2016-02-12 Fri

Finally, the wait was over and Russia’s 100-ruble commemorative bank note was officially released. No information about the note’s designs was revealed even one month before it was released on December 23rd last year.

The obverse of the note features the memorial of sunken ships of Russia’s Black Sea fleet and is dedicated to the city of Sevastopol. The memorial was built in 1905 on the 50th anniversary of the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. Rather than losing against the British, French, Turkish, and Sardinian foes, the Russian Navy had decided to sink its entire fleet. This move also helped them block access to the harbor.

The reverse is devoted to Crimea and features the Swallow’s Nest, a cliff-top castle near Yalta from 1912, the Big Khan mosque, and the RT-70, one of the largest radio telescopes in the world.