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It may sound wild, but the answer (d) is correct. The measures that the government took against people (so called "valyutchiki") illegally changing rubles into hard currency were extraordinary. The criminal code in 1960's had an article that gave 15 years in prison with confiscation of all property for illegally exchanging rubles. But by the personal order of N.S. Khrushchyev, The General Secretary of the CPSU at the time, the death penalty was unofficially introduced and practiced in extraordinary cases. The fact has to be kept in mind that there was no legal way to change rubles into hard currency or legally acquire hard currency (dollars, for an instance) for the majority of the population. A small number of tourists, government staff working abroad and some other very limited number of people are exceptions. Similar harsh measures were practiced also in 1970's and up to the end of 1980's. The reasons for these measures were many and can be found in the literature (Ref. 3). If you are interested in this issue, HERE is more to read (in Russian). |