THE GOZNAK MOSCOW MINT

The Goznak Moscow Mint celebrates its 70th anniversary on April 25. It has played its part in all the major events of the second half of the 20th century.

In the post-war period, the mint issued medals and orders. In 1957, when Moscow was preparing to host the World Festival of Youth and Students, the mint received an order for the mass production of various types of commemorative badges. In 1975, the mint began production of commemorative coins for the 1980 Olympic Games. In 1983, the mint began producing token coins. Currently, its products range from limited edition commemorative coins, including those dedicated to the 2014 Olympics, to state decorations, souvenirs and much more.

The mint continues to have restricted access. Those lucky enough to get permission to enter the site have to go through a number of checks and leave all their change at the entrance. The majority of the staff changes into uniforms before entering the mint.

The floor where coins, medals and orders are produced takes up most of the plant. It is the main attraction for delegations and journalists. It's never quiet in the huge hangar. Special vehicles carry workpieces to coining presses and cart off 200-kilogram boxes filled with new coins. The staff is always eager to talk about the manufacturing process.

They say, for instance, that the smaller the coin the faster it is to produce. A coining press can produce 850 10-kopeck coins or 600 five-rouble coins a minute. Engineers monitor the operation of coining presses and bear responsibility for defective production. They cannot check every coin, of course, but they conduct random checks.

Mikhail Chertov has worked at the Moscow Mint for 48 years. He likes mentoring new workers and remembering the past.

"My hands have touched all these items at many stages, from die-cutting and annealing to the coining of orders, medals and decorations. There was so much work in those times and the work was always interesting," Chertov recalls. Awarded with the Order of Labor Glory, 2nd and 3rd class, Chertov was transferred from the pressing floor to the position of compression unit operator. Now he also does mentoring and shares his experience with apprentices. He compares coining to baking bread.

In his time at the mint, he has enjoyed working on orders most of all. He has made the Order of Lenin, the Order of Courage and the Order of the Red Banner. Even now, Chertov always watches state decoration awarding ceremonies on TV. "I don't want to boast but whenever I see an awarding ceremony my heart skips a beat because I am part of it," he admits.

The mint is now preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. It is currently producing several types of commemorative coins, such as a 100-ruble gold bullion coin depicting a Leopard, an official mascot of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games.

To read the complete article, see: The Moscow Mint: From One Olympics to the Next (en.ria.ru/analysis/20120426/173055521.html)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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