On June 6, 2024, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Alexander Pushkin, the Bank of Russia issued a silver commemorative coin titled ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan’. The poet drew inspiration for this fairy tale from Russian folklore, incorporating characters and images that have since influenced various artistic domains.
Pushkin’s creations such as Gvidon, the Swan Princess, Baba Babarikha, and the 33 stalwart knights, along with the island of Buyan, have inspired composers, filmmakers, and artists. "Many of us enter the world of Pushkin’s poetry with Tsar Saltan," noted an observer.
The 3-ruble silver coin is part of the Legends and Folktales of Russia series (catalogue No. 5111-0506). It contains 31.1 grams of fine metal with a fineness of 925/1,000 and measures 39.0 mm in diameter. Both sides feature a relief rim around the circumference.
The obverse side displays a relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation along with inscriptions including ‘РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ’ (RUSSIAN FEDERATION), ‘БАНК РОССИИ’ (BANK OF RUSSIA), the denomination ‘3 РУБЛЯ’ (3 RUBLES), and other details such as the year '2024', chemical symbol for silver, fineness mark, St. Petersburg Mint trademark, and fine metal content.
The reverse side depicts characters from Pushkin’s fairy tale—Prince Gvidon and the Swan Princess—alongside a cityscape and coastal wave imagery treated for matte finishing using laser technology. There are two semi-circular inscriptions: ‘ЛЕГЕНДЫ И СКАЗКИ НАРОДОВ РОССИИ’ (LEGENDS AND FOLKTALES OF RUSSIA) at the top and ‘СКАЗКА О ЦАРЕ САЛТАНЕ’ (THE TALE OF TSAR SALTAN) at the bottom. A glow effect around the Princess's head is achieved through optical interference.
The coin features a corrugated edge and is minted in proof quality with a mintage limited to 5,000 pieces. It is legal tender in Russia and must be accepted for all types of payments without restrictions at its face value.
Reference to the Press Service is mandatory if this material is used.
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