July 1, 2014. Experts from Bank Koltso Urala looked at the financial results of June and the demand for foreign currency last month. It turned out that the US dollar was the most popular currency with private individuals over the last four weeks: the dollar sales rose by one-third compared with May 2014, while the euro sales stood at the same level, the bank’s press service reports.

‘The popularity of the US dollar mainly has to do with the fact that this is traditionally the currency of choice when it comes to foreign currency savings. Moreover, if you are trying to spend less, it makes sense to go on holiday outside the euro zone in the high season,’ says the bank’s Foreign Currency Transactions Director Igor Nesterovitch.

As a matter of fact, the ruble grew much stronger against foreign currencies in June compared with the previous months. The US dollar exchange rate dropped from 34.89 RUR to 33.63 RUR per dollar, while the euro exchange rate declined from 47.55 RUR to 45.83 RUR per euro.