Russia is expected to introduce a graphic symbol for its national currency. The State Duma, its lower chamber, has passed in first reading a bill on how the rouble would look like from now on.
      
      “The rouble is one of the oldest existing monetary units, it’s eight hundred years old,” says Pavel Krasheninnikov, initiator of the bill, who is chairman for the legislation committee.
      
      The amendment in Article 140 of Russia’s Civil Code does not provide for any extra minting orders or replacement of banknotes. The innovation will serve as a hallmark of the country on the international arena, just its anthem and emblem do.
      
      The bill drafts feature various designs. Krasheninnikov advocates for a symbol resembling Cyrillic ‘P’ letter sounding as ‘r’.
      
      Alexey Mitrofanov, from the Liberal Democratic Party, wants to please the Communists by introducing a hammer and a sickle, the old USSR symbol.
      
      “Because of the defaults the rouble should be represented by the Indian national hut called wigwam”, says Oleg Shein, from Rodina (Motherland) faction. This sounds like a Russian informal expression ‘fig vam’ which stands for “and you get nothing”.
      
      390 voted for the bill, with 8 MPs against and no abstentions.