Actually in Europe back then i didn't have such issues, though that may be because i visited places frequented by tourists including Russians (and in 1990s in Russia dollar was de-facto currency for almost everything other than the grocery store)

Though even there I remember another interface mismatch situation - a group of Russians in our hotel wanted to rent some very expensive car, and the rent agency required a credit card where is the guys naturally had no cards, only cash in the amount almost sufficient to buy the car :)

In general through the 1990s the behavior of the post-USSR people, Russians in particular, coming to civilized West out of the woodwork of the post-Iron-Curtain chaos was in many situations comic-worthy.