9 October 2026
The Bank of Russia Board of Directors decided on 11 September 2026 to keep the key rate at 14.00% per annum.
The bank states that as of 7 September 2026 annual inflation stood at 6.3%.
It describes the Russian economy as growing at a moderate pace in the third quarter of 2026.
The Board's next key rate meeting is set for 23 October 2026.
The key rate is the Bank of Russia's main monetary policy instrument.
Key rate:
14.00% per annum
Annual inflation:
6.3%
Next rate meeting:
23 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Central bank rate decisions of major economies are standard questions in banking and civil service papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Key rate Bank of Russia key rate — The main policy rate through which the Bank of Russia steers borrowing costs and inflation.
9 October 2026
The World Bank's country overview for Russia states that growth is projected to remain at around 1% during 2026 and 2027.
The overview links the projection to the Bank's Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, listed as October 2026.
The same overview gives an average of 1.3% for 2025 and 2026 taken together.
Russia is classified by the World Bank among high-income economies.
The World Bank is one of the Bretton Woods institutions founded in 1944.
Projected growth:
around 1% during 2026-2027
Average for 2025 and 2026:
1.3%
Report:
Europe and Central Asia Economic Update, October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Growth projections for major economies from the World Bank are asked directly in economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ECA Economic Update Europe and Central Asia Economic Update — The World Bank's twice-yearly regional report on economies in Europe and Central Asia.
9 October 2026
The Bank of Russia's monthly series on the international reserves of the Russian Federation records 731,760 million US dollars for the close of September 2026.
The corresponding figure for the close of August 2026 is 769,022 million US dollars.
International reserves consist of highly liquid foreign assets held by the Bank of Russia and the Government.
They include monetary gold, foreign exchange, Special Drawing Rights and the reserve position in the IMF.
The Bank of Russia publishes the series monthly on its own website.
Reserves, close of September 2026:
731,760 million US dollars
Reserves, close of August 2026:
769,022 million US dollars
Why it matters for exams: Foreign exchange reserve figures of major economies are a standard comparative question.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
International reserves International reserves of the Russian Federation — Highly liquid foreign assets available to the central bank and the government, including monetary gold.
9 October 2026
The Bank of Russia's official exchange rate for 09.10.2026 is 85.4173 roubles to one US dollar and 95.4709 roubles to one euro. The rates for the previous day, 08.10.2026, were 85.4811 to the dollar and 96.3287 to the euro. The central bank's key rate stands at 14.00 per cent, in force from 27.07.2026. International reserves of the Russian Federation were US$733.2 billion as of 02.10.2026. Inflation was 6.3 per cent in August 2026, against the Bank of Russia's inflation target of 4.0 per cent.
Rouble per US dollar, 09.10.2026:
85.4173
Rouble per euro, 09.10.2026:
95.4709
Key rate:
14.00%, from 27.07.2026
International reserves:
US$733.2 billion as of 02.10.2026
Why it matters for exams: Banking and UPSC papers ask for a major economy's policy rate, its currency's level against the dollar and its reserve position together, and the central bank's own indicators page is the authority on all three.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Key rate Bank of Russia key rate — The Bank of Russia's main policy interest rate, the equivalent of the RBI's repo rate.
International reserves International reserves of the Russian Federation — The foreign currency, gold and IMF assets a central bank holds to back its currency and payments.
Inflation target Inflation target — The rate of price rise a central bank publicly commits to keeping inflation near.
Background
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists 33 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List for the Russian Federation.
Of these, 22 are cultural properties and 11 are natural properties.
The country is grouped under the Europe and North America region of the Convention.
Its natural properties include Lake Baikal, Volcanoes of Kamchatka, Golden Mountains of Altai, Virgin Komi Forests, Putorana Plateau and Lena Pillars Nature Park.
Its cultural properties include Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, the Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments, and Kizhi Pogost.
A further 32 sites stand on the Tentative List, the inventory of properties a State Party intends to consider for nomination.
The Russian Federation has held three mandates on the World Heritage Committee.
Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List:
33
Cultural properties:
22
Natural properties:
11
Sites on the Tentative List:
32
Ratification of the Convention:
Wednesday, 12 October 1988
Why it matters for exams: Country Focus papers ask for the property count and for the named natural properties, and the cultural-versus-natural split is a standard one-mark distinction.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — It is the United Nations agency that administers the World Heritage Convention.
Tentative List Tentative List of a State Party — It is the inventory of properties a country intends to consider for nomination to the World Heritage List.
Background
Article 75 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation establishes the special legal status of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and gives it the exclusive right to issue currency.
The same article makes it the bank's main function to protect the ruble and ensure its stability.
The bank's status, goals, functions and powers are defined by Federal Law No. 86-FZ, dated 10 July 2002, on the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (Bank of Russia).
Article 3 of that law sets four goals: to protect the ruble and ensure its stability; to develop and strengthen the banking system of the Russian Federation; to ensure stability of and develop the national payment system; and to develop the financial market and ensure its stability.
The Bank of Russia is a special public legal institution and is not a body of state power, yet its authorised capital and other property are federal property.
It is accountable to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
Among its listed functions, it is the sole issuer of cash money, it approves the graphic sign of the ruble, it organises the digital ruble platform, and it sets and publishes the official exchange rates of foreign currencies against the ruble.
Its head office stands at 12 Neglinnaya Street, Moscow.
Currency:
ruble
Constitutional basis:
Article 75 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation
Governing statute:
Federal Law No. 86-FZ, dated 10 July 2002
Accountable to:
State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
Head office:
12 Neglinnaya Street, Moscow, 107016 Russia
Why it matters for exams: A central bank's constitutional basis, its governing statute and the house it answers to are the three facts examiners pair with India's own banking questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
State Duma State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation — It is the house of the Russian legislature to which the Bank of Russia is accountable.
Federal Assembly Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation — It is the national legislature of the Russian Federation, and the State Duma is one of its houses.
Background
The United Nations lists the Russian Federation among its Member States, with the date of admission given as 24-10-1945.
The Security Council is composed of 15 Members.
Five of them are permanent members: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The other ten are non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.
A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that country's interests are affected.
More than 50 United Nations Member States have never been Members of the Security Council.
Date of Admission to the United Nations:
24-10-1945
Size of the Security Council:
15 Members
Permanent members:
China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Term of the non-permanent members:
two-year terms
Why it matters for exams: The five permanent seats and the two-year term of the elected seats are among the most repeated one-mark questions on international organisations.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNSC United Nations Security Council — It is the 15-member organ of the United Nations with five permanent and ten elected members.
UNGA United Nations General Assembly — It is the plenary organ of the United Nations and it elects the non-permanent members of the Security Council.
Background
The Russian Federation occupies a vast territory of 17 million km2, making it the world's largest country in terms of area.
Its ecosystems range across polar deserts, tundra, forest tundra, taiga, mixed and broad-leaved forests, forest steppe, steppe, semi-desert and subtropics.
The northern ecosystems of tundra and taiga dominate the country's territory.
Russian forests cover 776.2 million ha, accounting for about 22% of the world's forest resources and 40% of the most valuable coniferous stands.
Peatlands and marshes occupy 1.8 million km2; combined with lakes, wetlands cover 15% of the territory and are connected by 120,000 rivers.
The country is bordered by 13 marginal seas of three oceans, the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific.
About a quarter of Russian territory is occupied by mountains.
Its recorded flora includes 12,500 species of vascular plants, representing 5% of the world's vascular flora.
Area:
17 million km2
Forest cover:
776.2 million ha
Share of the world's forest resources:
about 22%
Peatlands and marshes:
1.8 million km2
Rivers connecting the wetlands:
120,000
Marginal seas:
13
Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity since:
1995-07-04
Why it matters for exams: Largest country by area, the dominance of tundra and taiga, and the forest share are the three geography facts on Russia that appear most often in objective papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Taiga Taiga, the boreal coniferous forest belt — It is the broad belt of coniferous forest lying south of the tundra across northern Eurasia.
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity — It is the treaty on conserving biological diversity and using its components sustainably.
Background
An international partnership of space agencies provides and operates the elements of the International Space Station.
The principals are the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.
Five space agencies, NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and CSA, have contributed to the station's assembly.
The large modules and other pieces of the station were delivered on 42 assembly flights, 37 on the U.S. space shuttles and five on Russian Proton/Soyuz rockets.
Zarya was the first element of the station to be launched.
Four different cargo spacecraft deliver science, cargo and supplies: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus, SpaceX's Dragon, JAXA's HTV, and the Russian Progress.
Contributing space agencies:
NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, CSA
Assembly flights:
42
Flights on Russian rockets:
five on Russian Proton/Soyuz rockets
First element launched:
Zarya
Russian cargo spacecraft:
Progress
Why it matters for exams: Science and technology sections ask which agencies built the station and which cargo vehicle belongs to which partner, and Roscosmos is the Russian answer in both.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ISS International Space Station — It is the orbiting laboratory provided and operated by an international partnership of space agencies.
CSA Canadian Space Agency — It is the Canadian partner among the five agencies that contributed to the station's assembly.