, Columnist
Putin Erases the Truth About the Ruble
Russia has banned the ubiquitous street displays of the currency’s value, and perhaps nostalgia, to hide any hint of weakness.
Hard to miss.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images
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On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin quietly signed an arcane bill that will alter the appearance of many of the country’s streets and erase one of the few remaining symbols of the economic freedom the country discovered when the Soviet Union fell apart.
The new law prohibits currency-exchange offices from displaying rates to passersby. That may not sound important, unless you know the role of the signs in Russia’s modern history.