Mint of the National Bank of Ukraine (1996–2011)

22 August 2024 In 2015, a museum meeting with Oleg Protsenko took place on the Day of the State Flag and Independence Day of Ukraine, Deputy General Director of the Mint of the National Bank of Ukraine (1996–2011).

Act of Proclamation of Independence of Ukraine, approved 24 August 1991 opened the way for the introduction of its own national currency in the state, one of the integral attributes of statehood.

14 November 1991 The Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Resolution on the National Currency, which provided for the introduction of the hryvnia into circulation already in the first half of the year 1992 year. Ukraine did not have its own money-making equipment, therefore, the first hryvnias were printed abroad - in Canada and Great Britain. In 1992 temporary currency was introduced into circulation on the territory of Ukraine, calculated for the transition period - karbovanets or coupon-karbovanets. As a result of monetary reform 1996 hryvnia became the main monetary unit of Ukraine. Today, all Ukrainian money, and paper, and metal ones are completely made in Ukraine, at the Banknote and Mint of the NBU.

At the meeting, a conversation was held about the history of the creation of the first mints in the world, about modern Mints. The first official Mint of modern Ukraine appeared in Luhansk on the territory of the Luhansk industrial association "Verstatobudovny Zavod" in 1992 year. Exchange coins were minted in Luhansk 10, 25, 50 a penny and 1 Hryvnia made of yellow metal - brass, as well as nominal value 2 steel pennies. In 1996 In the same year, a rare collectible coin "Coins of Ukraine" was minted in the same place 2 nickel silver hryvnias. Do 1997 coin production was transferred to Kyiv.

The audience learned why this happened and about the history of the Banknote and Mint of Ukraine from the story of Oleg Protsenko.

Oleg Oleksandrovich, our countryman, native of. Kasyaniv in Borznyan region. He began his work in Kyiv at the S.P. Korolev. He went from a worker to the deputy general director for economics of this enterprise. 1996 was invited to the Mint of the National Bank of Ukraine. Olen Protsenko is an active member of the Chernihiv community, head of the audit commission, Honorary citizen of the city of Kyiv. One of the heroes of Leonid Horlach's book "Appraisals: Lubomudrivski. The family of the Cossacks", who was born in 2016 year.

Oleg Oleksandrovych noted, that 23 April 1998 year, the first stage of the Mint was put into operation: minting shop for commemorative and anniversary coins, engraving workshop, tool production and the central factory laboratory. The first coin, minted at the Mint of the National Bank of Ukraine - jubilee gold coin "Kyiv Psalter" denomination 100 USD. Do 1999 In 2008, the second start-up complex - a workshop for minting exchange coins - was put into operation. At the end of 2000, the first exchangeable coins with the nominal value were minted 1 kopeck. At the same time, a workshop for the production of orders and medals was put into operation.

У жовтні 2000 NBU Mint was accepted into the international organization "Conference of Directors of Mints of the World".

The annual capacity of the Mint is 1 billion. circulation and exchange coins, 1 million. commemorative coins, 200 thousand. awards.

Powers of the Banknote Factory – 2 billion. of banknotes or other protected printed products per year. The factory also fulfills orders from other countries.

Hryvnia banknotes, printed at the domestic Banknote and Mint, meet international standards and have the highest degree of protection. The Mint of the National Bank of Ukraine is one of the leading mints in the world.

Today it can be said, that the issue of the introduction of the national monetary unit - the hryvnia - has become fateful for Ukraine. Only thanks to the creation of its own currency, the emission of which is at the disposal of the state, economic independence of Ukraine became real.

At the end of the meeting, Oleg Oleksandrovych presented the museum with books and products of the NBU Banknote and Mint. Among the books are the first fundamental studies on the history of Ukrainian money and money circulation on the territory of Ukraine in the context of the creation and development of the Ukrainian state. This is a publication of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine - "Money in Ukraine. Facts and documents" and "Money of Ukraine", that were published in 1998 та 2011 years. The employees of the museum are very grateful to Oleh Protsenko for the opportunity to communicate within the walls of the museum, as well as meaningful and interesting gifts, which will complement the institution's numismatic collection.

Senior researcher Tetyana Zhuravlyova