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Over one million people vote for 500-ruble banknote symbols

8 October 2025
News

Over 1.1 million people have already cast their votes in an online poll to select symbols for a 500-ruble banknote dedicated to the North Caucasian Federal District.

The Academic (Elizabethan) Gallery, the sculpture of an eagle tormenting a snake, Mount Beshtau, and the Lermontov Gallery are the most popular choices among Pyatigorsk landmarks proposed for the front of the banknote. Among the symbols of the North Caucasian District regions suggested for the back of the banknote, the majority of votes have been cast for Mount Elbrus, Grozny City, and the Fortress Buildings of Derbent.

‘We are not looking for a single main symbol,’ says Bank of Russia Deputy Governor Sergey Belov. ‘For us, it is important to understand which sites and monuments in the North Caucasian District resonate the most with people and what they associate this land with to then use these symbols in the banknote design. The vote winners may become either the central motif of the composition or a background ornament.’

The Bank of Russia will announce the final results at 12.00 Moscow time on 14 October 2025.