Via Moskaublog I find this old BBC News piece.
Spaso House, the US Ambassador’s Residence in Moscow is currenly costing $ 3 a year. Yup, a big mansion in the heart of one of the more expensive capital cities of the world is three bucks a year in rent. Good Grief ! I thought they’d sorted this out years ago. When living over there in the early 90’s it was a standard giggle. The Soviets had insisted in 1985 when the lease was signed that the rent would be paid in roubles. That way they could stiff the US on the exchange rate as of course the State Dept would use the official, not black market, rate. Enter Yeltsin and the great inflation which made the rouble rent less than spit when measured in greenbacks. Ha, hoist by their own petard !
All good things come to an end though, and I think the lease is up next year. Might be a slight change in the details of the next one, eh ?