A Russian transgender woman is suing the country's central bank for failing to stop the devaluation of the Russian rouble when she found the cost of her sex change operation had doubled.

Born Dmitry Vorobyev, she said all her life she had felt like a woman trapped in a man's body, and her dream had been to afford an operation to finally turn into an actual woman.

Dmitry Vorobyev changed names to Dasha Kenova and started wearing women's clothes, and she thought her dream was about to come true when she saved the equivalent of $10,000 at the start of January 2014.

Dasha Kenova, pictured, is struggling to pay for her sex-change operation after the collapse in the rouble

Kenova saved up the rouble equivalent of $10,000 but since January 2014 the value has fallen by 60 per cent

In January, 1 rouble was worth 30 cents, but this month a single rouble is worth only about 12 cents

But while waiting for the operation, the value of the rouble plunged, and Kenova, who lives in Moscow, suddenly found she needed another $5,500 to have the operation.

The price of the ruble has collapsed against the dollar. In mid 2008, one rouble was worth approximately 43 cents. By January 2014, this had fallen to 30 cents. Now the currency is worth only about 12 cents, meaning Kenova's savings from January 2014 had fallen in value from $10,000 to a dollar equivalent of just $4,000.

Kenova said: 'I spent a lot of time hiding from myself, and it was only a few years ago that I was brave enough to finally admit who I am to start dressing as a woman. My life has changed a lot since then, I became a hairdresser and I was happy. But just when I thought everything was finally going to work out, the value of the rouble plunged and now I have to continue to remain a man.'

Kenova is being backed by her family who support her decision to sue the Russian Central Bank over the collapse in the price of the dollar.

Because her savings were in roubles, Kenova is facing a struggle to finance the surgery which has to be paid for in US dollars.

However local media reported that she could face prosecution herself for ‘promoting homosexuality’. Although people are not banned from becoming members of the LGBT community, promotion of homosexual issues in Russia is illegal and could result in a fine if prosecuted.

Kenova now wants to sue the Russian Central Bank for the impact of the rouble's collapse on her savings

Kernova said she might have to remain as a man because she cannot afford the extra money for her surgery