Soviet Rouble
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| ISO 4217 Code | SUR |
| User(s) | Soviet Union |
| Subunit | |
| 1/100 | kopek (копейка) |
| Symbol | руб |
| kopek (копейка) | к |
| Plural | rublya (gen. sing.), rubley (gen. pl.) |
| kopek (копейка) | kopeyki (gen. sing.), kopeyek (gen. pl.) |
| Coins | 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 50 kopeks, 1, 5, 10 rubles |
| Banknotes | 1, 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 rubles |
| Central bank | State Bank of the Soviet Union |
| Printer | Goznak |
| Website | www.goznak.ru |
| Mint | Goznak |
| Website | www.goznak.ru |
| This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete. | |
| 3 kopeks 1981 | |
|---|---|
| Image:Soviet Union-1981-Coin-0.03.jpg | |
| Value | State emblem |
The ruble was the currency of the Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into 100 kopeks, kopecks, or copecks (Russian: копе́йка, plural копе́йки).
[edit] Etymology
The word "ruble" is derived from the Russian verb рубить, rubit, i.e., to chop. Historically, "ruble" was a piece of a certain weight chopped off a silver ingot (grivna), hence the name.
[edit] Ruble in the Soviet Union
The Soviet currency had its own name in all languages of the Soviet Union, sometimes quite different from its Russian designation. All banknotes had the currency name and their nominal printed in the official languages of every Soviet Republic. This naming is preserved in modern Russia; for example: Tatar for ruble and kopek are sum and tien. The current names of several currencies of Central Asia are simply the local names of the ruble.
The name of the currency in the official languages of the 15 republics, in the order they appeared in the banknotes:
| Language | In local language | Transliteration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ruble | kopek | ruble | kopek | |
| Russian | рубль | копейка | rubl’ | kopeika |
| Ukrainian | карбованець | копійка | karbovanets’ | kopiyka |
| Belarusian | рубель | капейка | rubyel’ | kapeika |
| Uzbek | сўм | копейка | so'm' | kopeika' |
| Kazakh | сом | som | ||
| Georgian | მანეთი | manati | ||
| Azerbaijani | манат | гəпик | manat | qəpik |
| Lithuanian | rublis | kapeika | — | — |
| Moldavian | рублэ | rublă | copeică | |
| Latvian | rubļis | kapeika | — | — |
| Kyrgyz | сом | тыйн | som | tyin |
| Tajik | сўм | sum | ||
| Armenian | ռուբլի | կոպեկ | roubli | kopek |
| Turkmen | манат | manat | ||
| Estonian | rubla | kopikas | — | — |
Note that the script for Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Moldavian, and Turkmen have switched from Cyrillic to Latin some time around the breakup of the Soviet Union.
[edit] Replacement Currencies in the Former Soviet Union
Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, local currencies were introduced in the newly independent states. Most of the new economies were weak and hence all of the currencies have undergone significant reforms since launch that included change of names and denominations. For the details on individual currencies developments and current state of affairs please see the corresponding articles.
| Country | New Currency | Conversion Rate From Ruble | Date Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | Dram | 200 | 1993 |
| Azerbaijan | Manat | 10 | 1992 |
| Belarus | Ruble | 10 | 1992 |
| Estonia | Kroon | 10 | 1992 |
| Georgia | Lari | 1 | 1993 |
| Kazakhstan | Tenge | 500 | 1993 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Som | 200 | 1993 |
| Latvia | Rubļis | 1 | 1992 |
| Lithuania | Talonas | 1 | 1991 |
| Moldova, excl. Transnistria (*) | Cupon | 1 | 1992 |
| Transnistria (Moldova) | Ruble | 1 | 1994 |
| Tajikistan | Ruble | 100 | 1995 |
| Turkmenistan | Manat | 500 | 1993 |
| Ukraine (**) | Karbovanets | 1 | 1992 |
| Uzbekistan | Som | 1 | 1992 |
(*) In Moldova, the Moldovan leu was introduced in 1993.
(**) In Ukraine Hryvnia was introduced in 1996.
