Ukraine’s Unusual Gesture to John Paul II: National Bank to Issue Special Coin

The National Bank of Ukraine has announced the issuance of a commemorative coin dedicated to St. John Paul II to mark the 25th anniversary of his apostolic visit.

Unusual Gesture by the NBU: Commemorative Coin for the 25th Anniversary of the Apostolic Visit

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

“The National Bank of Ukraine has made the decision to issue in 2026 a commemorative coin dedicated to St. John Paul II—an outstanding spiritual leader and one of the most influential Poles of the 20th century—and the 25th anniversary of his historic apostolic visit to Ukraine,” the NBU announced.

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

NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy: “A Man and Ideas That Resonate Remarkably Today”

Today we present the decision to preserve in metal the memory of a man and ideas that, twenty-five years after his visit, resonate remarkably with Ukraine today. Freedom. Dignity. Ukraine’s European vocation. The ability of nations with a difficult shared history not to remain its hostages, but to build a common future, said NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy.

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

“In a message addressed to Ukrainians and Poles in 2003, John Paul II urged both nations not to remain prisoners of painful memory, to acknowledge the mistakes of the past, to forgive inflicted wrongs, and to ask for forgiveness for their own sins. As emphasized, today this appeal acquires particular significance,” the NBU noted in a statement.

Ambassador Andriy Yurash on the Pope’s Spiritual and Intellectual Heritage

This is an extremely important decision, confirming commitment both to the figure of St. John Paul II and to the entire intellectual and spiritual sphere in which he unquestionably remains the most prominent figure. Fulfilling his mission, he continues to set priorities for the entire world, and particularly for Ukraine, said Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See Andriy Yurash.

Continuation of Polish-Ukrainian Numismatic Tradition and Symbols of Unity

The NBU stated that the decision to issue the coin is part of the National Bank of Ukraine’s numismatic tradition associated with 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 start of full-scale Russian aggression.

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

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