Saturday, July 18, 2026 - The Russian ruble has strengthened past 81 against the U.S. dollar, marking a 40% increase since early 2025, driven by rising oil prices. This appreciation has made the ruble one of the world's best-performing currencies, though it presents challenges for Russia's heavily sanctioned economy. Recently, the ruble weakened after reaching its strongest level since May 2023, reflecting market volatility.
| 1 $ = | Start | 07/18/2026 | Change | |
| Last 24 hours | 78.2 руб | ⇨ | 78.283 руб | +0.11% |
| Last week | 76.636 руб | ⇨ | 78.283 руб | +2.15% |
| Last month | 72.972 руб | ⇨ | 78.283 руб | +7.28% |
| Last year | 78.498 руб | ⇨ | 78.283 руб | -0.27% |
| Currency | 07/11/2026 | 07/18/2026 | Change | |
| Venezuelan Bolívar (VES) | 708.81 Bs. | ⇨ | 724.84 Bs. | +2.26% |
| Russian Ruble (RUB) | 76.636 руб | ⇨ | 78.283 руб | +2.15% |
| Egyptian Pound (EGP) | 49.626 E£ | ⇨ | 50.5 E£ | +1.76% |
| Hungarian Forint (HUF) | 311.79 Ft | ⇨ | 317.24 Ft | +1.75% |
| Bulgarian Lev (BGN) | 1.6909 лв | ⇨ | 1.7175 лв | +1.57% |
| Vanuatu Vatu (VUV) | 120.29 VT | ⇨ | 118.96 VT | -1.11% |
| Norwegian Krone (NOK) | 9.7826 kr | ⇨ | 9.6474 kr | -1.38% |
| South African Rand (ZAR) | 16.317 R | ⇨ | 16.028 R | -1.77% |
| Colombian Peso (COP) | 3,294.7 $ | ⇨ | 3,223.8 $ | -2.15% |
| Seychellois Rupee (SCR) | 14.565 SR | ⇨ | 13.409 SR | -7.94% |
| See also: 24h, monthly and yearly currency moves | ||||
| Currency name | Russian Ruble |
| Symbol | руб |
| Also known as | RUB, Russian Ruble, ₽1 = 100 kopecks |
| ISO code | RUB |
| Banknotes | 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 руб |
| Coins | 1, 5, 10, 50 kopecks; 1, 2, 5, 10 руб |
| Central bank | Central Bank of Russia - Website: www.cbr.ru |
| Countries | 1 country: Russia (capital: Moscow, major cities: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg) |
| Population | 145 mil. |
History
The Russian ruble is one of the world's oldest national currencies, with roots in the medieval Kievan Rus principalities of the 13th century. Its name derives from the word rubit' (to chop), referring to the practice of chopping silver bars into smaller pieces for transactions. The ruble has been the currency of Russia, under various political systems, for over seven centuries.
Peter the Great modernised Russia's monetary system in 1704, introducing a decimal ruble divided into 100 kopecks — one of the earliest decimal currency systems in the world. Russia adopted the gold standard in 1897 under Finance Minister Sergei Witte, enabling the ruble to become a convertible international currency and attracting foreign investment for rapid industrialisation.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent civil war devastated the monetary system. Hyperinflation under the Soviet government led to monetary reforms in 1922 and 1923; the Soviet ruble replaced the old currency at 1 million to 1. The Soviet ruble remained a non-convertible internal currency throughout the USSR era, with an artificial official exchange rate.
Following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, Russia liberalised its currency but faced hyperinflation. A currency reform in 1998 redenominated the ruble at 1,000 to 1. The ruble crises of 1998 (default and devaluation) and 2014–2015 (oil price collapse and Western sanctions over Ukraine) caused dramatic declines. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and sweeping international sanctions, the ruble collapsed then partially recovered following capital controls imposed by the Central Bank of Russia.
Sources:
"Russian ruble", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_ruble
"1998 Russian financial crisis", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Russian_financial_crisis