Ukraine to Issue Commemorative Coin Dedicated to St. John Paul II

The National Bank of Ukraine has announced it will issue a special commemorative coin in 2026 dedicated to St. John Paul II, marking the 25th anniversary of his historic apostolic visit to Kyiv and Lviv.

A Historic Decision by the National Bank of Ukraine

The National Bank of Ukraine has made a historic decision to issue a special commemorative coin in 2026 dedicated to St. John Paul II. This gesture toward the Polish Pope coincides with the 25th anniversary of his memorable apostolic visit to Kyiv and Lviv. The exceptional emission aims to become not only an expression of respect for the head of the Church, but also a deep symbol of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation, freedom, and a shared European calling.

The National Bank of Ukraine announced on Friday that it will issue the commemorative coin dedicated to St. John Paul II on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his apostolic visit to Kyiv and Lviv falling this year.

The NBU announced that it decided to issue the commemorative coin in 2026 dedicated to St. John Paul II, an outstanding spiritual leader and one of the most influential Poles of the 20th century, as well as the 25th anniversary of his historic apostolic visit to Ukraine.

Work on the coin is just beginning, but the bank assured that it will enter circulation later this year.

Governor Andriy Pyshnyy on the Relevance of the Pope’s Ideas

NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy stated that today they are presenting the decision to preserve in metal the memory of the man and the ideas that, twenty-five years after his visit, sound remarkably relevant to Ukraine. He highlighted freedom, dignity, Ukraine’s European calling, and the ability of nations with a difficult shared history not to remain its hostages, but to build a common future.

The NBU recalled that during his visit to Ukraine in 2001, John Paul II stated in Kyiv that he was a friend of the Ukrainian people, spoke of Ukraine’s special place between East and West, and emphasized that Ukraine has a clear European calling.

In a 2003 message addressed to Ukrainians and Poles, John Paul II urged both nations not to remain prisoners of painful memory, to recognize the mistakes of the past, to forgive inflicted wrongs, and to ask for forgiveness for their own faults. The NBU emphasized in its statement that today this appeal takes on special significance.

Ambassador Andriy Yurash on the Spiritual and Intellectual Legacy

Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See Andriy Yurash called it an extremely important decision, confirming attachment both to the figure of St. John Paul II and to the entire intellectual and spiritual sphere in which he remains undisputedly the most prominent figure. He added that by fulfilling his mission, the Pope continues to set priorities for the whole world, and particularly for Ukraine.

Continuation of Numismatic Tradition and Symbols of Unity

The NBU stated that the decision to issue the coin is part of the numismatic tradition of the National Bank of Ukraine related to Polish-Ukrainian solidarity. It recalled that in 2023, the NBU and Narodowy Bank Polski jointly issued a set of silver commemorative coins titled “Friendship and Brotherhood – The Greatest Wealth,” dedicated to the partnership of both states and the support provided to Ukraine by the Polish nation after the outbreak of the full-scale Russian aggression.

The National Bank of Ukraine emphasized that the new coin in honor of John Paul II is intended to develop this theme in a broader historical dimension as a symbol of freedom, reconciliation, responsibility for historical memory, and European unity.

St. John Paul II stayed in Ukraine from June 23 to June 27, 2001. This was the first and so far the only visit of the head of the Catholic Church to this country, during which the Pope visited Kyiv and Lviv, meeting with faithful of the Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic rites.