2,000-hryvnia banknote will be put into circulation in September: it will feature portrait of poet Stus
A new 2,000-hryvnia banknote featuring the image of Vasyl Stus, a poet of the 1960s movement, is to be put into circulation in Ukraine.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the National Bank of Ukraine’s press office.
Details
The banknote will enter circulation on 4 September 2026. Photos of it have been published in the media.
The design of the new banknote follows that of the modified hryvnia banknotes from the 2014–2019 series. It differs noticeably in size and colour from banknotes of other denominations, which will help the public to easily identify its denomination. The new banknote measures 75 × 166 mm. Its main colour is blue.
Advantages
The introduction of the 2,000-hryvnia banknote offers a number of advantages for the state, the public and businesses, the National Bank noted.
- for the state, this means a reduction in logistics and cash-handling costs. Fewer banknotes for the same volume of transactions means lower costs for their production, transport, collection, processing and storage;
- for banks, this means a reduced operational burden, optimisation of cash handling processes, smaller volumes of cash to process, and faster cash supply;
- for the retail sector, this means more convenient customer service and a lighter workload for cashiers;
- for businesses – simpler and faster cash transactions with customers;
- for the public – convenience in using and storing funds.
Security features have also been enhanced: the banknote contains over 20 security features – including both paper-based security features and innovative printing-based security elements – which reliably protect it against counterfeiting:
- an updated ‘window’ security strip – a polymer strip in a blue and yellow colour scheme partially embedded within the paper, featuring a distinct combined optically variable effect that becomes visible when the banknote is tilted;
- the SPARK optically variable element, which has a kinetic effect. When the banknote is tilted, gradual colour transitions can be observed in certain areas of the image – from purple to golden-green.
"This is the world’s first banknote to use the unique ‘window’ security strip AnimaTM Colour – a polychromatic and animated feature – to enhance security. The strip’s design was commissioned by the National Bank in a blue and yellow colour scheme. When the angle of the banknote is changed, a motion effect and a change in the image can be observed – the Trident changes to the hryvnia symbol. This strip, as a new product, was only unveiled by the manufacturer at the end of April 2026, and now we have already incorporated it into the new banknote," the National Bank noted.
Stus’ portrait is featured on the front of the new banknote, and his signature can be seen to the right of the portrait.
The date on which the new banknote was put into circulation was not chosen at random and carries a certain symbolic significance.
"It was on 4 September 1965, during the premiere of the film "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" at the "Ukraina" cinema in Kyiv, that Vasyl Stus, together with Viacheslav Chornovil and Ivan Dziuba, staged the first open public protest in the ussr against the mass political repression of the Ukrainian intelligentsia. And on 4 September 1985, Vasyl Stus died in custody in a special-regime camp," explained the Governor of the NBU.
