The X-Rated Ruble

Lately we’ve been hearing an awful lot about the devaluation of the standard Russian currency, the ruble.

Did you know that in the recent past a proposal was introduced to the Russian Central Bank banning children under 18 from carrying the 100 ruble note due to an obscene picture adorning its face?

Those of you who’ve not been on an isolation vacation or a business trip to Mars know that Russia under its President, authoritarian monster Vladimir Putin, has invaded the democracy of Ukraine.

Because of this aggressive and deadly incursion into a free democracy the wrath of the free world has been visited on Russia. At this point the vastly outnumbered heroic Ukrainian people are barely holding their own on the battlefield against the Russian Army.

Short of declaring war the Free World has, none-the-less, imposed crippling sanctions on the economy of Russia.

These sanctions have threaten to bring about a complete failure of the Russian economy.

The Ruble:

Before Friday 2/26/22: 84. rubles equaled $1.00

The ruble lost close to 36%: now it takes 104.51 rubles to equal $1.00.*

But you may already know that.

The Story of the X-rated Ruble:

In 2014 Russian lawmaker Roman Khudyakov heard a suspicious giggling from a close huddle between his daughter and a friend .

You parents know, the stifled snickering of kids observing something naughty.

An observant dad, he noticed they were laughing at the picture on the face of the 100 ruble note (at the time worth about $3.00) he’d given her to pay for lunch at school.

There, bold as balls, on the face of one of one of the most circulated denomination of Russian currency was the statue of Apollo on his chariot with his penis hanging out in front of him for all the school girls and boys in the country to examine.

Come on Mr. Khudyakakov the 100 ruble bill has been in circulation since 1853 none of you lawmakers noticed that little ha ha before.

Too busy yachting?

Well, apparently it affected parent and lawmaker Khudyakakov to the extent where he introduce a parliamentary request banning children under 18 from carrying the 100 ruble note. Plenty of other nomination could be carried for lunch money he reasoned.

The proposal was struck down citing a technicality.

The 100 ruble is still in circulation penis and all.

Ironically, the statue in front of the newly rehabbed Bolshoi has also been redone in 2011; with a fig leaf over Apollo’s private parts.

I wonder if the rumor is true, the dramatic rise in erectile disfunction in Russian oligarchs is connected to the devaluation of the ruble.

Apollo doesn’t care one way or another.

*Value of the ruble to the dollar changes frequently.

This post was self-published 3/2/22