Belarusian rubles: how "bunnies" became millions

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

A year before the collapse of the great and powerful Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the governing bodies of each country that is part of this coalition adopted declarations proclaiming the sovereignty of their territories. Some Supreme Soviets have even declared complete independence. The Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic also belongs to the first category of countries.

Former member of the USSR

At that time (1990) she was the smallest member of the USSR. Today this state is known in the world as the Republic of Belarus. Without changing its size, it completely changed its appearance. Being at a distance of less than a thousand kilometers from Moscow, Belarus is an example of a well-groomed European country with a developed social sphere and a strong power apparatus. It is called "Little Switzerland". And this is by no means in a financial sense: modern Belarusian rubles are an unstable currency and subject to strong inflation.

Twenty-three years after the collapse of the USSR, a huge number of events took place that influenced the development of the country and the lives of its citizens. Under influenceThe state currency, the Belarusian ruble, also turned out to be a big change.

Prehistory and appearance of the banknote

Coins and paper bills were in circulation on the territory of the USSR. In 1990, Belarus declared its sovereignty. Before the announcement of full independence, coupons were distributed on the territory of the republic, which lost their validity after the state was completely separated from the USSR and Russia.

In 1992, the National Bank of the country issued the first Belarusian rubles, which became "related" to Soviet and then Russian rubles. Cash tickets were used as an additional means of paying for goods and services. Various animals were reflected on the first banknotes: squirrel, lynx, elk, etc. A hare was depicted on the one-ruble banknote - thanks to this fact, since then Belarusian rubles have been called “bunnies.”

Growth of zeros in rubles

The weak economic situation, the lack of gold and foreign exchange reserves, oil and gas reserves played a bad role - inflation was growing rapidly. If back in 1992 the largest banknote in use was 500 rubles, then the next year the National Bank issued banknotes with a face value of 1000 and 5000 rubles.

Now on the canvas of cash tickets there were monuments of architecture and history: the Brest Fortress, the Bolshoi Theater and others. The denomination coincided with the size and significance of the buildings: Belarusian rubles were adding zeros at a galloping pace.

Already since 1996, almost everyonea citizen of the country received wages in the hundreds of thousands. And three years later, the "bunnies" jumped the million mark. The result of the endless growth of the denomination of payment tickets was the denomination: in 2000, each banknote of the country "lost" three zeros.

Bank notes issued that year are still legal tender. The exception is banknotes of 1 Belarusian ruble and 5 five rubles. However, inflation continues, and at the moment the citizens of the country have copies of 100 and 200 thousand in their hands.

In relation to foreign currencies, the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble today also cannot boast of stability. For one dollar, the country's banks offer about 9,600 rubles.