The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in first reading Bill No. 14093, which proposes changing the name of the Ukrainian convertible coin from the “kopijka” to its historical name, the “shag” (Ukrainian: шаг). 264 deputies voted in favor of the bill.
The goal of this decision is to de-Russify and decolonize monetary terminology and restore the historically grounded, native name of Ukraine’s small monetary unit. The change also has a symbolic dimension—it forms part of a broader process of moving away from Russian and Soviet legacies in public space.
What does the bill assume?
– the project was adopted as a basis and sent for further parliamentary work
– kopecks and szagi are to circulate in parallel
– the ratio between them should be 1:1
– The National Bank of Ukraine does not plan any special, forced withdrawal of kopecks from circulation
– the final vote on the adoption of the bill in its entirety is scheduled for December 27, 2025
Why should the “kopijk” be replaced?
According to the project’s authors and the National Bank of Ukraine, the name “kopijka” is directly linked to the Russian monetary system. Its origins lie in Moscow coins from the 16th and 17th centuries, which featured an image of a horseman with a lance. The term coin was used in the ruble zone and was imposed on Ukraine during the Tsarist and Soviet periods.
“Shag,” in turn, is a name known in Ukrainian lands as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, used as a small coin. It also appears in classical literature, including the writings of Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, and Panas Myrny. The shag also existed during the period of the Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1918–1919.
The voice of the experts
The head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, Oleksandr Alforov, emphasized that abandoning the name “kopijka” signifies a symbolic break with concepts associated with the so-called “Russian mir” and the colonial past. According to the UINP, changing the coin’s name is a logical element of the policy of national remembrance and identity.
The UINP expert commission issued a positive opinion already in November 2024, indicating that the “kopijka” is a symbol associated with the implementation of Russian imperial policy, while the “shag” is in line with Ukrainian historical and cultural tradition.
What’s next?
The National Bank of Ukraine initiated the change, which has been conducting analytical and consultative work on this matter since 2024. If the law is adopted in its second reading, the “shag” will become the official name of the Ukrainian convertible coin, symbolically completing the monetary reform initiated in 1996 with the introduction of the hryvnia.
Sources: announcements of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine / National Bank of Ukraine / Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINP) / Ukrainian media: Liga.net, RBC Ukraina, Zaxid.net
– historical and numismatic materials relating to the monetary system of Ukraine
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