As Mr. Bernstam explained, the Bank of Russia has roughly $640 billion in foreign exchange reserves on paper — or rather as electronic entries. But a big chunk of that money is not in Russian vaults or financial institutions. Rather, it is held by central and commercial banks in New York, London, Berlin, Paris, Tokyo and elsewhere around the world.
In countries like Russia, where the currency is not so stable, the ability to convert to a strong and trusted one like the dollar or the euro is crucial. It is evidence that the home currency — in this case the Russian ruble — has value. Russia’s vast store of foreign exchange backs up that value. It assures households and businesses that they can convert their rubles whenever they want, and makes sure that the nation can protect its exchange rate with other currencies. The reserves also lubricate the day-to-day transactions of Russian businesses that export and import.
외환 보유고 6400억 달러는 금과 위안화, 채권을 제외하면 대부분 러시아 금고나 금융기관이 아니라 뉴욕, 런던, 베를린 그리고 도쿄에 서류나 전자 문서로 보관되어 있었음
그리고 월요일 새벽에 이에 대한 대대적이고 기습적인 동결 조치가 가해짐
대략적인 추산 규모는 3~4000억 달러에 달함
현재 러시아 중앙 은행이 직접 보유한 달러는 고작 120억 달러가 전부임
