Satirist Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin, Timed to the 200th Anniversary of his Birth

Obverse

a relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, above it along the rim the inscription in a semicircle ‘РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ’ (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) framed with paired diamonds on both sides, under the coat of arms are the chemical symbol and fineness of the metal on the left and fine metal content and the mint mark on the right, at the bottom centre in three lines are the inscription ‘БАНК РОССИИ’ (BANK OF RUSSIA), the coin denomination ‘2 РУБЛЯ’ (2 RUBLES), and the year of issue ‘2026 г.’ (2026).

Reverse

relief images of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin’s portrait and figures of the governors of Foolsville from his novel The History of a Town and the inscriptions around the circumference – ‘М.Е. САЛТЫКОВ-ЩЕДРИН’ (M.E. SALTYKOV-SHCHEDRIN) on the right and 1826–1889 at the bottom on the left.

Authors

Designers: E.V. Kramskaya (obverse), A.V. Baklanov, National Artist of Russia (reverse).
Sculptors: A.A. Dolgopolova (obverse), O.G. Shepel (reverse).
Mint: Saint Petersburg Mint (СПМД).
Edge: 195 corrugations.

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Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin (born Mikhail Saltykov and known by the pen name Nikolai Shchedrin; 1826–1889) was a Russian writer and one of the most prominent satirists of the 19th century.

Combining a literary career with civil service, he had inside knowledge of the arrangement of the Russian Empire’s administrative system. Saltykov-Shchedrin gained recognition for his satirical works exposing, through allegory, grotesque, and irony, the fatuity and ruthlessness of public authorities, the arbitrariness of public officials, the bureaucratic hoops and social evils of the Russian public system. His most famous works are Tchinovnicks: Sketches of Provincial Life (a literary cycle), History of One Town (a satirical novel), and Fables (a collection).

Saltykov-Shchedrin worked as an editor for the Russian periodical Notes of the Fatherland, was a prolific publicist, and significantly contributed to the development of Russian satirical prose.