Raymonda
Obverse
in the center — the Emblem of the Bank of Russia (the two headed eagle designed by I.Bilibin, lower — the semicircular inscription — «БАНК РОССИИ» (BANK OF RUSSIA) framed by a circle of dots and inscriptions along the rim: at the top — «ПЯТЬДЕСЯТ РУБЛЕЙ» (FIFTY RUBLES), at the bottom — «1999», the letters to the left indicate the metal sign and the fineness, to the right — the fine metal content and the mint trade mark.
Reverse
the picture of Raymonda and the Saracen sheikh Abderakhman at the ball scene from the 1st act. The inscription at the bottom along the rim: «РАЙМОНДА» (RAYMONDA).
Authors
The artist: A.A.Dolgopolova
The sculptor: A.A.Dolgopolova
Moscow Mint (ММД)
The edge: 134 corrugations
The ballet «Raymonda» ((music by A.Glasunov) staged by M.Petipa was first presented on January 7, 1898 in the Mariinsky Theater,St.Petersburg. The plot is based on the knightly legend.In her Birthday ’s eve the young Raymonda fell suddenly in passionate love with the beautiful knight Jean de Brienne. The Jean ’s father, who came to seek her hand in marriage with his son,had presented Raymonda the tapestry with the portrait of Jean.Abderakhman, the Saracen sheikh, accompanied by magnificent suite, also came to congratulate Raymonda. He tries to abduct Raymonda at the height of the celebration but Jean, who suddenly comes, strikes him with his sword. The wedding of Raymonda and Jean is splendid celebrated in the castle. The ballet is a complete pattern of the united musical and dancing style which was typical for symphonic ballets created by Russian composers at the end of the XIXth beginning of the XXth centuries. During the century after its first presentation many great choreographers appealed to staging the ballet: A.Gorsky, L.Lavrovsky, V.Vainonen, K.Sergeyev, J.Balantshin,T.Gzovskaya.The role of Raimonda embodied in different time such brilliant ballet dancers as: E.Guelcer, E.Semionova, S.Golovkina, G.Ulanova, N.Dudinskaya, I.Kolpakova,T.Karsavina, O.Spesivceva, O.Preobrazhenskaya, M.Plisetskaya.