Russia, Federation 25 Rubles 2018

History

25 Rubles 2018, Russia, Federation, Constitution of Russian Federation, 25th Anniversary of Adoption

Obverse. Photo © Bank of Russia

Description

The current Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum on December 12, 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on December 25, 1993, at the moment of its official publication, and abolished the Soviet system of government. The current Constitution is the second most long-lived in the history of Russia, behind the Constitution of 1936.

The 1993 Constitutional Conference was attended by over 800 participants. Sergei Alexeyev, Sergey Shakhray, and sometimes Anatoly Sobchak are considered as co-authors of the constitution. The text of the constitution was inspired by Mikhail Speransky's constitutional project and current French constitution.

A constitutional referendum was held in Russia on 12 December 1993. Of all registered voters, 58,187,755 people (or 54.8%) participated in the referendum. Of those, 32,937,630 (54.5%) voted for adoption of the Constitution. It replaced the previous Soviet-era Constitution of April 12, 1978 of Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (which had already been amended in April 1992 to reflect the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the sovereignty of the Russian Federation), following the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis.

Date of issue: 10.12.2018

Obverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Eagle Coat of arms Russian Federation Rider Horseman In the centre the relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, above the semicircular inscription along the rim THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION framed on both sides by ornamental elements of doubled rhombuses, in the lower part of the disc, at the edge the horizontal inscription BANK OF RUSSIA, 25 RUBLES and the date 2018 under it, over it to the right the mint trade mark. The two main elements of Russian state symbols (the two-headed eagle and the mounted figure slaying the dragon) predate Peter the Great. Today, however, the official description does not refer to the rider on the central shield as representing Saint George, mainly in order to maintain the secular character of the modern Russian state. The imperial crowns on each head stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia, both as a whole and in its constituent republics and regions. The orb and scepter grasped in the eagle's talons are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power and authority. They have been retained in the modern Russian arms despite the fact that the Russian Federation is not a monarchy. Artist: E. V. Kramskaya Sculptors: A. A. Dolgopolova РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ ММД БАНК РОССИИ 25 РУБЛЕЙ 2018 г.
Reverse	Art (sculpture, painting etc.) Column Book Constitution Depicts a relief image of an open book with the Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation depicted on the left page and a three-line inscription THE CONSTITUTION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION engraved on the right page, surrounded by the inscription THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADOPTION OF THE RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION. Under the book, the top of an Ionic column with a capital is depicted. Engraver: A. D. Schablykin 25-ЛЕТИЕ ПРИНЯТИЯ КОНСТИТУЦИИ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ КОНСТИТУЦИЯ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ
Edge	Reeded (milled) 180 corrugations