The National Bank of Ukraine has expanded the nominal range of the national currency with a 2000 hryvnia banknote. This was announced by the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshny at a briefing in Kyiv, Ukrinform reports. The PromPolitInform portal informs.
The face of the banknote is the Ukrainian poet Vasyl Stus. The banknote will enter circulation on September 4, 2026.
The regulator explained that this date symbolizes the day of Stus’s public protest against repression in 1965 and the day of his death in prison in 1985.
According to Andriy Pyshny, the decision to introduce a new denomination is justified by economic changes. Since the appearance of the 1,000-hryvnia banknote in 2019, the average salary in the country has almost tripled, prices have doubled, and the share of “thousand” banknotes in circulation by amount has already exceeded 55%.
In addition, the total amount of cash as of July 1, 2026 exceeded UAH 970 billion.
“Just as in 2019, economic conditions led to the appearance of a 1,000-hryvnia banknote, in 2026 they formed a justified need to introduce a 2,000-hryvnia banknote into circulation,” he explained.
The introduction of a higher denomination banknote will allow the state and banks to reduce the costs of manufacturing and logistics of cash, as well as simplify payments for businesses and the population. This is especially important for residents of frontline communities, who have the opportunity to make cash payments even where there is no stable connection.
The new blue banknote measuring 75 x 166 mm contains more than 20 security features, including the SPARK element and a unique animated Anima™ Colour ribbon, where the Trident changes to the hryvnia sign.
The back of the banknote depicts the building of the Philology Faculty of Donetsk National University, where the poet studied. The design is also complemented by elements inspired by Alla Horska’s mosaics and lines of Vasyl Stus’ poems, executed in a font based on the graphics of Georgy Narbut.
“The new banknote honors not only the life path of Vasyl Stus, but also all his like-minded people and the spirit of the era of Ukrainian moral resistance at that time. There is not a single random element on it, it can be read like a book,” Andriy Pyshny concluded.
As reported, the National Bank of Ukraine, as part of the planned issue, has introduced modified banknotes with a face value of 100 hryvnias into cash circulation from June 16, 2026.
