Support The Moscow Times!

Ukraine Releases Coins Celebrating Victory Over Russians

The coin is being released at a time of intensely antagonistic relations between Moscow and Kiev, with Russia accused in Ukraine and abroad of fomenting an insurgency in the country's east.

In a move bound to irritate its former Soviet big brother to the east, the National Bank of Ukraine has released a coin celebrating a historic victory over Russian forces 500 years ago.

The Battle of Orsha in 1514, in which a Lithuanian-Polish alliance halted the offensive of the grand prince of Moscow, Vasily III Ivanovich, was an event of “great international importance,” the bank said in a statement this week.

The army included Polish, Lithuanian, Ukrainian and Belarussian troops, represented in an image of four intercrossed swords on one side of the coin. The other side is decorated with a stylized image of the battle.

The coin is being released at a time of intensely antagonistic relations between Moscow and Kiev, with Russia accused in Ukraine and abroad of fomenting an insurgency in the country's east.

Thirty-thousand copies of the coin, which is worth five hryvnas ($0.40), will be released into circulation.

Launching commemorative coins with a current-event punch appears to be catching on in the region: Russia last week released two coins celebrating its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine earlier this year.

While wildly popular within Russia, the annexation infuriated Ukraine, which still considers the territory “temporarily occupied.” The move also set Russia on a collision course with the West that has culminated in a spate of economic sanctions and trade barriers.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more