ-2106, best car middle class, cost 7260 rubles. Today, a new middle-class car of equally reliable construction will cost about a million. K=138. Accordingly, 1.6% or 8 rubles spent in 1985 turns into modern 1104 rubles.
For other non-food products we will display by household appliances, after all, this is the most expensive purchase. Let's take the new, coolest TV. 1985 - approximately 800 rubles. New product from the same “Horizon” - 38,000 rubles. K=47.5. Let’s not waste time on trifles, pointing out that K according to school notebooks goes beyond 200, let’s use TV K. Accordingly, 11.3% or 56.6 rubles. 1985 turns into 2689 rubles. today's.
To alcohol. I recently bought vodka for a alumni meeting - 450 rubles. for half a liter. In 1985 - 5.3 rubles. K=84.9. In 1985 - 3% of the family budget or 15 rubles, which today is equal to 1274 rubles.
To the communal apartment. In 1985, this was 3% of the family budget or 15 rubles. Today, let’s take approximately, on average, taking into account seasonal prices, and rather underestimated 8,000 rubles. K=533. Let's lower it further, rounding to 500. Then the Soviet 15 rubles. 1985 turns into 7,500 rubles today.
For cultural and community services. Services have also become more expensive. 40 kopecks - simple men's haircut in 1985, today I last time I got my hair cut like a comb and gave 450 rubles. and 50 rub. tips. I think you can look for and get a haircut for 250 rubles. Then K=625. A movie ticket in the evening is 50 kopecks versus 400 rubles. K=800. It’s also better not to go to kindergartens)) By transport services too)) Let's not argue too much, I use an underestimated coefficient of 500. Then 7% or 35 Soviet rubles turn into modern 17,500 rubles.
Taxes and all kinds of insurance fees have increased significantly today, but I don’t understand how to calculate the coefficient here. I suggest comparing budgets minus such expenses.
Other expenses. Here, in particular, expenses on health and education. What was free or extremely cheap in 1985 has become serious blows according to the family budget. I'll take K out of the banal flu. You got sick with the flu today and easily spent 1000 rubles on treatment. In 1985 they would have spent roughly a ruble. Here is the coefficient of “other” expenses, which is affected by distribution paid services in health and education. Then 5.1% or 25.5 rubles. 1985 today turns into 25,500 rubles.
We still need to add what the Soviet family received for free in 1985. Let’s make the symbol of this free bonus a square meter of free living space received. 1.12 sq.m. per year, and per month - 0.1. As an average modern price square meter housing, let’s take the price in my Saratov - 36,000 rubles, if I’m not mistaken. This is 3000 rubles per month. Let's add them.
Let's summarize.
In 1985, the average Soviet family of 3.5 people with an average salary of its workers was 190 rubles. minus 47 rubles for taxes and fees, minus the deferred 39 rubles, I spent 414.5 rubles on life.
In order to have a similar standard of living today, a modern Russian family must spend 111,468 rubles per month. Of course, the average Russian family does not spend that much, so it is forced to buy food substitutes, cheap clothes and shoes, and save on treatment and vacation.
Thus, we can calculate the exchange rate of the Soviet ruble relative to family expenses. One ruble in 1985 is 269 rubles in 2016.
We can also understand what 190 rubles of the Soviet salary in 1985 is. Today it is a salary of 51,110 rubles. Young people just have to explain that in 1985 a job cost 190 rubles. one could find it extremely easily, just like a job for, say, 250 rubles. But today a job for 51 thousand rubles...

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The country began minting metal money dedicated to anniversaries quite late - in 1965. Before this, anniversaries were celebrated modestly. In addition, the age of the stronghold of socialism was very young. And in 1965, a solid occasion appeared - the 20th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.

Anniversary firstborn

Such a date had to be celebrated on a grand scale. Moreover, life in the country has become quite prosperous. By those standards, of course. It was then that the first-born of the land of the Soviets came out - the ruble coin. It is worth saying that this denomination was used most often in money dedicated to significant dates. Coins of a different denomination appeared only in 1987, when the empire was already dying.

Anniversary Champion

But the ruble was minted with enviable regularity. The 1 ruble USSR anniversary coin was issued on various occasions as many as 49 times. It’s worth saying right away that all banknotes were minted from an alloy of copper and nickel. In addition, they all had exactly the same dimensions and even weight. Their diameter was 31 mm, thickness 2.3 mm, and weight 12.8 grams. It is worth mentioning exceptions. The products of the first releases differed slightly from this standard. Naturally, the number of products produced was also different. So, let's start the description with the product, which is considered the first.

1965 A coin dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany was minted. Specifications:

Thickness - 1.9 mm;
Weight - 9.25 g;
Circulation - 60 million;
Price - 100 rubles.

The second coin dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany

We are talking about an absolutely identical product. The only difference is the mint envelope in which the coin is packaged. Along with the envelope, the price also changed - the coin costs 750 rubles.

1967 The coin is issued in connection with the 50th anniversary of Soviet power. Specifications:

Thickness - 2.1 mm;
Weight - 11.25 g;
Circulation - 52.5 million;
Price - 110 rubles.

1970 The country celebrates Lenin's 100th anniversary. In honor of the anniversary, a coin was minted in large numbers. Specifications:

Thickness - 2.4 mm;
Circulation - 100 million;
Price - 110 rubles.

1975 30th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany. In connection with the anniversary, a coin was issued. Specifications:

Weight - 13.6 g;
Circulation - 16 million;
Price - 190 rubles.

1977 Celebrating 60th anniversary October Revolution. In honor of this date, a coin of standard sizes and weights was minted. Specifications:

Circulation - 5 million;
Price - 150 rubles.

1977 On the eve of the Olympics, a coin with its emblem is released. Specifications:

Circulation - 9 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Coin 1978 - Olympics, Kremlin

1978 2 years until the Olympics. Coin minted: Olympics, Kremlin. Specifications:

Circulation - 7 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Coin 1979 - Olympics, Moscow State University

1979 Coin issued: Olympics, Moscow State University. Specifications:

Circulation - 5 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

1979 Coin - Olympics, Obelisk, Space

1979 Coin minted: Olympics, Obelisk, Space. Specifications:

Circulation - 5 million;
Price - 350 rubles.

Coin 1980 - Olympics, Mossovet, Dolgoruky

1980 Coin issued: Olympics, Mossovet, Dolgoruky. Specifications:

Circulation - 5 million;
Price - 350 rubles.

1980 Coin - Olympics, Torch

1980 Opening Olympic Games. Coin minted: Olympics, Torch. Specifications:

Circulation - 5 million;
Price - 690 rubles.

Coin 1981 - 20th anniversary of Gagarin's flight

1981 The 20th anniversary of Gagarin's flight is being celebrated. A coin was made of standard sizes and weights. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

1981 The coin was minted in honor of Soviet-Bulgarian friendship. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 650 rubles.

1982 60th anniversary of the USSR. A standard coin was minted in his honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 5 million;
Price - 690 rubles.

1983 The coin was issued in honor of the 165th anniversary of the founder of Marxism. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 690 rubles.

Coin 1983 - 20 years of the first flight of a woman into space

1983 It's 20 years since the first flight of a woman into space (Tereshkova). The coin was minted in standard weights and sizes. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 690 rubles.

Coin 1983 - 400 years since the death of the first printer Fedorov

1983 A coin is being issued dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the death of the pioneer printer Fedorov. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 590 rubles.

Coin 1984 - 125 years since the birth of physicist Popov

1984 A coin is being minted dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of physicist Popov. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 550 rubles.

Coin 1984 - 150 years since the birth of the chemist Mendeleev

1984 A coin is being issued in honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the chemist Mendeleev. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 550 rubles.

Coin 1984 - 185 years since the birth of Alexander Pushkin

1984 It is the 185th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Pushkin. The coin is minted in standard sizes and weights. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 550 rubles.

Coin 1985 - 115 years since the birth of Lenin

1985 The coin was issued in honor of the 115th anniversary of Lenin's birth. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 650 rubles.

Coin 1985 - 40 years of victory in the Great Patriotic War

1985 Another victorious anniversary. A coin is being minted in honor of the 40th anniversary of Victory in the Second World War. Specifications:

Circulation - 6 million;
Price - 190 rubles.

1985 The coin is issued in honor of the World Festival of Youth and Students, which took place in Moscow. Specifications:

Circulation - 6 million;
Price - 190 rubles.

Coin 1985 - 165 years since the birth of Engels

1985 Marks 165 years since the birth of Engels. In honor of this event, a coin of standard sizes and weights is minted. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 550 rubles.

1986 This year was proclaimed the year of peace, and a coin was issued in its honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Same year 1986. And the reason is the same - International Year peace. The coins issued in connection with this event are exactly the same. With the exception of one detail: the letter “L” on this coin (the word ruble) is written in a different font (in the form of a “hut”). Quite a rare type of coin. Specifications:

Circulation - unknown;
Price - 2500 rubles.

Coin 1986 - 275 years since the birth of Mikhail Lomonosov

1986 The minting of the coin is dedicated to the 275th anniversary of the birth of Mikhail Lomonosov. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 550 rubles.

Coin 1987 - 175 years since the Battle of Borodino (bas-relief)

1987 It's 175 years since the Battle of Borodino. In honor of this date, a standard coin (bas-relief) was issued. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 200 rubles.

Coin 1987 - 175 years since the Battle of Borodino (obelisk)

1987 The same anniversary date - 175 years of the Battle of Borodino. Only this coin depicts not a bas-relief, but an obelisk. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 200 rubles.

Coin 1987 - 70 years of the October Revolution

1987 Another anniversary of the revolution. In connection with the 70th anniversary of the October Revolution, a commemorative coin was issued. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Coin 1987 - 130 years since the birth of Tsiolkovsky

1987 An anniversary is dedicated to the founder of cosmonautics, Tsiolkovsky. 130th birthday. The coin was minted in standard sizes and weights. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Coin 1988 - 130 years since the birth of Leo Tolstoy

The year is 1988. Anniversary of the greatest Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. 160th birthday. The coin comes out to standard sizes and weights. Specifications:

Circulation - 4 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Coin 1989 - 175 years since the birth of Mikhail Lermontov

The year is 1989. The 175th anniversary of the birth of the Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov is celebrated. A coin was issued in his honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1989 - 150 years since the birth of Modest Mussorgsky

Year 1989. 150th anniversary of his birth greatest composer Modest Mussorgsky. A coin of normal weight and size was minted in connection with it. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1989 - 175 years since the birth of Taras Shevchenko

The year is 1989. Exactly 175 years ago the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. A coin was issued in honor of this anniversary. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1989 - 100 years since the birth of Hamza Hakimzade Niazi

The year is 1989. A coin is minted in honor of the centenary anniversary of the birth of the great Uzbek poet Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 440 rubles.

Coin 1989 - 100 years since the death of Mihai Eminescu

The year is 1989. The 100th anniversary of the death of the classic of Romanian literature Mihai Eminescu is celebrated. A commemorative coin is issued in his honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 440 rubles.

Coin 1990 - 130 years since the birth of Chekhov

Year 1990. Chekhov anniversary. The writer and playwright would have celebrated his 130th birthday. A coin of standard sizes was minted in his honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1990 - 45 years of victory in the Great Patriotic War

The year is 1990. The 45th anniversary of the Victory is celebrated Soviet people in WWII. In honor of the anniversary, a coin with the image of USSR Marshal Grigory Zhukov is being issued. Specifications:

Circulation - 2 million;
Price - 690 rubles.

Coin 1990 - 150 years since the birth of Pyotr Tchaikovsky

The year is 1990. It is 150 years since the birth of the great composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. For this reason, a coin of normal size and weight was minted. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1990 - 500 years since the birth of Francysk Skaryna

Year 1990. Anniversary of the figure Slavic culture Francysk Skaryna. The 500th anniversary of his birth is being celebrated. A coin is issued in his honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1990 - 125 years since the birth of Jan Rainis

The year is 1990. Anniversary of the Latvian writer Jan Rainis. Celebrating the 125th anniversary of his birth. A coin was issued in connection with this date. Specifications:

Circulation - 3 million;
Price - 270 rubles.

1991 A coin dedicated to the classic of Turkmen literature, poet and thinker Magtymguly was minted. Specifications:

Circulation - 2.5 million;
Price - 650 rubles.

Coin 1991 - 550 years since the birth of Alisher Navoi

1991 It is 550 years since the birth of the Uzbek poet, thinker, and statesman Alisher Navoi. A coin of standard sizes and weights was issued in his honor. Specifications:

Circulation - 2.5 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1991 - 850 years since the birth of Nizami Ganjavi

1991 A coin is being issued in honor of the 850th anniversary of the birth of Nizami Ganjavi, an Azerbaijani poet and philosopher. Specifications:

Circulation - 2.5 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1991 - 100 years since the birth of Konstantin Ivanov

1991 A rather strange coin is being minted. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Chuvash poet Konstantin Ivanov. Still, Ivanov clearly lacked fame. Nevertheless, he was immortalized in metal. Specifications:

Circulation - 2.5 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

Coin 1991 - 125 years since the birth of Peter Lebedev

1991 A coin is being issued that is dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the birth of Russian physicist Pyotr Lebedev. Specifications:

Circulation - 2.5 million;
Price - 250 rubles.

Coin 1991 - 100 years since the birth of Sergei Prokofiev

1991 The last commemorative coin of the USSR is being minted. It is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great composer Sergei Prokofiev. Specifications:

Circulation - 2.5 million;
Price - 290 rubles.

All are presented here commemorative coins denomination of 1 ruble, which were issued in the USSR. It is worth noting that they were minted in two mints. At first it was the Leningrad Mint, and then the Moscow Mint. All products are different high quality coinage and the same decoration. Now you know how much the anniversary 1 ruble of the USSR costs. It should be noted that the price is quite low. True, time can fix this. Nevertheless, Soviet coins occupy a very honorable place in the collections of numismatists.

The Russian Federation, as the legal successor of the USSR, also inherited the right to return those loans that third countries did not manage to return to the USSR. That's why Soviet ruble is still undergoing official quotation.

We go to the website of the Bank of Russia, with difficulty using a search we find information about the USSR ruble, and finally we click on the “Get data” button (and why so many precautions, I wonder?). And we fix:

Those. for the current dollar you can pay no more than 56 Soviet kopecks. As it once was. How many times was the Soviet ruble more valuable than the current one? If in relation to today's dollar (57 rubles), then 102 times.

However, even more interesting is the conversion through gold. Ruble model after 1961, i.e. post-reform, cost 0.987412 grams of gold. Depending on the current exchange rate of gold and the dollar, we get about 50 dollars for 1 Soviet ruble.

If we count at the official dollar exchange rate, then average salary in the USSR in 1988, which then rose to 200 rubles, today should be about 20,400 rubles. RF. Last year it amounted to 28 thousand rubles.

If you thoughtlessly compare these figures, you get the impression that life has become better and more fun. But upon closer inspection, the blissful impression is forced to disappear.

For example, to pay for housing and communal services in the USSR, 2.5 percent of a family’s income was spent, today more than 11 percent. Those. Only 25,500 rubles fall into your hands. Thus, the excess of today's salary over the Soviet one is about 5 thousand rubles.

Again it seems that today is better than then, in Soviet era: We live richer, statistics!

But no statistical delights of market supporters take into account the Soviet public consumption fund. Today, in these 5 thousand rubles of difference, in order to maintain the Soviet standard of living, you must take into account the payment:
medicine, education, pioneer camps, kindergarten, holidays in a sanatorium, interest on loans...

Moreover, note that none of the market experts talks about the general deterioration in the health of the population, and especially children, associated, among other things, with the sharply deteriorating quality of consumed food products, being in an atmosphere that is permeated every moment by many invisible, but extremely harmful health radiation of different powers.

Many young people in Russia don’t even know what a real delicious cheese! The most expensive and delicious at that time, of course, was Swiss cheese at 3.90 rubles per kilogram. But it really was cheese! And today even in Western Europe You are unlikely to find real cheese easily. Cheese mass - as much as you like. And, yes, its quality today is higher than in Russia. But all the same: this is not cheese, but a surrogate for it.

However, like everything market is a surrogate for the true. And this is not an emotional outburst from a person who knows both that and our time. Try to find a market product/products that were simultaneously, or at least in several respects at once:

Safe for consumption;
- safe for nature during production, i.e. environmentally friendly;
- durable;
- ergonomic;
- healthy/tasty, and without the addition of flavor enhancers;
- produced under socially acceptable production conditions, i.e. without loss of health by employees;
- finally, affordable for anyone who works full time.

The list is, of course, not exhaustive.

Do you have such a product or thing? Name it, please: I’ll start saving... rubles to buy.

If, before restructuring, to purchase a cooperative apartment of 54 sq. m. meter it was necessary to accumulate 2.6 annual salaries, then in 2009 earnings for 4.6 years were already required. Moreover, this is data from the Higher School of Economics, which actively advocates for the market! Those. Surely these data are biased: market realities are embellished, and Soviet realities are belittled.

Moreover, the same group from HSE, led by Mr. Yasina stated that according to the situation in 2009, 20% of the population did not gain anything from the imposition of the market, while 40% clearly lost. Otherwise, almost 2/3 of the people have nothing market economy didn't see anything good. Unless, of course, you consider indelible advertisements on sidewalks about the services of prostitutes or the introduction of the Bologna system with the Unified State Examination to be good.

Therefore, if the average salary in the USSR, when the highest paid positions did not exceed the lowest paid ones by about 5-6 times, then today’s average salary has absorbed the millions in income of various officials and oligarchs, so that for most people these same 28,000 rubles are really inaccessible, according to at least outside of Moscow.

And as we see, taking into account the structure of expenses that has changed not in favor of the people, real wages, their purchasing power, if we do not forget about public funds consumption is clearly below Soviet levels.

However, we completely missed the golden factor, i.e. recalculation of the value of the Soviet ruble to today's dollar at the gold rate. Let us remind you that the then ruble today, if you look at this precious metal, is worth 50 dollars!

Otherwise, if by some miracle your salary reaches the average, i.e. is 491, well, let’s say 500 dollars, then this means that you have earned... the equivalent of 10 Soviet rubles of that time!)))

I remember that during perestroika they strongly pushed the idea that our ruble was made of wood. And how many jokes have been made about this!!!

I especially remember this one:

Soviet tourists in Paris visit a brothel. Suddenly, a woman’s scream is heard from one room. The owner of the establishment comes running.
- Madeleine, why are you screaming? You know that the customer is always right! Why did you call me?
- So, madam, these clients wanted to pay me... in Soviet rubles!!!

So, various “Ogonki” and “AiFs” with “Literary Women”, Yakovlevs and Zaslavskys - drop by drop poured ideological poison into the consciousness of the Soviet people of that time.

What did this lead to? To the fact that we all found ourselves in... a market, otherwise - a surrogate world. Where the dollar and the absence of correct, original meanings rule.

And how much a dollar really costs, and how much a ruble is worth - we will soon find out. When will Trump default?.

P.S. Thanks to my colleague from E&M A. Berberov,

Nowadays on the Internet you can find many discussions about the exchange rate of the Soviet ruble. This debate is especially often developed on various forums and thematic sites among commentators. Here I will not suggest to you, my dear readers, to impose any idea about “whether it was good or bad,” but I will give only the facts. Despite the second decade of the 21st century, there is still an official exchange rate for the Soviet ruble. Yes, yes, I didn’t say it was official. Let me remind you that Western countries did not consider the ruble to be the so-called hard currency - a freely convertible currency, since in Soviet legislation there were restrictions on foreign exchange transactions. Also, the exchange rate of the Soviet ruble (I will now consider the post-reform period from 1961 to 1991) has always been stable and was not traded on the stock exchange.

So where does the official exchange rate of the Soviet ruble come from in our time, you ask? The fact is that the Russian Federation, being the legal successor of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, assumed all debt obligations. In simple words Russia owed it, for example, to the Paris Club, with which, thank God, it fully paid off in 2008, and so do mostly formerly friendly and not very socialist countries.

So, according to the data of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the official rates of the State Bank of the USSR of foreign currencies in relation to the ruble, used in payment and settlement relations Russian Federation with foreign countries under trade and credit agreements former USSR the following http://cbr.ru/currency_base/GosBankCurs.aspx?C_month=03&C_year=2013&mode=1&x=40&y=16.

Table of the exchange rate of the Soviet ruble to foreign currencies:

Currency units	Currency	Exchange rate, USSR rubles
100	Australian dollars	51,62
1000	Austrian schillings	47,96
1000	Belgian francs	16,36
100	Dutch guilders	29,94
10000	Greek drachmas	19,37
1000	Danish kroner	88,49
100	US dollar	50,54
100	Euro (European Currency Unit, ECU, ECU)	65,99
100	Irish pounds	83,79
10000	Icelandic kroner	40,56
10000	Spanish pesetas	39,66
100000	Italian lire	34,08
100	Canadian dollars	49,04
10	Kuwaiti dinars	17,82
100000	Lebanese pounds	33,59
100	German marks	33,74
1000	Norwegian kroner	88,08
10000	Portuguese escudos	32,92
100	Singapore dollars	40,81
100	Turkish lira	28,10
100	Finnish marks	11,10
1000	French francs	100,60
100	UK pounds sterling	76,73
1000	Swedish kronor	78,16
100	Swiss francs	53,96
10000	Japanese yen	54,60

From the above table it follows that there was only one (not freely convertible) currency in the world, which was more expensive than the Soviet ruble. This is a Kuwaiti dinar, for which you had to pay 1 ruble 78 kopecks. Neither dollars, nor pounds sterling, nor Deutschmarks, nor the euro introduced for non-cash payments were more expensive than the Soviet ruble, but always one and a half to two times CHEAPER.

Here it is worth making a reservation that the notorious exchange rate of 63 kopecks per 1 US dollar remained hunchbacked until the beginning, i.e. Mikhail Gorbachev of the process known to us as perestroika, when a different course was announced. Namely, in 1986, on January 28th, the exchange rate of the Soviet ruble decreased slightly. Now the foreign currency to ruble ratios were as follows:

1 US dollar - 0.7525 rub.

1 pound erased. — 1.0460 rub.

1 Deutsch Mark - 0.3102 rubles.

1 Canadian dollar - 0.5343 rubles.

1 French franc - 0.1008 rubles.

1 Swiss franc - 0.3674

100 yen - 0.381 rub.

1000 liras - 0.453 rubles.

That is, there was approximately a 25% devaluation of the Soviet ruble. As you can see, then only the English pound sterling crossed the psychological mark of 1 ruble. per pound.

One more thing. After the monetary reform of 1961, the value of the ruble was equal to 0.987412 grams of gold.

One more thing, regarding the European currency unit ECU (european currency unit, the French called it Communauté européenne). This currency was used from 1978 to 1998 in the European Economic Community (from 1993 to 1999 simply the European Community within the EU). Since the beginning of 1999, the exchange rate has been one to one for the euro.

And now, I don’t want to seem biased and biased - draw your conclusions, gentlemen!

Soviet ruble- currency of the USSR from 1923 to December 26, 1991. Until 1947, it circulated in parallel with the chervonets.

The first ruble of the RSFSR was issued in 1919 in the form of a credit note.

The design of most Soviet banknotes was developed by the outstanding Russian engraver and artist Ivan Ivanovich Dubasov.

In the USSR, from 1924 until 1992, paper banknotes in denominations up to 10 rubles(one chervonets) were issued by the treasury and were called State treasury notes, from 10 rubles and above by the State Bank and were called . Since 1991, “State Treasury Notes” have also become known as Tickets of the State Bank of the USSR.

The Soviet ruble after the monetary reform on January 1, 1961 was formally equal to 0.987412 g of gold, but there was no possibility of exchanging rubles for gold. Currently, the ruble has no gold equivalent.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1992-1995, the Soviet ruble was gradually withdrawn from circulation. The last country Tajikistan became the country that abandoned the Soviet ruble (May 10, 1995). Russia left the Soviet ruble zone in July 1993.

Purchasing power of the ruble

Since bank checks were not common in the USSR, most direct payments were made in cash, and therefore the number of rubles in circulation was extremely large. Rubles were printed at Goznak factories in Moscow and Leningrad. The purchasing power of the ruble was differentiated by the state depending on the types of markets and prices; in particular, by natural and climatic zones: I, II, III, IV.

The ruble was an internal, not freely convertible currency. Export and import of rubles across the border in amounts b O more than 30 rubles per person was prohibited. This happened, in particular, due to the state monopoly on foreign trade. There were no rubles in circulation abroad, except for the foreign currency ruble and the CMEA ruble, although all foreign trade payments were calculated in rubles at the foreign exchange rate determined monthly by the State Bank of the USSR.

In 1950, mainly for settlements with foreign countries, the ruble was set at a high gold base (0.222168 g), although its purchasing power within the country was then 45% lower than before the war. On November 15, 1960, the gold “content” of rubles was increased to 0.987412 g and at the same time 10 old rubles were replaced by one new one. This devalued the ruble by 55.5%, but its value continued to be inflated. The State Bank bought one gram of gold for one ruble, but in 1973, on the black market in Odessa, only 0.07 grams of gold could be bought for one ruble. One American dollar on the black market in Odessa cost 20 rubles in 1955, 28 rubles in 1960, 2.6 rubles in 1965, 6.15 rubles in 1970 and 5 rubles in 1973. A “certified” ruble in New York cost 2 in 1973 .60 dollars.

For one ruble:
American dollars
British pounds
French francs
German marks
Czechoslovak crowns
Polish zloty
Hungarian forints
Romanian lei

Names of the ruble in the titular languages of 15 republics of the USSR

	In the national language	Transliteration in Cyrillic


Ukrainian	karbovanets	karbovanets
Belorussian
Uzbek
Kazakh
Georgian
Azerbaijani
Lithuanian
Moldavian
Latvian
Kyrgyz
Tajik
Armenian
Turkmen
Estonian

Officially, during the USSR, the “ruble” was Ukrainian should have been translated as “karbovanets” (“karbuvati” - “to make notches”); the name "karbovanets" was indicated on Soviet banknotes, along with the names in the titular languages of all 15 republics of the Union. Accordingly, the designations “krb” were found in stores of the Ukrainian SSR.

Banknotes of the sample 1924, 1925, 1928

According to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated March 7, 1924, the issue of Sovznak was stopped, and the issued banknotes were subject to redemption at the ratio of 1 ruble in gold (treasury notes) for 50,000 rubles in Sovznak of the 1923 model.

Banknotes of earlier issues were also exchanged at the rate of 1 ruble for 5,000,000 rubles of the 1922 model or 1 ruble for 50,000,000,000 rubles of earlier issues (500 billion Banknotes 1919-1921 = 1 chervonets 1924). Many hoped that paper chervonets would be exchanged for gold, although no government act on the free exchange of chervonets for gold was ever issued. Nevertheless, the population exchanged paper chervonets for royal gold coins and vice versa.

Banknotes of the 1934 model

In 1934, new banknotes of 1, 3 and 5 rubles were issued. The numbering of banknotes is serial, six-digit, the series designation is one or two letters. In 1937, the second issue of these banknotes was carried out without changing the date on them. There was no signature on the banknotes of this issue people's commissar finance. The signature really got in the way. If he suddenly turned out to be an enemy of the people, he would have to somehow remove the banknotes from circulation, cover up the signature, or completely destroy the banknotes, which would be very expensive. The absence of a signature eliminated this need and solved the problem.

1934 series
Image		Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Description			Date exit
Face	Reverse side				Face	Reverse side	Watermark
					Denomination in numbers and words in the languages of the republics of the USSR, coat of arms of the USSR	Denomination in large numbers, patterns.

Banknotes of the 1938 model

In 1938, new treasury notes were issued in denominations of 1, 3 and 5 rubles. The colors of the banknotes are traditional, but what is unconventional is the absence of watermarks. Banknotes of higher denomination were issued by the State Bank of the USSR in the form of chervonets.

1938 series
Image		Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Description			Date exit
Face	Reverse side				Face	Reverse side	Watermark
						Denomination in numbers and words in the official languages of the 11 republics of the USSR.	Absent

In 1947, another monetary reform was carried out. With a constant price scale, old money was exchanged for new ones in a ratio of 10:1. The coin remained in circulation at face value.

In total, two types of banknotes were issued, differing in the number of turns of the ribbon in the coat of arms of the USSR: the first issue had 16, the second (1957) - 15. Accordingly, the number of inscriptions “one ruble” in the languages of the Union republics changed. The reason for this was the abolition of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.

1947 series
Image		Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Description			Date exit
Face	Reverse side	Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Face	Reverse side	Watermark	Date exit
					The inscription “State Treasury Note”, the coat of arms of the USSR, the denomination in numbers and words in the official languages of all republics of the USSR.	Denomination in numbers and words.


				Red, blue	The inscription “Ticket of the State Bank of the USSR”, a full-face portrait of V.I. Lenin, the coat of arms of the USSR, denomination in numbers and words.	Denomination in numbers and words in the official languages of all republics of the USSR.
				Blue-green
							V. I. Lenin (Like on the chervonets of 1937)
				Beige, purple		Panorama of the Kremlin from the Sofia embankment: Borovitskaya Tower, Armory Chamber, Vodovzvodnaya Tower, Grand Kremlin Palace, Tainitskaya, Petrovskaya, 1st and 2nd Nameless Towers, Archangel Cathedral, Ivan the Great Bell Tower.	V. I. Lenin (Like on the chervonets of 1937)

Banknotes of the 1961 model

In 1961, another monetary reform was carried out. The price scale was changed 10 times from January 1, 1961. 1, 2 and 3-kopeck coins remained in circulation at face value. Money of the 1961 model turned out to be the most durable in the entire history of the USSR: it existed unchanged until the reform on January 23, 1991.

For more than 30 years of existence, only two varieties of ruble banknotes were issued, differing in the height of the letters of the series: for the first issue it was 3.5 ( capital letter) and 2.5 mm (small letter), the second has 4 and 3 mm, respectively. The rest of the banknotes had no varieties.

1961 series
Image		Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Description			Date exit
Face	Reverse side	Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Face	Reverse side	Watermark	Date exit
					The inscription “State treasury note”, denomination in numbers and words.	Denomination in numbers and words in 15 official languages of the republics of the USSR.	Dark and light five-pointed stars
					The inscription “State treasury card”, coat of arms of the USSR, Vodovzvodnaya Tower, Bolshoi Kremlin Palace, Ivan the Great Bell Tower, denomination in numbers and words.
					The inscription “State treasury note”, the coat of arms of the USSR, the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower, denomination in numbers and words.

				Violet
						Denomination in numbers and words in 15 official languages of the republics of the USSR, Grand Kremlin Palace, Tainitskaya Tower.	V. I. Lenin
						Denomination in numbers and words in 15 official languages of the republics of the USSR, Vodovzvodnaya Tower.	V. I. Lenin

Coins from 1961

>Coins of this type have been in circulation for the longest time. Formally, coins of 1, 2, 3 kopecks remained legal tender until the end of 1998, and until 2003 they could be exchanged at branches of the Bank of Russia in quantities divisible by 1 new kopeck (that is, 10 old rubles) (see Monetary reform in Russia (1998)).

Image	Denomination	Diameter	Material	Edge	Reverse	Obverse
	1 kopeck		copper-zinc alloy	ribbed
	2 kopecks		copper-zinc alloy	ribbed	Inscription "USSR", coat of arms Soviet Union	Denomination floral ornament
	3 kopecks		copper-zinc alloy	ribbed	The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament
			copper-zinc alloy	ribbed	The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament
			copper-nickel alloy	ribbed	The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament
			copper-nickel alloy	ribbed	The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament
			copper-nickel alloy	ribbed	The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament
			copper-nickel alloy		The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament
			copper-nickel alloy		The inscription "USSR", coat of arms of the Soviet Union	Denomination, floral ornament

Banknotes of the 1991 model

In order to carry out monetary reform, in 1991 new banknotes of 50 and 100 rubles of the 1991 model were issued, the so-called. "Pavlovian" Banknotes of the 1991 model in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 200, 500 and 1000 rubles were issued later.

The old banknotes of 1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 rubles of the 1961 model and all Soviet coins in circulation continued to circulate along with the new ones of the 1991 model. A new 25 ruble banknote was not issued.

1991 series
Image		Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Description			Date exit
Face	Reverse side	Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Face	Reverse side	Watermark	Date exit
				Beige, blue, red	The inscription “Ticket of the State Bank of the USSR”, coat of arms of the USSR	Denomination in numbers and words in Russian	Five-pointed stars and waves	April 1991
				Green, pink	The inscription “Ticket of the State Bank of the USSR”, coat of arms of the USSR, Vodovzvodnaya Tower, Grand Kremlin Palace, Ivan the Great Bell Tower
				Blue, pink	The inscription “Ticket of the State Bank of the USSR”, coat of arms of the USSR, Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin
				Red, turquoise	The inscription “Ticket of the State Bank of the USSR”, portrait of V. I. Lenin in profile, coat of arms of the USSR, denomination in numbers and words
				Green, yellow, red		Denomination in numbers and words in 15 official languages of the republics of the USSR, Grand Kremlin Palace, Tainitskaya Tower	V. I. Lenin
				Beige, blue		Denomination in numbers and words in 15 official languages of the republics of the USSR, Vodovzvodnaya Tower	V. I. Lenin
				Beige, blue		Denomination in numbers and words in Russian, Vodovzvodnaya Tower		April 1991
				Light green			V. I. Lenin
				Red, burgundy
				Blue, gray

Coins from 1991-1992

In 1991, the State Bank of the USSR issued coins of a new type, different from the previous ones in sizes - 10 kopecks (steel clad with brass), 50 kopecks and 1 ruble, as well as new denominations - 5 rubles (nickel alloy), 10 rubles (bimetal). In 1992, a 10 ruble coin (bimetal) was also issued.

Image	Material				Release date
	brass clad steel			Denomination, floral ornament
	copper-nickel alloy	ribbed	The inscription “State Bank of the USSR”	Denomination, floral ornament
	copper-nickel alloy	ribbed	The inscription “State Bank of the USSR”	Denomination, floral ornament
	copper-nickel alloy	intermittently ribbed	The inscription “State Bank of the USSR”	Denomination, floral ornament
		intermittently ribbed	The inscription “State Bank of the USSR”	Denomination, floral ornament
	Bimetal (circle made of bronze, rim made of copper-nickel alloy)	intermittently ribbed	The inscription “State Bank of the USSR”	Denomination, floral ornament

Banknotes of the 1992 model

In 1992, new banknotes were issued in denominations of 50, 200, 500, 1000 rubles. Graphic design has been added to banknotes.

USSR 1992 banknotes were also issued by the Central Bank of Russia (but continued to be called tickets of the State Bank of the USSR).

1992 series
Image		Denomination (rubles)	Dimensions (mm)	Main color	Description			Date exit
Face	Reverse side				Face	Reverse side	Watermark
				Green, yellow, red	The inscription “Ticket of the State Bank of the USSR”, portrait of V. I. Lenin in profile, coat of arms of the USSR, denomination in numbers and words	Denomination in numbers and words in Russian, Grand Kremlin Palace, Tainitskaya Tower	Dark and light five pointed stars	April 1992
				Light green		Palace of Congresses, Trinity Tower
				Red, burgundy		Building of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, Spasskaya Tower
				Blue, gray		St. Basil's Cathedral, Spasskaya Tower, view from Vasilyevsky Spusk

From July 26 to August 7, 1993, a confiscation monetary reform was carried out in Russia, during which money circulation In Russia, treasury notes of the State Bank of the USSR were confiscated. The reform also solved the problem of separating the monetary systems of Russia and other CIS countries that used the ruble as a means of payment in internal money circulation. During 1992-1993, almost all union republics introduced their own currencies. The exceptions are Tajikistan (the Russian ruble remains in circulation until 1995), the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic (introduces the Transnistrian ruble in 1994), and unrecognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia (the Russian ruble remains in circulation).

State	New currency	Exchange rate	Date of introduction
Armenia Nagorno-Karabakh	Armenian dram	200 Soviet rubles
Azerbaijan (except Nagorno-Karabakh)	Azerbaijani manat	10 Soviet rubles 5,000 old manats
Belarus	Belarusian ruble	10 Soviet rubles 1,000 old rubles
Georgia (except Abkhazia and South Ossetia)	Georgian coupon Georgian lari	1 Soviet ruble 1,000,000 GEL coupons
Kazakhstan	Kazakhstani tenge	500 Soviet rubles
Kyrgyzstan	Kyrgyzstani som	200 Soviet rubles
	Latvian ruble Latvian lats	1 Soviet ruble 200 Latvian rubles
	Lithuanian coupon Lithuanian litas	1 Soviet ruble 100 coupons
Moldova (except Transnistria)	Moldavian coupon Moldovan leu	1 Soviet ruble 1,000 coupons
Russia Abkhazia South Ossetia	Russian ruble	1 Soviet ruble 1,000 old rubles
Transnistria	Transnistrian ruble	1 Soviet ruble 1,000,000 old rubles
Tajikistan	Tajik ruble Tajik somoni	100 Soviet rubles 1,000 rubles
Turkmenistan	Turkmen manat	500 Soviet rubles 5,000 old manats
	Ukrainian Karbovanets Ukrainian hryvnia	1 Soviet ruble 100,000 Karbovanets
Uzbekistan	Uzbek sum	1 Soviet ruble 1,000 old soums
	Estonian kroon	10 Soviet rubles

Traditional colors of ruble bills

(Both tsarist and Soviet.)

1 ruble - olive brown.
3 rubles - green, salad green.
5 rubles - blue, emerald blue.
10 rubles - light red.
25 rubles - gray-violet.
50 rubles - gray-green.
100 rubles - yellow-beige, pastel shades.