The Monument to the Pyatak or the Sormovo Pyatak is one of the youngest monuments in Nizhny Novgorod. It is installed in the center of Sormovo District.
Background
Mayor of Nizhny Novgorod Bulavinov unveiled a monument to a five-kopek coin on November 30, 2007. Cast from cast iron and painted with a special compound to resemble bronze, the commemorative marker "Pyatak" takes the form of a coin 1.2 m in diameter, bearing no mint mark, and is set into the cobblestone surface of the square in Sormovo District between buildings 166 and 168 on Kominterna Street. Local residents call this spot the "Sormovskiy Pyatachok" (the Sormovo patch).
The artistic design of the commemorative marker is based on a five-kopek coin from the reign of Nicholas II. It also bears an inscription indicating the date and location of the monument's installation. Nizhny Novgorod's monument to the pyatak was manufactured in Saint Petersburg. The design includes a foundation capable of withstanding the passage of street-cleaning vehicles, as well as anti-vandal protection.
Local Superstition
Despite its youth, the pyatak has already acquired a superstition: whoever rubs the coin with their foot will live in comfort and prosperity.