The Russian Ruble has been in use for centuries. The Ruble name has stayed consistent too. The design of Ruble banknotes from before the Russian Revolution consisted of the Russian Coat of Arms on the front or maybe a portrait of a Tsar, and on the back large numbers depicting the denomination and some text with an excerpt promising the notes validity. The Russian coat of arms consist of 2 double sided eagles and is still in use in many government institutions.
The Soviet Ruble replaced the former Ruble in 1917. Banknotes were historically printed by Goznak the state owned mint. The Soviet Ruble consisted of coins and banknotes. The banknote designs consisted of portraits of Vladimir Lenin and images of working class people. The banknotes themselves were actually printed in bright colors like green, blue and red. The Soviet Ruble was used by Soviet states like Ukraine, Lithuania, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Georgia. After the dissolution of the USSR the majority of Soviet satellite states started using their own national currency. In 1998 the Ruble was redenominated and it’s the current series in circulation.
Modern Russian banknotes consist of a modest design. They follow the traditional pattern of historic monuments or statues on the front and back. The denominations range from 5 to 2,000 Rubles. The recent commemorative releases of 100 Rubles for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and 100 Rubles for 2018 FIFA World Cup are a fresh breath of air from normal circulating banknotes because they are very colorful with intricate and modern designs. They even have a QR code which can be scanned to authenticate its authenticity.
