DATE=12/30/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-224632
TITLE=RUSSIA / RUBLE (L ONLY)
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE NEW YEAR MEANS NEW MONEY FOR RUSSIANS. RUBLE NOTES
WHICH GO INTO CIRCULATION AFTER THE FIRST OF JANUARY WILL HAVE
THREE FEWER ZEROS -- MEANING THAT SIX RUBLES WILL EQUAL ONE
DOLLAR INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT SIX-THOUSAND. V-O-A MOSCOW
CORRESPONDENT PETER HEINLEIN REPORTS RUSSIANS, STUNG BY PAST
MONETARY REFORMS, APPEAR TO BE TAKING THIS ONE CALMLY.
TEXT: RUSSIANS HAVE GOOD REASON TO FEAR CHANGES IN THEIR MONEY.
FOUR TIMES IN THE PAST 50 YEARS, TWICE THIS DECADE, THEY HAVE
BEEN HURT BY CURRENCY REFORMS. TO MANY, REFORM HAS BEEN LITTLE
MORE THAN A CODE PHRASE MEANING LESS MONEY FOR THE AVERAGE
CITIZEN.
/// OPT /// EVERY RUSSIAN KNOWS STORIES OF PEOPLE LOSING THEIR
LIFE SAVINGS IN PAST CURRENCY EXCHANGES. /// END OPT ///
THIS TIME, HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TRIED TO PERSUADE A WARY
PUBLIC THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT. WHEN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN
ANNOUNCED A RUBLE REVALUATION MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS AGO, HE
PLEDGED TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF AVERAGE RUSSIANS.
/// YELTSIN ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
MR. YELTSIN SAID, "OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS, EVERYTHING RELATED TO
MONEY REFORMS HAS BEEN A BLOW TO THE COMMON PEOPLE HERE. THIS
TIME, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN, HE SAID, AS PRESIDENT, I GUARANTEE
IT.
/// OPT /// HE DESCRIBED THE REFORM AS A WAY TO MAKE LIFE
EASIER BY GETTING RID OF UNNEEDED ZEROS ADDED TO THE RUBLE BY
INFLATION.
/// OPT // YELTSIN ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
HE SAID. "BEGINNING IN JANUARY, WE WILL HAVE TO PAY ONLY ONE
RUBLE FOR AN ITEM WITH A ONE-THOUSAND RUBLE PRICE TAG ON IT. ///
END OPT ///
IN A FURTHER ATTEMPT TO CALM PUBLIC OPINION, THE GOVERNMENT
LAUNCHED AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN USING WELL-KNOWN STAGE AND
SCREEN STARS.
/// AHROSEVA ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
THE SOOTHING VOICE OF ACTRESS OLGA AHROSEVA TELLS TELEVISION
VIEWERS SHE WAS WORRIED AT FIRST BECAUSE OF HER BAD EXPERIENCES
IN THE PAST. B UT THIS TIME, SHE SAYS, SHE HAS THOUGHT CAREFULLY
ABOUT IT, AND DECIDED SHE IS NOT AFRAID BECAUSE THERE WILL BE
PLENTY OF TIME FOR PEOPLE TO CHANGE OLD NOTES FOR NEW.
THE CAMPAIGN APPEARS TO BE WORKING. A RANDOM POLL OF MUSCOVITES
INDICATES WIDESPREAD SKEPTICISM, BUT NOT THE CYNICISM MANY HAD
EXPECTED, GIVEN THE GOVERNMENT'S PAST RECORD.
/// POLUNIN ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
A PENSIONER, 70-YEAR-OLD ALEXANDER POLUNIN, SAYS PEOPLE
EVERYWHERE ARE SAYING "NO, PRICES WILL NOT GO UP." THEN HE
ADDED, I JUST HOPE WE WILL NOT BE DECEIVED.
CRITICS SAY THE CURRENCY REFORM IS A RECIPE FOR CHAOS THAT COULD
FURTHER DEPRESS RUSSIA'S STRUGGLING ECONOMY. EVEN SUPPORTERS
THINK IT COULD TOUCH OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF INFLATION AS STORES
ROUND UP PRICES TO THE NEXT HIGHEST RUBLE.
BUT 69-YEAR OLD AVGUSTA TELEGINA SPOKE FOR MANY ORDINARY RUSSIANS
WHEN SHE SAID THAT TO HER, THE REFORMS ARE MEANINGLESS.
/// TELEGINA ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
I DON'T FEEL ANYTHING, SHE SAID, NOTHING AT ALL. FOR ONE, I
DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
MANY MUSCOVITES EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT ONLY THOSE WITH CASH
STAND TO LOSE IN A CURRENCY REFORM. AND RUSSIANS WITH MONEY,
THEY SAY, ARE PROTECTING IT BY CONVERTING TO U-S DOLLARS DURING
THIS TIME OF UNCERTAINTY. (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/JWH
30-Dec-97 1:07 PM EST (1807 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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