On October 1, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered bill No. 14093, which provides for changing the name of the circulation coin of Ukraine from “kopeck” to the historically Ukrainian “shag”. A subsidiary bill No. 14094 was also submitted to implement this initiative.

According to the authors of the document, the current name of the coin — “kopeck” — is a legacy of the Soviet and Moscow monetary tradition. It is enshrined at the legislative level, although Ukraine has had its own national currency — the hryvnia — for more than three decades. The bill is designed to complete the process of separating the Ukrainian currency from its colonial past.

The explanatory note states that the monetary reform of 1996 laid the foundation for an independent national currency, but failed to completely eliminate Soviet symbols in monetary circulation. The name “kopeck” is still associated with Russian traditions, while “shag” has deep historical roots in Ukraine, having been used since the times of the Hetmanate and the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, one of the co-authors of the bill, emphasized the symbolic significance of the initiative. “The return to the name “shag” restores historical justice, affirms Ukrainian identity and finally breaks colonial narratives,” he noted. The politician added that “kopeck” is currently used only in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, and the name change will not require additional costs: coins of the new and old names will be in circulation simultaneously for a long time in a 1:1 ratio.

Stefanchuk emphasized that the initiative has not only a financial, but also a cultural and linguistic dimension. Ukrainian money should have Ukrainian names, and the “step” is a part of national history, mentioned in the works of Taras Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, Ivan Kotlyarevsky and Panas Myrny.

Thus, bill No. 14093 is aimed at the final de-Russianization of monetary circulation, emphasizing national identity and restoring the historical traditions of Ukraine in the financial system. Its adoption will be an important step in the formation of an independent Ukrainian monetary culture.