Meaning of karbovanets | Babel Free

Definitions

The monetary unit of Ukraine from 1917 to 1920, 1942 to 1945, and 1991 to 1996.

Examples

“The Central Powers secured the transfer to themselves of 1,600,000,000 karbovantsi (Ukrainian rubles), which were being printed in Berlin, and in return placed at the disposal of the Ukrainian Government marks and crowns at the rate of 0.85 karbovanets for the mark and 0.50 karbovanets for the crown (krone), but this money was not to be used by the Ukrainers for the purchase of goods in Germany and Austria until a year after the conclusion of a general peace.”

“According to Semen Yakovich (about him you will learn later) Ivan Ivanovich is an exemplary member of such and such a board, or of such and such a trust. It is true that his salary is two hundred and fifty karbovantsi, but one can speak of this amount only when one does not count such various small items as overtime pay and the regular honorarium which he receives from the local press for writing articles that are not exactly original.”

“The front side of a 1917 bill for 100 karbovantsiv, written in the Ukrainian language”

“According to the official fixed exchange rate karbovanets was overvalued in Ukraine. […] Goods were sold for karbovantsi rather than for rubles.”

“(Hyperinflation) In September 1995 a dollar bought 50,000 karbovantsiv (the Ukranian^([sic]) currency unit). One month later it bought 135,000. (Small bank note denominations like 100 karbovantsiv were being recycled into toilet paper.) Express the equivalent effective annual inflation rate if that monthly rate of inflation kept up for a whole year.”

“She was learning to cut hair, self-taught with the guidance of a friend in the local town, and charged just a couple of hundred karbovantsiv, the equivalent of fifty pence, to cut hair in the homes of her friends. […] “One hundred karbovantsiv.” A mere twenty five pence, but she blushed at the prospect of our transaction. / “Thank you.” I curled a thousand note into my fist and pressed it into her hand. “Sorry I have no change.””

CEFR level