Russia's 'Coin Week' turns spare change into cash and digital payments
Russia’s annual 'Coin Week' campaign is now running from April 6 to 18. The initiative encourages people to exchange spare change for banknotes or digital payments. On average, every Russian household holds around 1.5 kilograms of unused coins. The campaign aims to bring idle coins back into circulation. By doing so, it reduces the need for minting new ones. Only coins issued from 1997 onwards will be accepted.
Participants can deposit their change at banks or major retail chains. In Krasnoyarsk, locations include Magnit and Pyaterochka supermarkets, as well as various bank branches. A full list of participating spots is available on the campaign’s official website. Organisers advise sorting coins by denomination before visiting. Last autumn, Krasnoyarsk alone saw over 1 million coins exchanged, totalling 4.4 million rubles.
The two-week event offers a simple way to turn loose change into usable money. It also helps streamline the country’s coin supply. Residents have until April 18 to take part in the exchange.
