?
Почему рубль стал своим, а доллар – просто удобным? От символа силы к символу доверия
The rapid transformation of the global financial architecture, accompanied by the weakening of the dollar-centered model and the expansion of currency diversification practices, has necessitated a rethinking of the role of national currencies in ensuring economic sovereignty and the resilience of financial systems. Under sanctions pressure and the restructuring of external economic relations, the policy of the Central Bank of Russia—aimed at strengthening the ruble and expanding settlements in the national currency—has become not only a tool of monetary regulation but also an indicator of the country’s strategic autonomy. In this context, the analysis of citizens’ currency preferences acquires particular significance as a reflection of public trust in financial policy and stability of the ruble within individual and collective economic attitudes.
The aim of the study was to identify the dynamics of Russians’ attitudes toward national and foreign currencies in 2022–2025 and to determine the cognitive, emotional-evaluative, and behavioral factors underlying the formation of currency attitudes and trust in the ruble.
The empirical base includes three comparable samples: 714 respondents (2022), 491 respondents (2023), and 502 respondents (2025), aged 18–80. The surveys were conducted online via the Yandex.Zadaniya platform, ensuring geographical and socio-demographic representativeness. The following methodological tools were used: a modified semantic differential for studying currency imagery; the author's "Currency Preferences" questionnaire; and a new monetary behavior scale. The study results revealed a stable trend in the perception of the ruble, dollar, and euro. In 2022–2023, the ruble evolved from a symbol of mobilization to an image of stability and trust, cementing a positive semantic profile in 2025. The dollar lost its symbolic predominance while retaining its pragmatic appeal. The euro demonstrated a decline in importance in the perceptions of Russians. A factor analysis identified three types of currency attitudes: sovereign-national, pragmatic-dollar, and international. The psychological contradictions in currency trust in a multipolar financial system were revealed.