The National Bank of Ukraine has decided to issue a commemorative coin dedicated to Pope John Paul II and the 25th anniversary of his historic apostolic visit to Ukraine, the central bank press service reported. NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy and Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See Andriy Yurash presented the idea at the central bank on August 7.
The central bank describes the late pontiff as one of the most influential Poles of the 20th century. The NBU plans to put the coin into circulation in 2026, with details on design, face value, mintage, and presentation to be announced later.
Tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw
The coin initiative comes amid ongoing friction between Ukraine and Poland over historical memory. At the end of May 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named a Ukrainian military unit after heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of the Order of the White Eagle.
The dispute between the two neighboring countries has since expanded to involve military assistance to Kyiv. On July 17, 2026, Zelenskyy announced the opening of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Foreign Intelligence Service (SZFR) archives regarding the Volhynia tragedy, alongside increased permissions for exhumation work. Ukrainian officials also discussed expanding dialogue between societies and supporting the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance.
Message of unity and reconciliation
Pyshnyy said the central bank decided to preserve in metal the memory of a person and ideas that sound extraordinarily modern for Ukraine 25 years after his visit. He highlighted freedom, dignity, Ukraine's European vocation, and the ability of nations with a complex shared history to build a common future rather than remain hostages to the past.
Pope John Paul II made his apostolic visit to Ukraine from June 23 to June 27, 2001. During his first address in Kyiv, the pope called himself a friend of the Ukrainian people, spoke of Ukraine's special position between East and West, and emphasized its clear European vocation.
In a 2003 address to Ukrainians and Poles, the pope urged both nations not to remain captives of painful memory. He called on them to recognize past mistakes, forgive wrongs, and ask forgiveness for their own faults, a call the NBU emphasized takes on special meaning today.
Numismatic tradition of solidarity
The decision continues a numismatic tradition at the central bank focused on Ukrainian-Polish solidarity. In 2023, the National Bank of Ukraine and Narodowy Bank Polski jointly issued a set of silver commemorative coins titled Friendship and Brotherhood - the Greatest Wealth, marking partnership and Polish support following Russia's full-scale invasion.
The NBU said the upcoming coin honoring Pope John Paul II will expand on that theme in a broader historical dimension. The central bank noted it will serve as a symbol of freedom, reconciliation, responsibility for historical memory, and European unity.
