Until 1990, South Ossetia was an autonomous region within the Georgian SSR.
On December 21, 1991, it declared its independence from Georgia. Currently, the state is recognized by 5 UN member states: Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, Tuvalu. All other UN member states recognize the territory of South Ossetia as part of Georgia.
The republic is located in the Transcaucasus. In the north it borders on the subject of the Russian Federation North Ossetia-Alania, in the west, south and east - on Georgia. Has no access to the sea.
State symbols
Flag- is a rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 1:2 with three equal stripes: white on top, red in the middle and yellow on the bottom. Red symbolizes courage, yellow - wealth and prosperity, white - moral purity. The flag of South Ossetia is identical to the flag of the Russian republic of North Ossetia-Alania. The flag was approved on November 26, 1990.
Coat of arms- is a round shield of red color. The shield depicts a yellow leopard against the backdrop of the silvery mountains of the Caucasus. The name of the country is written around the shield in two languages: in Russian (“Republic of South Ossetia”) below and in Ossetian (“Republicæ Khussar Iryston”) above. The colors of the coat of arms (white, red and yellow) correspond to the colors of the flag of South Ossetia. The coat of arms was approved on May 19, 1999. It is almost identical to the coat of arms of North Ossetia. The Caucasian leopard against the backdrop of mountains is the historical emblem of Ossetia, which in the Middle Ages was the emblem of the Ossetian state. The red field of the shield represents law, strength and courage, the golden color - supremacy, greatness and respect. The mountains on the shield symbolize the World Mountain with eight peaks - the oldest model of the world among the ancestors of the Ossetians and other Indo-European peoples. One peak on the upper level - the divine absolute, supreme power, three peaks on the middle level - the world of people, three social functions Indo-Europeans, the four peaks at the lower level are the cardinal points, the geographical limits of the country. Silver color means purity, wisdom, joy.
Modern state structure
Form of government- presidential republic.
head of state- the president.
Head of the government- Prime Minister.
Church of the Holy Mother of God in Tskhinvali
Capital- Tskhinvali.
Largest cities- Tskhinval, Kvaisa.
official languages
- Ossetian, Russian, Georgian (in places densely populated by Georgians).
Territory– 3,900 km².
Population– about 72,000 people. The population of South Ossetia consists of Ossetians (64.3%), Georgians (25%) and some other ethnic groups (mainly Russians, Armenians, Jews).
Currency- Russian ruble.
Administrative division- 4 districts and the city of Tskhinvali. Only two settlements have the status of a city: Tskhinval and Kvaisa. Dzau, Znaur and Leningor are settlements. Other settlements have the status of villages.
Religion Orthodoxy is the main religion.
Sport football is the most popular sport.
Economy- according to the decision of the Georgian Parliament, it organized the economic blockade of South Ossetia. The main products produced in South Ossetia are fruits, which, after the August 2008 war, are supplied exclusively to the Russian Federation.
The train service was also shut down Railway connected Tskhinval with Gori and the Transcaucasian highway). There are also no airports. Aviation of the republic is represented only by helicopters.
Parade military equipment South Ossetia on Victory Day
Armed forces – General base, two rifle battalions, a motorized rifle battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, an MTO battalion, a mountain special forces company, a sniper company, a communications company, an engineering company, a security company, a guard of honor company.
Nature
South Ossetia is located on the southern slope of the Central Caucasus and in the foothills of the Inner Kartli plain. Almost 90% of the republic's territory is located at altitudes of more than 1000 m above sea level. highest point South Ossetia is Mount Khalatsa (3938 m).
Most of the republic's rivers belong to the Kura basin (flows into the Caspian Sea): Bolshaya Liakhva with a tributary Malaya Liakhva, Ksan, Mejuda, Lekhura. The Jodzhora and Kvirila rivers belong to the Rioni basin (flows into the Black Sea).
River Kvirila
The largest lake in the republic Kelistba, located at an altitude of 2921 m. The lake is slowly being destroyed due to erosion of the soil by the river Ksani flowing from it. The lake is covered with ice for 7-8 months of the year.
The largest man-made reservoir is on the Malaya Liakhva River, it is used for irrigation.
In South Ossetia, the following are distinguished types of climates: 1. Dry, steppe climate with temperate cold winter and hot summer (on the Inner Kartli plain in the south of the republic). 2. Moderately humid with moderately cold winters and long summers (at an altitude of 2000-2200 m). 3. Humid climate with cold and long winters and cool summers (at an altitude of 2200-3000 m). 4. Alpine humid climate of eternal snows and glaciers (on the peaks of the Main Caucasian Range, at an altitude above 3000-3600 m. Snow falls on the passes of South Ossetia almost at any time of the year.
Visible life appears in South Ossetia below the border of eternal snows. At an altitude of 3500 m, a belt of mountain-stony tundra stretches in a narrow strip along the slopes of mountain ranges with a predominance of mosses and lichens. Below, up to a height of about 2500 m, forb-cereal alpine meadows are common, behind which tall-grass subalpine meadows with shrubs and shrubs of the heather family descend like a motley carpet: rhododendron, lingonberry, blueberry, crowberry.
Alpine meadows
Fauna of alpine meadows: tours, chamois, snow finches, larks, choughs, Caucasian snowcock, snow voles. The subalpine zone is inhabited by the hare, the Promethean and the common vole, the Caucasian mouse, moles, shrews, kekliks, mountain skates, gray warbler, wall climbers, and birds of prey are also found: eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, falcon, bearded vulture.
hare
In the forests of South Ossetia, vegetation of the temperate and subtropical zones prevails: oak, beech, chestnut, linden, ash, alder, and from conifers - spruce, fir, pine. Below grow medlar, dogwood, wild apple, pear, cherry, cherry plum, blackthorn, barberry, sea buckthorn, viburnum, walnut, birch, mountain ash, maple, willow, juniper. Hazel, red currant, cherry laurel, boxwood, blackberry, raspberry, wild rose grow in the undergrowth. In the gorges, in some places, a pre-glacial relic has been preserved - yew berry.
Sea buckthorn
The mountain forests of the republic are inhabited by brown bear, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, wolf, fox, badger, raccoon dog, stone marten, forest dormouse, weasel, squirrel, hares, forest mice, bats, hedgehogs, Caucasian viper, European forest vipers are numerous. birds.
In the extreme south of the republic, rose hips, hawthorn, derzhiderevo, and buckthorn grow. From animals live hamsters, voles, field mice, hedgehogs, hares, foxes, jackals, boas, steppe eagle.
The only specially protected natural area is the Liakhvi Reserve.
Liakhvi Reserve
It was formed in 1977 to preserve alpine forests and was then in the Gori municipality of Georgia (now the Tskhinvali region of South Ossetia). The reserve is located at an altitude of 1200-2300 m above sea level and covers an area of 6084 hectares. It covers a number of gorges, including the Gnukh Gorge.
The reserve is inhabited by Caucasian deer, roe deer, brown bear, lynx, marten, Caucasian black grouse, Caucasian snowcock, mountain partridge, etc.
Brown bear
culture
Kosta Khetagurov
The culture of South Ossetia has its own history and figures. Perhaps the most famous of these is Kosta Khetagurov(1859-1906), an outstanding Ossetian poet, educator, painter and sculptor. Founder of Ossetian literature. He is also considered the founder of the literary Ossetian language.
Kosta Khetagurov "Zikara Pass"
In the city of Tskhinval, the South Ossetian State Theater bears the name of K. Khetagurov.
Famous writers: M.B. Tskhovrebova, Z.Z. Kabisov, T.Kh. Tadtaev.
The most famous Ossetian dance - simd. As in other Ossetian folk dances, young men temperamentally and easily perform technically complex movements. They behave with dignity, emphatically polite in relation to the girl.
Simd is interesting in its drawing and compositional construction. It starts at a moderate pace, but gradually the pace of the dance accelerates. It is performed smoothly, on high half-toes, the body is pulled up all the time. The number of performers must be even.
State Honored Academic Song and Dance Ensemble "Simd" named after B. Galaeva was founded in 1937. One of the famous performers of the ensemble was the singer Valery Sagkaev, who tragically died in 1992 under an avalanche on the Transcaucasian highway.
Valery Sagkaev
Sights of South Ossetia
Tskhinvali
Monument to the victims of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict
As a result of the military conflict in August 2008, the city was destroyed. Russian Ambassador to Georgia Vyacheslav Kovalenko: “The city of Tskhinvali no longer exists. It just doesn't exist. It was destroyed by the Georgian military.”
There were architectural monuments in the city: the Kavta Church of St. George (VIII-IX centuries), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (XIX century), St. Nicholas (XIX century), Kviratskhovelskaya, Zguderskaya church of St. George. During the war in South Ossetia in August 2008, some of them were completely destroyed, others were seriously damaged.
During the restoration work of the Church of the Holy Mother of God (1718)
One of the most picturesque parts of Old Tskhinvali is the Jewish Quarter. It has been known since the 13th century. It was seriously damaged by rocket and artillery strikes in 1991-1992, when Georgian troops captured the dominant heights above the eastern part of the city and shot it with direct fire for several months. In the summer of 1992, the troops of the State Council of Georgia broke through the defenses of the city and occupied the part of the city where the Jewish quarter was located. At the same time, old houses were burned and destroyed. The quarter was also seriously damaged during the military conflict in August 2008.
Kusdzhita village
...And very beautiful nature in South Ossetia
Story
ancient history
The territory of South Ossetia has been inhabited by people since ancient times. The abundance of Paleolithic monuments on the territory of South Ossetia suggests that the climate of the Caucasus in the Stone Age was dry and warm. In the Acheulean caves of Kudaro-1, Kudaro-2, remains of macaques and bones of marine fish were found.
The ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (90-21 BC) pointed out that “the wasps (Ossetians), who previously lived east of Armenia and the Persian Gulf, descend from the Medes-Iranians and settled on the territory of Transcaucasia proper, and in particular South Ossetia, V centuries before the birth of Christ. After the Mongol and Timur invasions, the remnants of the Alan population were able to take refuge in the mountains, where the process of ethnogenesis of the modern Ossetian people took place.
New history of South Ossetia
Georgian-South Ossetian conflict (1918-1920)
In 1918, Georgia restored its lost state independence and, as part of the newly formed Democratic Republic of Georgia, the Tskhinvali region, as in 1867-1917, was divided between two administrative units of the republic - Gori and Dusheti districts. In May 1920, an uprising began: the Bolsheviks, having proclaimed Soviet power, put forward a demand for the region to join Russia. As in the previous uprising in 1918, this time the majority of the local Ossetian population supported the uprising. The authorities of the Georgian Democratic Republic sent troops to Tskhinvali to suppress it. government troops for a short time won. Ossetian citizens who took part in the uprising (20,000 people) left Georgia and moved to Russia. In 1918-1920. three major anti-government uprisings took place in South Ossetia under the slogan of establishing Soviet power and the accession of South Ossetia to the RSFSR. The most powerful was the uprising of 1920.
South Ossetian rebels and sent to help them from Soviet Russia The South Ossetian brigade crossed the pass on June 6 and defeated the Georgian troops near Dzhava. The next day, after stubborn offensive battles, the Georgian troops near Tskhinval were defeated, and the city was taken. On June 8, Soviet power was proclaimed in South Ossetia.
In June-July 1920, the Georgian government carried out a punitive operation in South Ossetia, about 70% of the livestock was stolen or killed, about 5 thousand Ossetians were killed or died of starvation and epidemics. The Soviet Georgian government created in April 1922 the South Ossetian Autonomous Region. The administrative-state languages were Russian and Georgian.
Declaration of Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia
On November 10, 1989, the Autonomous Republic of South Ossetia was formed. The Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR recognized this decision as unconstitutional.
On September 20, 1990, the Council of People's Deputies of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region proclaimed the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic as part of the USSR, and on November 28, 1990, the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic was renamed the South Ossetian Soviet Republic.
On December 9, 1990, elections were held to the Supreme Soviet of the South Ossetian Soviet Republic. Residents of Georgian nationality boycotted them.
South Ossetian war (1991-1992)
On the night of January 5-6, 1991, units of the police and the Georgian National Guard were brought into Tskhinval. But the Ossetian self-defense units and the local militia began to resist, and after 3 weeks they were forced to leave the city.
On February 1, 1991, Georgia cut off the power supply to South Ossetia. Dozens of old people froze to death in the nursing home, babies died in the maternity hospital.
Throughout 1991, periodic armed clashes continued. The flow of refugees from the conflict zone to North Ossetia and Russian territory began.
Georgian police forces carried out shelling of the city of Tskhinval, which led to numerous destructions and casualties.
After the shelling
Ossetian detachments in the besieged Tskhinval experienced a shortage of weapons and ammunition and acted as small subversive groups. The humanitarian situation in the former autonomous region and the city was catastrophic.
On September 1, 1991, the Session of the Council of People's Deputies of South Ossetia proclaimed the Republic of South Ossetia as part of the RSFSR. This decision was annulled by the Georgian parliament.
At the end of 1991 - beginning of 1992. started in Georgia Civil War, during which he was released from a Tbilisi prison and sent by helicopter to Tskhinval by Jaba Ioseliani, he again headed the Supreme Council of South Ossetia. In the 1992 referendum, more than 98% of the population of South Ossetia answered that they would like to join Russia and become independent. The result of the referendum was the beginning of artillery shelling of Tskhinval by Georgian artillery and armored vehicles. On May 20, 1992, Georgian militants shot at the village of Zar a column of refugees heading for North Ossetia, 36 people were killed.
Horrors of war
On May 29, 1992, the Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia adopted the Act on State Independence of the Republic of South Ossetia.
On July 14, 1992, peacekeeping forces consisting of three battalions (Russian, Georgian and Ossetian) were introduced into the conflict zone.
Ludwig Chibirov
November 10, 1996 the first President of South Ossetia was elected Ludwig Chibirov, doctor historical sciences, Professor. In 2001 he was replaced Eduard Kokoity.
Eduard Kokoity
At the end of May 2004, declaring its intention to fight smuggling, Georgia introduced detachments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and army special forces into the territory controlled by South Ossetia. On August 19, 2004, Tskhinval was fired from mortars. On the same day, clashes took place near the village of Tliakan. A day later, Georgian troops were withdrawn from the conflict zone.
In March 2006, Eduard Kokoity filed an application with the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation for the unrecognized republic to join the Russian Federation.
Armed conflict 2008
On the night of August 7-8, 2008, Georgia started a new conflict. As a result of hostilities, 48 Russian servicemen, including 10 Russian peacekeepers, and 162 civilians were killed. The Russian Federation sent its troops into South Ossetia, a few days later Georgian troops were driven back from South Ossetia, during the conflict armed forces The Georgians were left with the upper part of the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia, which they previously controlled. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and on September 9, diplomatic relations were established between the states.
On the evening of August 7, the Georgian and South Ossetian sides of the conflict accused each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire. Georgian artillery, including rocket artillery, began intensive shelling of Tskhinval and adjacent areas.
The horrors of war: on the streets of Tskhinvali
On the morning of August 8, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili accused Russia of bombing Georgian territory, calling it "classic international aggression." General mobilization was announced in Georgia.
At about 3 pm on August 8, Russian armored vehicles entered South Ossetia.
After the 2008 conflict
Despite the fact that the Supreme Council of the Republic of South Ossetia (South Ossetia) proclaimed the independence of the republic as independent state, in August 2008, the independence of South Ossetia was recognized only by other unrecognized states on the post-Soviet territory (Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria).
According to the Constitution of Georgia, it continues to be part of it (in the form of parts of four different regions), but de facto it has been independent from Georgia for the last 15 years.
Two weeks after the end of the active phase of hostilities in South Ossetia, the Russian Federation officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia, which caused a strong reaction from the world community.
On April 19, 2012, as a result of the elections, he officially took office as President of the Republic of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov.
Many Russians believe that South Ossetia is part of Russia. There are Russian passports, our ruble, Russia pays them pensions and salaries to state employees, South Ossetians vote in our elections. Although formally, according to international standards, this is Georgian territory. The border with which we cross all the same did not.
In 2017, South Ossetia plans to hold a referendum on the accession of this unrecognized republic to Russia. South Ossetia, along with another Georgian region, Abkhazia, declared its independence after the military conflict with Georgia in 2008. Now South Ossetia is recognized by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, Tuvalu and the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic.
In North Ossetia, I was invited by the Guild of Interethnic Journalism. After the North Caucasian stage of the Peacemaker Media Contest, we went on an excursion to the Kurtatinsky Gorge, just in the direction of Georgia, on the way we talked with the editor-in-chief of the newspaper North Ossetia Alan Kasaev.
In the photo: reading the newspaper "North Ossetia", the circulation of the newspaper is 20,000 copies. Alan Kasaev is second from the left.
Interview with Alan Kasaev was recorded by Yulia Korneva:
- Now the border between North Ossetia, that is, Russia and South Ossetia, is conditional. Crossing the border takes 5-10 minutes, including inspection. You only need to present an internal Russian passport or a South Ossetian one. There is only one border and customs checkpoint between Russia and South Ossetia, on a single carriageway. Of course, you can get over the mountains, but it's hard. From Vladikavkaz (the capital of North Ossetia - editor's note) to the border is about 110 kilometers.
They live about the same: what is in North, what is in South Ossetia?
Of course it's better there. The effects of the war continue to be felt. The fact is that South Ossetia existed very successfully as a transit territory - further to Georgia, to Armenia, Azerbaijan. And we hoped that after the acute conflict with Georgia in 1990-92, it would somehow be settled. But in 2004, Saakashvili, under the pretext of fighting smuggling, took and closed all the markets that traded between South Ossetia and Georgia on the territory of South Ossetia. This, of course, was a colossal stupidity on his part, because it angered the people to the extreme. After all, which is better smuggling or war? I think smuggling is much better than war. The population, both Ossetian and Georgian, on both sides of the then demarcation line, coexisted superbly with each other, there were exchanges both in kind and in money. People went to visit each other and everything was fine. But this decision of his, in my opinion politically stupid and absurd, eventually led to a sharp conflict.
Everything was sold at these markets: from greenery to cars. It was especially profitable to buy a car, because customs duties in Georgia were much lower. It was possible to buy a car there, register it in South Ossetia and, with a temporary permit, drive in Russia.
And how did the conflict between South Ossetia and Georgia begin? So let's say your version?
In 1989, nationalists, Gamsakhurdia, came to power in Georgia. He came to power under the slogan "Georgia for Georgians". And he decided to abolish all autonomous entities on the territory of Georgia: Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Adzharia. With Adzharia, he did not succeed, since Georgians live there, only of the Muslim faith. But Abkhazia and South Ossetia simply did not obey. In 1990, South Ossetia did not want to be abolished and the South Ossetian Republic was formed within the USSR, directly subordinate to Moscow. And immediately attempts of armed pressure began from Tbilisi, armed people began to arrive, and sometimes even criminals were released from prisons for this. The most acute phase of the conflict began after the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, the peak came in the first half of 1992, when Tskhinval was surrounded from all sides and fired from tanks and other heavy weapons.
Have you been to Tskhinval, are traces of the past military operations still visible in it?
In some places they are still visible. The houses were pierced with shells and bullets, and not all of them have been restored yet. Some large buildings still stand burned down. In the eight years that have passed since the last armed conflict, well, 60-70 percent, at the very least, managed to be restored.
The last time I went there was this summer in June. I am a historian by education, and there is a research institute there and its director turned 70 years old, so we gathered a few people, went, congratulated him, stayed a little and returned back. I don't have close relatives there, but I do have friends.
They say that if there is a mark in the passport about crossing the borders with South Ossetia or Abkhazia, then they may not be allowed into Georgia?
Well, we are passing with internal Russian passports, and not with a foreign passport, and, of course, they do not put any mark in the Russian passport. In 2010, I was then working in Moscow at the RIA Novosti Agency, we went to Georgia. The well-known journalist Maxim Shevchenko and Volodya Mamontov, the then Chief Editor newspaper "Izvestia". It is known about me that I am Ossetian and cannot help but visit South Ossetia, and so they let me into Georgia, but they are not there. Volodya Mamontov was confused with Arkady Mamontov, a TV presenter, and was banned from entering. Maxim Shevchenko was also stopped at the airport, just in case, and for some reason sent on a flight to Yerevan. But I came to Georgia. I have been to Georgia many times. The last time was this year in May. And I never had any problems crossing the border. Although my name is probably in all their secret computer lists.What is the population of South Ossetia in numbers?
There, according to the 1989 census, there were a maximum of 98 thousand people. For comparison, there are now 730,000 in North Ossetia. But now, taking into account the fact that Georgians no longer live in South Ossetia, there are probably 50-60 thousand people there - no more. And of them, about half live in Tskhinvali. They always lived not richly, and Georgia never really dealt with this territory. Now Russia is helping South Ossetia: it allocates funds for restoration, pensions and social benefits.
Now in South Ossetia, what kind of money is in use?
Russian rubles, they do not have their own currency. Georgian money does not openly circulate there, but it is possible that they are exchanged there on the black market. But I don't know anything about it.
Is the Crimean scenario possible there?
Join Russia? Well, this is a matter of political speculation. The topic of South Ossetia in Russia is not well known to anyone; like in the Crimea, you cannot make such political dividends on it. Now ask the Russians: 9 out of 10 Russians surveyed will be surprised to learn that South Ossetia is not Russia. That is, this is not a topic for some kind of political scandal that would attract and consolidate the electorate, would lead to some kind of unity of society around the president. This is not Crimea. For Russia, annexing South Ossetia now would mean even more damage to relations with the outside world. And to make sure that a few dozen more Ossetians have even stronger sympathy for Putin - well, this is not the dividend.
South Ossetia by chance Russian elections not participating?
In South Ossetia, almost everyone has Russian passports, that is, they are citizens of Russia, so they could vote. In the recent parliamentary elections there were 11 polling stations. But these were the polling stations that belonged to the North Ossetian Electoral Commission.
I don't know. But certainly for United Russia. And the residents of South Ossetia also participate in the Russian presidential elections.
That is, in fact, it's like Russia?
Well, not quite. They, for example, have much lower customs duties than in Russia. Customs duties on cars there are two times less. Clearing a big beautiful fat Mercedes there will cost, say, ten thousand rubles.
What do they do for a living to buy a big beautiful Mercedes?
So it's not they who buy it, but the Russians. That is not the local population. And what do they earn: well, firstly, there is a Russian military base there. About five thousand people, well, the bulk of these five thousand are South Ossetians. Plus the service military base. Thirdly, this whole Russian border department is located there, it is also a couple of thousand people.
I hope this is not a military secret?
No, I don't know military secrets. Maybe a secret, but I don't know about it. Next is the local budget system: doctors, teachers, officials, policemen.
But what kind of uniform do the same police have, our Russian one?
Yes, just the old one. That is, the one that we had about ten years ago, apparently a lot of it has accumulated in warehouses.
Well, why, communicate. There is such a Leningorsky district where the border is actually open, but it is open for citizens, and not for cargo. The population in this Leningor region is from five to ten thousand people - and everyone has Georgian passports. From Leningor to Tbilisi 20 minutes drive. All young people under 45 mostly work in Georgia in Tbilisi. There, travel is generally free, although formally the Russian border guards issue passes. But really formally, there are no problems with this, and now they say that these passes will be canceled altogether so as not to produce some kind of hypothetical corruption. But the main problem- this is, after all, the transit of goods. It must exist. Transit is what has been feeding South Ossetia for centuries and should be fed. But for this it is necessary to somehow improve relations with official Tbilisi. Because fruits and vegetables will not feed the whole country.
South Ossetian state flag and North Ossetian are the same.
Upon my return to Tomsk, I recorded a poll on the street: what do Tomsk residents know about the current status of South Ossetia? The majority, indeed, are inclined to think that South Ossetia is ours.
Tags: Tomsk, Tomsk region, South Ossetia, North Ossetia, annexation of South Ossetia to Russia
Other currencies of South Ossetia: Russian ruble (RUB)
The currency of Russia is currently represented by a monetary unit called the Russian ruble. According to ISO 4217, the Russian currency code is designated as RUB, until 1998 this code was RUR. The very concept of "ruble" as a monetary unit appeared in the Novgorod Republic in the XIII century. At first, the Russian ruble was part of the hryvnia and looked like a silver fragment, on which notches were located. The number of notches corresponded to the weight of the ruble, four notches, or four rubles, equaled one hryvnia. Thus, the word "ruble" comes from the verb "cut". The modern Russian currency in the form of the ruble was put into circulation in December 1991. It was used simultaneously with Soviet rubles, which were in circulation on the territory of Russia until the autumn of 1993. One Russian ruble is equal to one hundred kopecks. In the form of coins, the currency of Russia is represented by denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 kopecks. In the form of paper banknotes, the Russian ruble is presented in denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 rubles. In addition, there are metal analogues of the Russian ruble in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 rubles. A paper banknote of 5 rubles has not been printed since 1997, but, nevertheless, it still remains in circulation. In 2012, the Russian currency will also lose the paper version of the 10-ruble banknote. Its metal variant has gone out of circulation since October 1, 2009. While Vladimir Lenin was depicted on all Soviet rubles, Russian rubles are decorated with various landmarks located in different cities of Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yaroslavl, Novgorod, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk and Arkhangelsk. The Russian currency, more precisely, its issue, is controlled by the Central Bank of Russia - the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. FSUE "Gosznak" is engaged in the manufacture of paper banknotes and coins. Mints of Gosznak are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and printing houses of Gosznak are located in Perm and Moscow. Currently, the exchange rate of the Russian ruble is pegged to the US dollar, however, despite this, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is going to make the Russian ruble the Ukrainian reserve currency. On the territory of Russia, all international credit cards are in circulation, currency exchange is carried out at exchange offices and banks.
