All about new Belarusian money. Currency of Belarus What is money called in Belarus?

She left no one indifferent (by the way, if someone offers you to exchange old banknotes for new ones before this date, feel free to call the police - they are scammers!). To this day, our ruble is affectionately called the “bunny”, because it was this animal, often found in Belarusian forests, that was depicted on the first national currency with a face value of 1 ruble. Those rubles have long been in the archives and collections of numismatists... But what will they look like?

The new banknotes are presented by Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Bank Dmitry Lapko.

Journalists were among the first to see the new money with their own eyes, twirling it in their hands and taking photographs. Yesterday, the National Bank opened the doors of the Central Vault to them, where these bills were stored for 7 years under strict adherence to temperature and humidity conditions. As Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Bank Dmitry Lapko said, if today’s banknotes are printed in Russia, then our new money was produced by a company from the UK. Coins were minted at the Lithuanian Mint and at the Slovak Kremnica.

Why this design

The design of the new banknotes maintains continuity - images of architectural and urban planning monuments are used. By the way, despite all the similarities between the new Belarusian banknotes and the euro, this is their main difference. There are no architectural monuments on the euro. And the fact that our money is colorful, the dollar is becoming more and more decorated lately.

All denominations of the new Belarusian banknotes differ in size - one is 4 mm larger than the other (135 mm x 72 mm 5-ruble and 159 x 72 mm 500-ruble), and in color - from orange and reddish-brown (5 rubles) to blue-emerald-pink (500 rubles). General principle: as the denomination increases, “the color scheme of banknotes is distributed from warm and simple to more complex and cold,” Svetlana Nekrasova, chief specialist of the National Bank, clarified the color nuances. The front side of the banknotes depicts architectural monuments of Belarus, and the reverse side depicts significant periods of the country's history. From ancient settlements, one of which has survived in the Brest region, to modern times. Such topics, according to the developers, are patriotic and have great educational value, consolidating in the mind specific ideas about the country, its regions, and the cultural wealth of the nation. The correspondence of the areas to the face value is selected alphabetically. The front sides of the banknotes represent an artistic picture of the monument with its elements. For example, the texture of the brick and masonry of the Kamenets Tower is the handwriting left by the artists on the 5-ruble banknote. And on the reverse side, iconic and characteristic artifacts were selected for each area. For example, the Vitebsk region is presented as the birthplace of book printing and enlightenment.

Protection

The design of the new money is a tribute to security and banknote recognition technologies. Our new money became bright, colorful and meaningful not only at the will of artists and historians. As Marina Demina, chief specialist of the main department of cash circulation of the National Bank, noted, money is, first of all, a bank note that has security elements. The banknotes are printed on special paper, which itself is protected from counterfeiting. In addition, there are protective signs visible to the naked eye. This is, say, the presence of a watermark on an unprinted field, which most often corresponds to the subject of the image. All banknotes have a metallized thread with text. When viewed through light, it appears as a solid dark stripe. There are also special designs on the unsealed field. This is part of the fragments on the front side and on the back, which, when exposed to light, are combined into a single whole and correspond to the denomination of the banknote.

A total of 6 visible levels of protection. Plus there are a lot of invisible elements that are revealed only to banks and specialized specialists.

For the visually impaired

Markers are provided for visually impaired people. They are located in the lower left corner, different in shape and outline, printed using special technology and are clearly distinguishable to the touch. Large denomination numbers in contrast with the main color of the field will also prevent banknotes from being confused.

Why coins

Belarus turned out to be the only European country where there are no coins. It was decided to correct this shortcoming. For several reasons. First. The service life of a coin is 10 - 15 years, small banknotes - 6 - 12 months. And this is the best case scenario, because the banknote can easily be damaged by the inscription. Second. The appearance of coins is a serious bid to reduce inflation. From January to September, in annual terms, price growth decreased from 17.1 to 11.9 percent. In 2016, prices will rise by a maximum of 12 percent, and after 5 years, inflation will be curbed to 5%.

The smallest denomination of the current 100 ruble banknote will correspond to one kopeck. On its obverse, as on all small change coins put into circulation, the state emblem is depicted, and on the reverse there are numbers indicating denominations. Plus, the reverse side of 1, 2 and 5 kopecks is complemented by an ornament symbolizing wealth and prosperity, on 10, 20 and 50 kopecks - a symbol of fertility and vitality, on one- and two-ruble coins - happiness and freedom.

Coins also have protection. Like banknotes, they are of different diameters. 1 kopeck - 15 mm, is a steel alloy coated with copper, color - red. Exactly the same, but larger in diameter, two- and five-kopeck coins. But 10, 20 and 50 kopecks are yellow because they are made of an alloy of steel coated with copper and brass. 1 ruble - white due to copper-nickel coating. The two-ruble coin is two-color, the largest in diameter is 23.5 mm, weighs 5.81 grams, 2 mm in thickness. Made from a double combination of alloys - copper-brass and copper-nickel. In addition, the coins have a special edge (rim) with notches of a certain size. There are also small details of the ornament that are difficult to reproduce in artisanal conditions.

How much does denomination cost?

Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Bank Dmitry Lapko announced the approximate cost of producing one banknote and coin - from 1 to 4 euro cents. Although it is difficult to talk today about the costs incurred in 2008 - 2009. To replace 600 million banknotes of the 2000 model, only 80 million copies of new banknotes and 400 million coins will be required. The new banknote row is 7 times smaller. Therefore, according to forecasts, the costs of storage, packaging, transportation, recounting, and delivery of money to the end consumer will be significantly reduced. In addition, the National Bank promises to take a restrained approach to issuing large denomination banknotes into circulation.

How will ATMs work?

From July 1, it will be necessary to reprogram ATMs and install coin acceptors in those devices that do not have them, but should have them. It won't be possible to do it all at the same time. Therefore, at first, ATMs will issue both old and new banknotes. In addition, within six months, any seller will be able to accept new bills from you and give change with old ones.

How to pay

From July 1 to December 31, 2016 inclusive, banknotes of the 2000 model, as well as banknotes and coins of the 2009 model, will be in parallel circulation and are required to be accepted when making all types of payments by all business entities.

Where to change

For the next five years - from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021 inclusive - old banknotes will be exchanged for new ones. Until December 31, 2019 inclusive - in the National Bank, banks and non-bank financial institutions, from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021 inclusive - in the National Bank. And only from January 1, 2022, the current money will become invalid.

How will ruble deposits and loans be recalculated, what will the balance on the card be on July 1, 2016

This technical issue, they promise at the National Bank, should not bring any inconvenience to the population. On July 1, 2016, the bank card balance will be shown in new money, that is, without four zeros. All deposit and loan amounts will change. If you took out a loan for 10,000,000 rubles, then on July 1 it will turn into 1,000 rubles. If there were 50,000,000 rubles on a ruble deposit, then on July 1 it will be 5,000 rubles. Using a similar principle, when carrying out denomination, salaries, pensions, scholarships, cash balances in bank accounts, and balance sheets of enterprises and institutions will be recalculated.

Will prices rise due to denomination?

Starting from July 1 and until December 31, 2016, during the parallel circulation of old and new banknotes, business entities will be required to indicate two prices - old and new. This was done intentionally to avoid the temptation to round the price up.

Why did you decide to remove exactly four zeros?

A question of saving. The less money in circulation, the lower the costs. The introduction of small change coins will also have a positive impact on cash handling costs.

By the way

According to the resolution of the Board of the National Bank, reproduction of banknotes can be performed under certain conditions: with a one-sided image of the media, the size of the copy must be less than 75% or more than 125% of the actual size of the bill. With double-sided playback - less than 50% or more than 200%. Coins can also be printed for souvenir purposes on any tangible and intangible media, with the exception of metal alloys. From plastic, for example.

Belarusian ruble It is just beginning its journey along the long winding path to the wide currency highway, so it can only boast of modest achievements. ISO code - BYR, digital - 974.

The emergence of the Belarusian ruble

The emergence of the Belarusian currency dated to the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet system. At first, coupons were introduced in the country, and then banknotes of the National Bank, but the need for its own strong currency was brewing. The only question was in its name: from the proposed “Belarusian ruble” and “thaler”, the first option was chosen. By the end of July, the remaining Soviet rubles began to be replaced by their Belarusian counterpart and withdrawn from circulation. And despite the signing of an agreement by the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Armenia on the creation of a new type of ruble zone, this idea did not receive a response in Belarus and the national currency remained in its position.

The Belarusian ruble is a strong national currency

Popularly nicknamed the “bunny” after the image of this animal on the one dollar bill sample 1992, the national currency underwent two denominations: in 1994 by 10 times and in 2000 by 1000 times. The second added stability to the ruble relative to the dollar exchange rate and began to gradually reduce inflation. Also, the National Bank of Belarus has begun to consistently reduce the refinancing rate. Thereby, Belarusian ruble became attracted the attention of the international community, and in 2006 the French bank BNP Paribas began quoting it against the US dollar on the interbank market. In Belarus itself, this was noted as a manifestation of significant interest in the national currency. From January 2, 2009, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus switched to a mechanism for pegging the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble to a basket of foreign currencies, at the same time by 20.5% against the US dollar.

Failed integration with Russia

For a long time there was an issue of currency integration with the Russian Federation. According to the “Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State,” signed in 1999, both countries provided for the introduction of a single national currency. After concluding a new agreement in 2000, the parties agreed that from January 2005 the role of a common monetary unit should be fulfilled, and from January 1, 2008 a single monetary unit should be adopted. However, according to a statement by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov in 2006, Belarus is not ready to introduce a single currency. Since then, the issue of monetary integration has been postponed indefinitely.

Some facts about the Belarusian ruble

Graphic sign of the Belarusian ruble, adopted by the National Bank - “Br”, however, in business transactions, as in the case of its Russian counterpart, the abbreviations “r” are used in most cases. and "rub."

There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 rubles. Formally, it is divided into 100 kopecks, but no coins or banknotes denominated in kopecks are issued.

When planning a trip to Belarus, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the features of the country’s payment system. But this article contains valuable information on this topic not only for guests of the Republic, but also for its residents.

A little history

The Belarusian ruble is a relatively young national currency in Belarus. The monetary unit began its history of formation in the first half of the 90s, when the Soviet Union collapsed, Belarus became isolated, and the country began to need its own money. Since 1992, coupons have been in circulation, but non-cash payment transactions were already carried out in Belarusian rubles. In 1993, there were payment cards, and starting from the end of July of that year, Soviet rubles began to be withdrawn from monetary circulation.

Since 1994, the Belarusian ruble has rightfully acquired the status of the country’s only currency.

Belarusian banknotes of the 1992 model

Belarusian banknotes of the 1994-1999 model

Belarusian banknotes of the 2000 model

Denominations

The formation of the country's modern money was long and, to some extent, thorny. Already in 1994, the Bank of Belarus carried out the first redenomination of the ruble by 10 times. In 2000, the currency underwent a second transformation into nominal value, but already 1000 times.

On July 1, 2016, the country's economy again required redenomination. The ratio was 1:10,000. Another innovation was that from the same time the minting of state coins began.

The ratio of banknotes after denomination in 2016 (money of the Republic of Belarus of the new sample and outdated)

Commemorative coins

Previously, the Belarusian ruble did not have any units of exchange, however, since 1996, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus has been issuing commemorative coins, which are legal tender and represent a certain value for collectors. Such coins are minted from gold, silver or copper-nickel alloy on various themes.

Modern money of Belarus

Previously, the lack of coins distinguished Belarus from other countries. But this was done in order to save the state budget.
Currently, modern Belarusian rubles (abbreviated “Br”) are represented by:

banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 rubles;
coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kopecks, as well as 1 and 2 rubles.

In this case, 1 ruble is equal to 100 kopecks.
Both coins and paper bills are regulated by the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus.

I am looking for a currency exchange

For both guests and residents of the country, currency exchange is a sensitive and pressing issue. Therefore, we further suggest that you familiarize yourself with the features of the conversion of Belarusian rubles.

Upon arrival

Since the Belarusian currency is not freely convertible, it will not be possible to purchase it before entering the country.

Banks in Belarus easily convert foreign money into national money. You can exchange existing banknotes of other countries for Belarusian rubles at currency exchange offices. Such points are located in bank branches, shopping centers, markets, hotels. You can also convert cash at airports and train stations, but the exchange rate there is very unfavorable, so it’s better not to change money unless absolutely necessary.
It is convenient to quickly analyze exchange rates using special online services that collect up-to-date information from the websites of local banks.

NJust a note: usually the most favorable currency exchange rates are offered by medium and small banks.

Upon departure

When leaving Belarus, you should take care in advance to transfer money into the currency of the country of arrival. In this case, it is better to be guided by the golden rule: do not put all your eggs in one basket. Namely: take a small part in cash, changing it at the exchanger at the most favorable rate, and transfer the rest to the card. When heading to the countries of the European Union, you should issue a card in euros, to all other countries - in US dollars. In this case, when paying, the conversion will be direct: the local currency will be converted into EUR or USD. But paying with a ruble card abroad is extremely unprofitable due to double conversion: first from the local currency into euros or US dollars, and then into Belarusian rubles.

On the border

When making any payment transactions on the territory of Belarus, it is important not to forget to keep the stamped checks, indicating the transaction. Perhaps they will be checked at customs.

In addition, since 2013, a value added tax (VAT) refund system has been in place for foreign citizens for purchases made on the territory of Belarus when leaving it. This system is called Tax Free, and about 50 countries are connected to it. It should be taken into account that:

it does not apply to residents of Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan;
the price of goods must be subject to VAT of 20%;
the purchase amount must exceed 80 Belarusian rubles, and it must be made within 1 day in 1 store;
refund amount – 12.5% of the purchase amount without commissions;
when purchasing, you must have a passport and notify the seller of your intention to issue a “VAT refund check” (hereinafter referred to as the “Check”);
the receipt must be marked about the removal of the goods, with the original cashier's receipt attached and a copy of the seller's receipt;
provide the goods to customs officers strictly within 3 months from the date of purchase;
at customs, have unused goods in intact packaging, a passport, a buyer's receipt (with attached receipts);
within 6 months after export, you must send the original Receipt to RUE Beltamozhservice, indicating the recipient’s bank card details on the envelope (sending is free);
refund of the VAT amount in the recipient’s currency is made within 30 days from the date of receipt of the letter by employees of RUE “Beltamozhservice”;
The refund amount can also be paid in cash at a special Tax Freecash Refund point (at the Minsk National Airport).

participating in the Tax Free program:

Bank cards

Among all payment methods in Belarus, the most popular is non-cash payment via bank payment cards.

Of the debit plastic cards in the republic, Visa and MasterCard are most often used; there are also Belcard and Maestro. And among credit cards (more precisely, installment cards: the annual percentage is 0.000001%) the most popular among the population are Halva (MTBank), Purchase Card (Belgazprombank), Smart Card (Moscow-Minsk Bank), Magnit "(Belarusbank), "Turtle" (VTB Bank).

Traveler's checks

Until 2013, when traveling to Belarus, you could use AmericanExpress traveler's checks, which were the only payment system of this type. Today such a payment system does not function in the country.

Electronic payment systems

Convenient and modern electronic payment systems operate in Belarus. Popular Belarusian EPS:

electronic wallets – EasyPay, WebMoney;
payment via smartphone – iPay, ;
payment systems by bank cards – WebPay, bePaid, Assist Belarus;

Tokens and payment cards

Since coins appeared in circulation not so long ago, tokens and payment cards have remained relevant in the country. Where they can be used and purchased:

For travel on the subway. Plastic cards and metro tokens are sold at each station.
Operating payphones are installed on city streets, which are activated via smart cards. You can buy them at newsstands or at supermarket checkouts.
Vending machines, of which there are few in the republic, accept special tokens for payment, which are also available in newspaper stalls. By the way, the vast majority of vending machines are equipped with coin and bill acceptors, and national currency is accepted for payment.

A couple of decades ago, to the question “What kind of money is there in Belarus?” there was no clear answer. But now there is an active development of not only the Belarusian currency, but also electronic payment systems.

In Belarus (locals say “Belarus”) the Belarusian ruble is used. In mid-February 2017, at the exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic, 100 Russian rubles cost slightly less than 3.5 Belarusian rubles. The US dollar exchange rate against the local currency at the same time was 1.97.

People call Belarusian money “bunnies”. In the 1990s, the first banknotes of independent Belarus featured representatives of the local fauna, and there was a hare on the ruble bill. Now Belarusian money has had a new design for several years, but the colloquial name remains the same.

What to travel with from Russia

It is best to travel from Russia to Belarus with Russian rubles, and then exchange them for local currency in the country of arrival. This is recommended by travel sites and people who have already visited the republic. The main reasons for this are the following:

There are many exchange offices and bank branches in Belarus where they exchange currency. Moreover, this applies not only to Minsk. Exchange offices can be found even in small towns.
In places where there are a lot of tourists, exchangers can be found almost at every turn. So, in the building of the Minsk railway station and at the airport there are several of them.
The exchange rate at Belarusian exchange offices is very favorable for the client.
In Belarusian exchange offices there will be no problems with not knowing the language. Everyone in the republic speaks Russian.
Buying Belarusian rubles in Russia is quite problematic; not every bank sells them, even in Moscow. This currency can be found in exchange offices, in particular at the Belorussky railway station. But in the Russian outback, the “bunny” is exotic.

In Belarus there is also a free exchange of American dollars or euros. But, of course, it’s not worth buying these currencies specifically for the subsequent acquisition of “bunnies” - this is both unprofitable and unnecessary.

Cashless option

In addition to cash, you should take a plastic card with you to Belarus. If you have a card from one of the international payment systems, you can freely pay in many shops and restaurants. In large cities, cards are accepted almost everywhere.

It does not matter in what currency your card was issued: Russian rubles, dollars or euros. You can just go with your “salary”. You will make a purchase in Belarusian rubles, and your bank will debit the amount in the currency of your account. Moreover, the conversion will take place at a preferential rate.

In addition, using Visa or MasterCard cards, you can exchange your “card” money for Belarusian rubles at local ATMs or cash points. Again, at a favorable rate. But please note: there is usually a fee for withdrawing money from a non-native ATM. Therefore, it makes sense to cash out an impressive amount at once, and not a couple of hundred rubles.

Please note: if the card is a credit card, there will be a fee for withdrawing cash. And usually quite big. Therefore, use a credit card only for payments in retail chains, and go to the ATM with a debit card.

Knowledgeable tourists recommend dividing the money you plan to take with you when traveling to Belarus. Place the main amount on a plastic debit card so that you can conveniently pay and withdraw money from it. And for small expenses, immediately upon arrival in the republic, purchase Belarusian rubles.

Moreover, it is better not to buy too many “bunnies”. If you do not have time to spend them during your trip, you will have to go to the exchange office with them again before leaving. And in Russia it will be much more difficult to sell Belarusian money.

Just in case

In conclusion, advice from experienced travelers. Sometimes it's better if you already have some local currency in your pocket when you arrive in the country. Just in case. Even if you are going to “brotherly” Belarus.

There will be no problems if you arrive by train or plane. At large train stations and airports you can exchange Russian money for Belarusian money, usually even at night.

But it's a completely different matter if you travel by car. And so, when the border of two countries is crossed, some difficulty arises. For example, drinking water runs out, gasoline runs out, or a car gets stuck. And you are in a rural area, where cards are not accepted and there are no exchangers.

You won't be able to pay in Russian rubles anywhere. Dollars or euros too. Well, if only you agree with someone privately. Therefore, if you can buy some “bunnies” before traveling to Belarus, buy them.

Belarusian ruble– the official currency of the Republic of Belarus. Bank code - BYR. 1 Belarusian ruble is equal to 100 kopecks, but they are not currently used. Banknote denominations: 100 thousand, 50 thousand, 20 thousand, 10 thousand, 5 thousand, 1 thousand, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 ruble. At the beginning of 2012, banknotes in denominations of 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 ruble were gradually withdrawn from circulation.

On the front side of the banknotes are depicted architectural monuments, on the back - reproductions of paintings, monuments and interiors of historical buildings: 100 rubles - National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus and a scene from the ballet “The Chosen One” by Evgeniy Glebov, 500 rubles - Republican Palace of Culture of Trade Unions in Minsk and sculptures mounted on the pediment of this building, 1 thousand - National Art Museum and a reproduction of one of the paintings from its collection - “Flowers and Fruits” by Ivan Khrutsky, a Belarusian artist of the 19th century, 5 thousand - Sports Palace in Minsk and the Raubichi sports complex ", 10 thousand - panorama and summer amphitheater in Vitebsk, 20 thousand - the Rumyantsev-Paskevich palace in Gomel and its display in the painting by Adam Idzkovsky, 50 thousand - Mir Castle in the Grodno region and elements of its decoration, 100 thousand - Nesvizh the castle and the same one in the painting of the 18th century artist Napoleon Orda.

The history of the Belarusian ruble dates back to the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The first national banknotes were issued in May 1992; before that, Soviet rubles were in circulation. The exchange was carried out in a ratio of 1 to 10. The final transition to the new currency took about two years.

Belarusian rubles of the first issue had images of animals on the front side and were called payment tickets. There was a hare on the ruble banknote, which led to the fact that all Belarusian money was popularly called “bunnies”.

In August 1994, Belarus carried out the first redenomination of the national currency in a ratio of 1 to 10.

The republic, having gained independence, did not actually carry out economic reforms. As a result, the inflation rate there has not decreased for many years. By 2000, it became necessary to carry out another denomination in a ratio of 1 to 1,000 and issue new monetary units into circulation - today's Belarusian rubles.

For several years, a plan to unite the Belarusian monetary system with the Russian one has been prepared for implementation. According to the Treaty on the Creation of the Union State, signed in 1999, a single currency was supposed to appear by January 1, 2008, but due to economic difficulties, the countries were not ready for this.

The Belarusian ruble has experienced a series of devaluations. The first occurred on January 2, 2009, when the National Bank simultaneously reduced its rate by 20%. The dollar began to cost 2,650 Belarusian rubles, and the euro - 3,703.

The year 2011 in Belarus was marked by an economic crisis. The reason for this is considered to be an increase in wages before the presidential elections, a decrease in the competitiveness of export products, and high administrative costs of the state. As a result of the worsening shortage of foreign currency, the National Bank was forced to release the exchange rate of the Belarusian ruble, and it fell in price by more than half. At the beginning of 2012, the official exchange rate was 8,160 rubles per dollar, 1,070 per euro and 276 per Russian ruble.

The Belarusian ruble is not a freely convertible currency. In some cases, as was the case during 2011, administrative restrictions may be introduced on its exchange. As of the beginning of 2012, due to the fact that the official exchange rate was actually fixed by the National Bank at a level different from the real one, the black currency market was thriving in the country.

Despite the difficult situation, Belarus has high economic potential. It is considered one of the most developed republics of the former USSR. Today, the country retains a powerful complex of manufacturing industries: auto and tractor manufacturing, instrument making, radio electronics, household appliances, and machine tool manufacturing. Many people know brands such as Belarus tractors, Atlant refrigerators, etc. The knitting, linen, leather and footwear, food, forestry and woodworking industries are developed.

Thus, if there ever is a abandonment of the state course towards building market socialism, officially proclaimed by Minsk, the republic’s economy may become a good investment target.

In July 2016, another redenomination of the national currency was carried out, the monetary denomination decreased by four zeros. Now in circulation are banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 rubles, as well as coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kopecks, 1 and 2 rubles.