3 Roubles The 1st Tibet Expedition

Russia's 1999 commemorative program for Himalayan exploration honored the Soviet-era expeditions led by Nikolai Roerich, whose 1924–1928 journey through Tibet carried as much mystical and political baggage as scientific purpose — the Soviet government quietly backed the expedition partly to gather intelligence and extend influence into Central Asia, while Roerich himself pursued a quasi-religious mission he called the "Great Plan." The dual agenda was never fully reconciled, and Soviet authorities eventually distanced themselves from Roerich entirely.