The History of Kopeks: From Peter the Great to Post-Soviet Era

Kopeks (Russian: копеки) were a unit of currency in Russia and other Soviet republics until the late 1990s. The name "kopek" comes from the Russian word for "copper," as the first coins issued by Peter the Great in the early 18th century were made of copper. Over time, the value of the kopek was adjusted to reflect changes in inflation and the value of other currencies.

In the Soviet era, the kopek was officially known as the "Soviet ruble" (Russian: советские рубль), but the term "kopek" was commonly used in everyday life. The kopek was divided into 100 fen (Russian: фен).

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of the former Soviet republics replaced their currencies with new ones, and the kopek was phased out. However, some countries, such as Russia and Belarus, continued to use a currency called the ruble, which is still subdivided into kopeks. For example, in Russia, 100 kopeks make up one ruble (Russian: рубль).