August 18, 2026

Rubles Will Cost You Extra


Rubles Will Cost You Extra
Prepare to pay a premium. The Russian Life files.

On August 14, the news site RBK reported that banks in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus have increased by up to 15% their commission on non-residents' deposits enumerated in rubles. According to the publication, the restrictions were imposed after a sudden influx of Russian currency into non-resident accounts.

Banks in the three Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries began charging the ruble deposit fees, ranging from 2-5 percent, in June. 

But since the beginning of this month, RBK noticed that banks in the EAEU had hardened their policies on ruble deposits, hiking their rates to 10 and 15 percent. In Belarus' Neo Bank Azia, for instance, there is currently a 20 percent fee for such transactions in rubles.

The banks cited an excess of ruble liquidity as the reason for the imposition of new, higher commissions. A source from a Belarusian bank told RBK that the increase in the flow of rubles into EAEU countries may be due to new controls on transactions in the financial system in Russia.

Meanwhile, unlike other banks, Freedom Bank Kazakhstan decreased its commission rate from 5 to 2.5 percent.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Repressive Medicine
  • August 21, 2026

Repressive Medicine

The Supreme Court of Yakutia has extended the compulsory treatment of a shaman who had previously announced a march on Moscow to “drive the demon out of the Kremlin.” 
Drone Army Needs Pilots
  • August 19, 2026

Drone Army Needs Pilots

“Remote” classes take on a new meaning at one Russian university — as students learn to pilot unmanned drones.
Save Money, Work Less
  • August 13, 2026

Save Money, Work Less

A district’s shift to a four-day workweek signals financial troubles.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955