NBU unveils 2,000-hryvnia banknote featuring Vasyl Stus
The National Bank of Ukraine has announced a new highest hryvnia denomination: the 2,000-hryvnia banknote is expected to enter cash circulation on September 4, 2026. The issue honors Vasyl Stus, while its design combines references to the Ukrainian Sixtiers, statehood and modern security features.
The National Bank of Ukraine has announced an expansion of the hryvnia banknote series: a new 2,000-hryvnia banknote is expected to enter cash circulation on September 4, 2026. It will become the highest denomination of the hryvnia, and its artistic theme honors Vasyl Stus - a Ukrainian poet, translator, thinker, human rights defender, political prisoner of the Soviet regime and member of the Ukrainian dissident movement.
The NBU stresses that this is not just a technical addition to the cash series. The banknote is designed as a visual sign of Ukrainian resilience: it brings together references to Stus, the generation of the Ukrainian Sixtiers and the cultural resistance that later became part of the foundation of modern Ukrainian independence.
Why the 2,000-hryvnia denomination is being introduced
The central bank links the decision to changes in the economy and in the structure of cash circulation. Seven years have passed since the 1,000-hryvnia banknote was introduced in 2019. According to the NBU, the average monthly wage in Ukraine has roughly tripled since then, while the price level has approximately doubled. As a result, the same cash amounts now require more high-denomination banknotes.
Another factor is the growth of cash in circulation. In 2019, cash in circulation was close to UAH 390 billion; as of July 1, 2026, it exceeded UAH 970 billion. Higher demand for cash is also linked to wartime conditions: cashless infrastructure remains important, but people also need access to secure cash where communication or power supply can be unstable.
The NBU also points to the current denomination structure: 1,000-hryvnia banknotes already account for more than 55% of the total value of banknotes in circulation. In international central-bank practice, such concentration in the highest denomination is a sign that the banknote series may need to be expanded.
Design: Vasyl Stus and the language of the Sixtiers
The front of the new banknote features a portrait of Vasyl Stus. Next to it is a line from his poetry written in imprisonment: "And the candle trembles with the dawn our great-grandchild will call day." The motif connects the poet's personal fate with a future that arrives later, but rests on inner freedom and dignity.
The design uses elements inspired by the mosaics of Alla Horska. One of the key images is a kestrel, a bird that can hold its position against strong wind. In the context of the banknote, it reads as a metaphor for the Sixtiers generation, which resisted the pressure of the system without state protection but with inner freedom.
The reverse shows the building of the Faculty of Philology of Donetsk National University, where Stus studied. It also includes the words "Two thousand hryvnias", decorative elements and the slogan "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!". Some inscriptions use a typeface inspired by the graphics of Heorhii Narbut, the creator of the Ukrainian state style of the Ukrainian People's Republic era and the author of the first Ukrainian banknotes.
Security features and parameters
The banknote is designed in blue and measures 75 x 166 mm. It follows the design logic of the modernized hryvnia banknotes of 2014-2019, while remaining clearly different from other denominations in color and size to make it easy to identify in circulation.
According to the NBU, the banknote includes more than 20 security features. They include an updated blue-and-yellow windowed security thread and an optically variable SPARK element with a kinetic effect: when the banknote is tilted, parts of the image shift from purple to golden-green.
A separate feature of the new denomination is the Anima(TM) Colour security thread. It works as a polychrome animated element: when the viewing angle changes, the thread creates a motion effect, and the Tryzub visually changes into the hryvnia symbol. The NBU describes this technology as one of the key innovations in the protection of the new banknote.
Who benefits from the new denomination
The 2,000-hryvnia banknote is expected to reduce the load on cash infrastructure. For the state, this means lower costs for printing, transportation, cash collection, processing and storage. For banks, it means fewer operations with large bundles of cash and faster teller workflows. For businesses and retailers, it should simplify larger cash payments and reduce cashier workload. For individuals, it makes storing and carrying larger cash amounts more compact.
Why September 4
The introduction date is symbolic. On September 4, 1965, Vasyl Stus, together with Viacheslav Chornovil and Ivan Dziuba, protested at the Ukraina cinema in Kyiv against political repression of the Ukrainian intelligentsia. On September 4, 1985, Stus died in imprisonment. The date therefore recalls both the beginning of his open civic resistance and the price he paid for remaining faithful to his convictions.
The 2,000-hryvnia banknote does not replace existing denominations. It complements the banknote series and is intended to help cash circulation better match current economic conditions.
Source: National Bank of Ukraine.
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