All in the chat: banks have closed a record number of branches

Izvestia ^ | 27 Jan 2026 | Izvestia

[DUMBGRUNT]

The number of additional bank offices in Russia decreased by almost 1,700 by the end of 2025, follows from the data of the Central Bank, which was studied by Izvestia. This is one of the strongest annual reductions since 2019, with a comparable decrease occurring only in 2021. At that time, a little more than 1.7 thousand branches were liquidated.

...Suspicious transfers can be blocked for up to two days, and if the operation cannot be confirmed remotely, the client is offered to come to the office with a passport

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; History
KEYWORDS: banking; banks; russia

[DUMBGRUNT]

The Russian state bank card, known as the Mir card ("World"), is the national payment system mandated for all citizens receiving government payments, including pensions, salaries, and welfare... To prevent fraud, you must use the card in person at a bank branch. Not easy to get your funds out, even in a limited amount, when the bank is closed, and the internet is often shut down lately.

Hopefully, Russian TV/radio will be playing Swan Lake 24-7. Could not come soon enough.

[TornadoAlley3]

Judy will save us!

[protoconservative]

Number of branches is no indication of a banks health.

JPMC reduced their number of branches in 2018-2024 to about half, driven mostly by leases ending on street facing retail in the very dense urban centers of the USA. By all other measures JPMC was the “winner” of the covid era in banking with the small customers who do not have an assigned personal banker.

Most of the properties closed were withing 1/2 mile of another branch.

Another top 20 US bank with only 250 branches went to 100 while tripping the number of bankers who could drop by and help a wealth management client (aka a 3 or 4 millionaire or greater) out in their Livingroom. In 2026 if you are going to a branch to do an activity other than deposit large amounts of small bills from the strip club/car wash/money laundering front you own, your poor.

[TexasGator]

“Judy will save us!”

You are a Russian?

[ComputerGuy]

Unlike America, there’s just not enough money to go around.

[SaxxonWoods]

I go years without entering a bank.

[DarrellZero]

Same here.

In the past 30 years I have physically entered a branch twice.

I was banking by phone and fax before the internet was really a thing.

[MortMan]

You might want to ask the moderators to update the thread title with something indicating this is in Russia, not the US.

[PAR35]

Bills? I was waiting in line for a teller once, and an Asian lady came in. They opened the door to the teller area, and she retrieved a rolling cart. She then went out to the parking lot, and filled it with clear plastic bags of quarters and rolled it back in.

She didn’t have to wait in line.