Sovznaks () were promissory notes issued in Soviet Russia in 1919 and used during 1919âÂÂ1924. The name is an abbreviation of the expression "Sovetskiye znaki" (áþòõÃÂÃÂúøõ ÷ýðúø, Soviet tokens), which in its turn was an abbreviation of the official terms (ÃÂþòõÃÂÃÂúøõ úð÷ýðÃÂõùÃÂúøõ ÷ýðúø, ÃÂðÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂýÃÂõ ÷ýðúø àáäáà, ôõýõöýÃÂõ ÷ýðúø àáäáà(áááà) ) used during different periods. They were the de facto money of the time. The term "token" was a euphemism for "money", since communism was supposed to abolish money, and sovznaks were considered to be a temporary, transitional instrument.