The fakes were nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. The paper and watermarks were perfectly replicated, and the signatures—done with facsimiles—even looked better than on genuine rubles, since in Russia they were still hand-applied to every note. But Napoleon's skilled forgers were undone by Cyrillic: the Parisian craftsmen, unfamiliar with Russian, made spelling errors.
Paris counterfeited all denominations but focused on 25-ruble notes—the most common large bills. Ahead of the 1812 invasion, over 20 million fakes were shipped to Warsaw, with some entering circulation via local banker Samuel Frankel, who had extensive contacts and accounts in Russia. On Napoleon's orders, distribution was handled by Bernard Maret, then France's foreign minister.
During the Russian campaign, fake rubles were issued to Napoleon's soldiers for personal expenses. To Napoleon's surprise, only a few million entered market circulation on occupied territory—far short of plans—since, unlike ordinary Western Europeans, Russians weren't eager to trade with occupiers.
Only during the retreat did the French start handing out fakes en masse. Merchant Pyotr Nakhodkin, appointed "city head" by occupiers during the taking of Moscow, received 100,000 counterfeit rubles. Even more circulated in 1813-14, when Russian forces operated abroad, where note authenticity couldn't be checked. So upon our troops' return from France, a special operation was launched: by special order, all servicemen had to surrender large-denomination paper rubles for inspection. Bank specialists from Moscow and St. Petersburg were sent to each Russian corps headquarters. One-fifth of the notes turned out fake.
"Napoleonki"—as the folk dubbed these counterfeit rubles—circulated for years thanks to their high quality. Russian bankers meticulously tallied that from 1813-19, fakes worth 5,614,380 rubles were detected. In 1820, during the exchange of paper money for new-issue notes, another 6,794,520 rubles in "Napoleonki" were identified.
Welcome to The Colors of Russia!
On early batches, "хоДячею монетой" (circulating currency) and "госуДарственная ассигнация" (state assignat) came out as "хоЛячею" or "госуЛарственная." Napoleon's secret services printed masses of these before spotting the mistake. Once corrected, though, it became extremely hard to tell the Paris "rubles" from authentic ones with the naked eye.
Paris counterfeited all denominations but focused on 25-ruble notes—the most common large bills. Ahead of the 1812 invasion, over 20 million fakes were shipped to Warsaw, with some entering circulation via local banker Samuel Frankel, who had extensive contacts and accounts in Russia. On Napoleon's orders, distribution was handled by Bernard Maret, then France's foreign minister.
During the Russian campaign, fake rubles were issued to Napoleon's soldiers for personal expenses. To Napoleon's surprise, only a few million entered market circulation on occupied territory—far short of plans—since, unlike ordinary Western Europeans, Russians weren't eager to trade with occupiers.
Only during the retreat did the French start handing out fakes en masse. Merchant Pyotr Nakhodkin, appointed "city head" by occupiers during the taking of Moscow, received 100,000 counterfeit rubles. Even more circulated in 1813-14, when Russian forces operated abroad, where note authenticity couldn't be checked. So upon our troops' return from France, a special operation was launched: by special order, all servicemen had to surrender large-denomination paper rubles for inspection. Bank specialists from Moscow and St. Petersburg were sent to each Russian corps headquarters. One-fifth of the notes turned out fake.
"Napoleonki"—as the folk dubbed these counterfeit rubles—circulated for years thanks to their high quality. Russian bankers meticulously tallied that from 1813-19, fakes worth 5,614,380 rubles were detected. In 1820, during the exchange of paper money for new-issue notes, another 6,794,520 rubles in "Napoleonki" were identified.
Welcome to The Colors of Russia!
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Queen Anne of Austria, d'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers (1978)
The 1978 screen adaptation of The Three Musketeers was directed by Georgy Yungvald-Khilkevich. In this film, Alisa Freindlich took on the role of Anne of Austria, the Queen of France.
By the time of filming, Alisa Freindlich was already a beloved and celebrated actress, having played many complex and compelling roles, so the director had complete confidence in her. However, Freindlich struggled with the character from the very beginning; she couldn’t grasp how the queen should be portrayed.
“I thought: Alisa will arrive and simply perform the role. But that wasn't the case at all. I started to panic. I didn’t really understand what they wanted from me. So I began telling her whole legends about Anne of Austria—fortunately, I had read a great deal of material about her,” recalled Yungvald-Khilkevich.
For Freindlich, understanding and connecting with the heroine turned into a true ordeal.
“I'm talentless, I can't do anything,” she would say.
The director remembered that the situation nearly escalated into hysterics. Yet through their combined efforts, they found the right approach—and the role of Anne of Austria began to shine in all its facets.
To be continued...
#ThisDayInHistory@TCofRus
The 1978 screen adaptation of The Three Musketeers was directed by Georgy Yungvald-Khilkevich. In this film, Alisa Freindlich took on the role of Anne of Austria, the Queen of France.
By the time of filming, Alisa Freindlich was already a beloved and celebrated actress, having played many complex and compelling roles, so the director had complete confidence in her. However, Freindlich struggled with the character from the very beginning; she couldn’t grasp how the queen should be portrayed.
“I thought: Alisa will arrive and simply perform the role. But that wasn't the case at all. I started to panic. I didn’t really understand what they wanted from me. So I began telling her whole legends about Anne of Austria—fortunately, I had read a great deal of material about her,” recalled Yungvald-Khilkevich.
For Freindlich, understanding and connecting with the heroine turned into a true ordeal.
“I'm talentless, I can't do anything,” she would say.
The director remembered that the situation nearly escalated into hysterics. Yet through their combined efforts, they found the right approach—and the role of Anne of Austria began to shine in all its facets.
To be continued...
#ThisDayInHistory@TCofRus
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Family marathon
He is the head of the family, a marathon athlete, and winner of competitions. She is a faithful wife, the keeper of the home, taking care of her husband and children, who succeeds everywhere and in everything. What is her role in her husband's sports achievements? What is behind his prizes? If you want to know about it, then watch this ironic cartoon, created by the studio Kievnauchfilm in 1981 - highly recommended!
#MovieTime@TCofRus
He is the head of the family, a marathon athlete, and winner of competitions. She is a faithful wife, the keeper of the home, taking care of her husband and children, who succeeds everywhere and in everything. What is her role in her husband's sports achievements? What is behind his prizes? If you want to know about it, then watch this ironic cartoon, created by the studio Kievnauchfilm in 1981 - highly recommended!
#MovieTime@TCofRus
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Baransky Volcano Hot Springs, Sakhalin Region
The slopes of the 1,951-meter-high Baransky Volcano are rich with thermal, mud, and mineral springs.
A full-fledged spa resort has been developed here for tourists: natural stone pools, changing rooms, wooden bridges, and gazebos, all set among stunning landscapes, bamboo groves, and clouds of steam.
#ILoveRussia ❤️
#BeautifulRussia@TCofRus
The slopes of the 1,951-meter-high Baransky Volcano are rich with thermal, mud, and mineral springs.
A full-fledged spa resort has been developed here for tourists: natural stone pools, changing rooms, wooden bridges, and gazebos, all set among stunning landscapes, bamboo groves, and clouds of steam.
#ILoveRussia ❤️
#BeautifulRussia@TCofRus
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Forwarded from About my life in Russia 🇷🇺
We present to you an interview with our friend Hunter, who moved from the USA to Russia!
Interview #1⤵️
Interview #1
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Kharita Ogudalova, A Cruel Romance (1984)
The film, adapted from Alexander Ostrovsky’s play The Dowry, was released in 1984. Director Eldar Ryazanov cast Freindlich as Kharita Ignatyevna Ogudalova, an impoverished noblewoman desperate to secure her daughters’ futures by marrying them off to wealthy aristocrats. She nearly succeeds: her eldest is engaged to a foreigner from Monte Carlo, and her middle daughter has married a prince from Tiflis. Only the fate of her youngest daughter, Larisa, remains unsettled.
Initially, the artistic council doubted that Alisa Freindlich was right for the role of Ogudalova. In Ostrovsky’s play, Kharita Ignatyevna is portrayed as a coarse and cruel woman, similar to Kabanikha from The Storm. Ryazanov, however, envisioned the character as more nuanced and tragic—a figure who would evoke both sympathy and revulsion simultaneously. The portrayal skillfully delivered by Alisa Freindlich met this complex challenge perfectly.
To be continued...
#ThisDayInHistory@TCofRus
The film, adapted from Alexander Ostrovsky’s play The Dowry, was released in 1984. Director Eldar Ryazanov cast Freindlich as Kharita Ignatyevna Ogudalova, an impoverished noblewoman desperate to secure her daughters’ futures by marrying them off to wealthy aristocrats. She nearly succeeds: her eldest is engaged to a foreigner from Monte Carlo, and her middle daughter has married a prince from Tiflis. Only the fate of her youngest daughter, Larisa, remains unsettled.
Initially, the artistic council doubted that Alisa Freindlich was right for the role of Ogudalova. In Ostrovsky’s play, Kharita Ignatyevna is portrayed as a coarse and cruel woman, similar to Kabanikha from The Storm. Ryazanov, however, envisioned the character as more nuanced and tragic—a figure who would evoke both sympathy and revulsion simultaneously. The portrayal skillfully delivered by Alisa Freindlich met this complex challenge perfectly.
To be continued...
#ThisDayInHistory@TCofRus
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Shaman, a new star of the Russian music scene, represents his small homeland, Tula at the exhibition "Russia" in Moscow. And not only...
#RussianCulture@TCofRus
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Ceramic craft in the village of Filimonovo in the Tula region has been practiced since the 16th century. The land in these areas was poor, and the harvests were scarce, so producing clay pots and bowls became the villagers’ only source of income. To avoid wasting leftover clay after work, they would sculpt small whistles from it, which eventually led to the creation of the famous Filimonovo toys.
According to legend, the village was named after a potter named Filimon, who was the first to discover deposits of soft clay in these lands, suitable for making various utensils. The pottery craft thrived in Filimonovo for several centuries: men created clay dishes, bricks, and stove pipes. The whistles were made from leftover materials that were unsuitable for larger items. Initially, these figurines were made for children, but later they started to be sold at fairs. The dolls were traditionally crafted only by women, who learned the craft from their grandmothers starting at the age of seven, passing down secrets of firing and painting. All proceeds from selling the whistles were saved for the young artisans’ dowry.
By the mid-19th century, Filimonovo toys became popular not only within the Tula province but also in other regions. However, after the revolution, the craft began to decline: only a few women continued practicing it. In the 1960s, these artisans introduced their craft to several art experts and collectors. Later, young artists learned the traditional techniques, and by the 1980s, the art of Filimonovo toys was fully revived.
Animals most often depicted by artisans included bears, horses, cows, and deer. They were characterized by distinctive horns or ears, with other proportions being quite similar: a thin, elongated body with smooth curves, slender legs, a long neck, and a small head.
#ILoveRussia〰
#RussianCulture@TCofRus
According to legend, the village was named after a potter named Filimon, who was the first to discover deposits of soft clay in these lands, suitable for making various utensils. The pottery craft thrived in Filimonovo for several centuries: men created clay dishes, bricks, and stove pipes. The whistles were made from leftover materials that were unsuitable for larger items. Initially, these figurines were made for children, but later they started to be sold at fairs. The dolls were traditionally crafted only by women, who learned the craft from their grandmothers starting at the age of seven, passing down secrets of firing and painting. All proceeds from selling the whistles were saved for the young artisans’ dowry.
By the mid-19th century, Filimonovo toys became popular not only within the Tula province but also in other regions. However, after the revolution, the craft began to decline: only a few women continued practicing it. In the 1960s, these artisans introduced their craft to several art experts and collectors. Later, young artists learned the traditional techniques, and by the 1980s, the art of Filimonovo toys was fully revived.
All Filimonovo toys are whistles. Most often, masters depicted people and animals, sometimes creating compositions from multiple figures, such as the famous "Lyubota" figurine, representing a loving couple. The shapes of the toys were simple, without intricate details. Female figures were called "barynya" (a lady), and male figures were called "a gentleman" or "a soldier," depending on their clothing. Both types had narrow, short torsos with a thin waist, transitioning into voluminous trousers or a puffy bell-shaped skirt. The heads — nearly the same width as the neck — were topped with headgear: scarves or hats for women, and a peaked cap or top hat for men. In their hands, the women often held a baby or a whistle-shaped bird, while the men held a rooster or a goose.
Animals most often depicted by artisans included bears, horses, cows, and deer. They were characterized by distinctive horns or ears, with other proportions being quite similar: a thin, elongated body with smooth curves, slender legs, a long neck, and a small head.
#ILoveRussia
#RussianCulture@TCofRus
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