Goznak

Goznak. It is a Russian state-owned enterprise specializing in the production of secure documents, currency, and state awards. Operating under the authority of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, it is one of the world's oldest and most prominent security printing and minting organizations. The company is responsible for manufacturing the national currency, protecting the Russian economy from counterfeiting, and producing a wide array of high-security polygraphic products.

History

The enterprise traces its origins to the **Expedition of Storing State Papers**, founded in **Saint Petersburg** by decree of **Emperor Alexander I** in 1818. Throughout the 19th century, it was responsible for printing the paper money of the **Russian Empire**, including **assignation rubles** and later **credit notes**. Following the **October Revolution**, the organization was integrated into the new **Soviet** state's financial system, being renamed **Goznak** in 1919 and playing a crucial role in issuing the currency of the **RSFSR** and later the **Soviet ruble**. During the **Great Patriotic War**, its facilities were evacuated from **Moscow** and **Leningrad** to ensure the uninterrupted production of money and documents for the **Red Army**. In the post-Soviet era, it became a key institution for the **Central Bank of Russia**, developing new security features for the **Russian ruble** and expanding its technological capabilities.

Activities and products

Goznak's primary activity is the production and introduction into circulation of the Russian national currency, including **banknotes** and **coins**. It also manufactures a vast range of secure polygraphic products, such as **passports**, **internal passports**, **driver's licenses**, **postage stamps**, and **excise stamps**. The enterprise produces state awards, including the **Order of Lenin**, **Hero of the Soviet Union** medals, and modern **State awards of the Russian Federation**. Other significant products include **bonds**, **checks**, **share certificates**, and specialized protected documents for various **government agencies**. Its **Moscow Mint** and **Saint Petersburg Mint** are integral to its coinage operations, supplying both circulation and commemorative coins.

Security features and technology

The company employs a comprehensive array of advanced security technologies to protect its products from counterfeiting. These include sophisticated **watermarks**, **security threads**, **holograms**, **microprinting**, and **optically variable ink**. It utilizes proprietary **security paper** with embedded fibers and planchettes, and develops complex **intaglio printing** and **offset printing** techniques. Goznak maintains a major **research institute**, the **Scientific Research Institute of Goznak**, which conducts fundamental and applied research in **cryptography**, **materials science**, and **information security**. This institute holds numerous **patents** and develops unique equipment for the production and verification of protected polygraphic products.

International cooperation and recognition

Goznak actively collaborates with foreign states and international organizations in the field of security document production. It has executed contracts for the production of national currencies, passports, and other secure documents for numerous countries, including **Syria**, **Laos**, **Guatemala**, and **Indonesia**. The enterprise is a regular participant and award-winner at international specialized exhibitions such as **IDEX** and **High Security Printing** conferences. Its expertise is recognized by central banks and security printing houses worldwide, and it often provides consulting services on establishing national minting and printing systems. The company's products have received awards from organizations like **INTERGRAPH** and the **International Association of Currency Affairs**.

Governance and structure

Goznak operates as a **unitary enterprise** owned by the **Government of Russia** and is directly subordinate to the **Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation**. Its management is headed by a **General Director** appointed by the **Government of the Russian Federation**. The enterprise comprises several major production sites, including the **Moscow Printing Factory**, the **Perm Printing Factory**, the **Krasnokamsk Paper Mill**, and the mints in **Moscow** and **Saint Petersburg**. Each facility specializes in specific segments of production, from papermaking and intaglio printing to coin minting and personalization of electronic documents. The **Federal Service for Financial Monitoring** (**Rosfinmonitoring**) works closely with Goznak on issues related to combating the illicit trafficking of counterfeit money.