Ukraine "cuts off" ties with Moscow - Replaces national currency "kopek" with Ukrainian currency
Ukraine plans to replace the small kopek coin to remove a symbol left over from Moscow's former dominance. Central Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyi added that the change is expected to be completed within this year.
The national currency, the hryvnia, was introduced in 1996, five years after independence from the Soviet Union. Ukraine produced its own coins, but kept the Soviet name kopek, or kopikya in Ukrainian. The new currency will be called “shah,” a historical Ukrainian term, marking another step for the country to break away from Russia, almost four years after the start of full Russian occupation.
"We need to complete the monetary reform and remove all ties with Moscow. We have our term and it is time to take it back," Pyshnyi said.
The Ukrainian parliament is preparing to consider the draft law on replacing the currency, while the Central Bank is organizing public debates, exhibitions and activities to raise awareness.
The term “shah,” which means “step,” was used as a monetary unit in Ukraine during the 16th and 17th centuries. Banknotes with this name were also in circulation during the Ukrainian revolution of 1917–1921, the governor explained. “Today, the kopeck is used only in three of the 15 former Soviet republics: in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine,” he added.
Russian was the first language of many Ukrainians until the early 2000s, when the population had a positive attitude towards Moscow. But the war has changed the situation. Many people have renounced their ties to the Russian language and culture. Hundreds of villages and towns have changed street names and removed monuments to Soviet figures. Memorial plaques to Russian writers, artists and scientists who lived or worked in Ukraine have also been removed.
A poll conducted in September by the International Institute of Sociology in Kiev showed that about 91% of Ukrainians have a negative attitude towards Russia, while only 4% view it positively.
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