From the early 1960s, the USSR began to develop active cooperation with socialist and developing countries. Thousands of Soviet specialists were sent abroad to work. The government faced the question of how to “protect” them from foreign currency.
A practical need emerged to create a system in which citizens would not receive foreign currency in their hands and would spend the funds earned in foreign currency at home.
The most important parts of the new system were the Bank for Foreign Trade of the USSR (Vneshtorgbank of the USSR) and the All-Union association Vnesposyltorg. In the former, citizens were required to keep foreign currency in the form of “invalyutny rubles,” and to spend it through the network of Vnesposyltorg shops and firms.
It is important to note that, unlike other socialist countries, “substitutes” for currency in the USSR were issued not for foreigners, but for its own citizens.
A detachable check of Series D of the USSR Vneshekonombank (Vneshtorgbank) is a monetary obligation of the USSR Vneshekonombank (Vneshtorgbank) to pay the amount indicated on the check. The checks were bound into checkbooks of the corresponding denomination. Detachable checks were intended for settlements by diplomatic employees for goods and services in specialized shops. All checks were printed by GOZNAK.
The Bank for Foreign Trade of the USSR (Vneshtorgbank of the USSR) was established in 1924. The terms for maintaining accounts changed constantly. The Bank’s clients included both legal entities and individuals.
For senior diplomatic employees (from the level of counselor and above), there were separate Series “D” checks, accepted for payment on a par with cash foreign currency from foreigners in the parallel system of currency shops—“Beryozka” stores.
Thus, in the USSR there were two completely separate (check-based and currency-based) retail systems. In currency shops, only foreigners, diplomats, and the top party nomenklatura could legally shop. Ordinary overseas employees had to use only the check-based “Beryozka” stores, which in turn were closed to other Soviet citizens who had only Soviet rubles.