At the start of 2014, the National Bank of Ukraine struck three new commemorative coins from the “Oblasts of Ukraine” coin series.

‘This year the National Bank of Ukraine is to mint commemorative coins to mark the anniversaries of the establishment of 10 oblasts. These commemorative coins will form part of the “Oblasts of Ukraine” coin series that was launched in 2012. This coin series offers a great chance to commemorate the beauty and achievements of each region and provides a wonderful opportunity for the residents of different regions and visitors to these regions to buy a commemorative coin as a memento,’ noted Head of Numismatic Production and Marketing Department of the National Bank of Ukraine Tamara Loshmanova.

On January 3, 2014, the National Bank of Ukraine put the “60 Years of the Cherkasy Oblast” of 5 hryvnia face value into circulation.  The obverse and reverse bear the symbols of Cherkasy Oblast (Cherkashchyna): the Oblast coat of arms and the indication of the year when it was established, Illinska Church designed in early Baroque style, gazebo in the Sofiyivka National Arboretum, kobza and wheatears.  The symbols emphasize the idea that Cherkashchyna is not only a picturesque Cossack land stretching on the Dnieper River banks, which is famous for its chernozem (black earth) and cultural monuments, but also the birthplace of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and Taras Shevchenko and the region having a strong economic potential.

On January 9, 2014, the National Bank of Ukraine released two commemorative coins: “75 Years of the Sumy Oblast” and “75 Years of the Kirovohrad Oblast ”.

The “75 Years of the Sumy Oblast” of 5 hryvnia face value has been struck in honor of the Sumy Oblast (Sumshchyna), which is a developed agro-industrial region  situated in the north-eastern part of Left-Bank Ukraine. Sumshchyna is a natural treasury of endless meadows, pure waters and abundant forests, a land of glorious history and Cossack traditions. For this reason, the obverse features spiritual, historical and natural symbols:  the Saviour’s Transfiguration Cathedral, Sumy Pavilion, sabre and powder horn, grain ears. The reverse bears the Oblast coat of arms and the indication of the year when the Sumy Oblast was established.

The “75 Years of the Kirovohrad Oblast” of 5 hryvnia face value is dedicated to an agro-industrial region, which is rich in chernozem (black earth) fields and situated between the Dnieper and Southern Buh rivers, in the center of Ukraine. This land is rich in mineral resources. The region's potential in mineral raw materials numbers more than 340 mineral deposits. The obverse features the image of M.L.Kropyvnytskyi Kirovohrad Academic Ukrainian Theatre of Music and Drama (the theatre of coryphaei), V.G.Shukhov hyperboloid structure tower, Atoms for Peace symbol, seed drill, grain ears and sunflower. The reverse bears the Oblast coat of arms and the indication of the year when the Kirovohrad O Oblast was established.

‘The Oblasts, whose anniversaries of the establishment the coins commemorate, have a glorious history and interesting long-standing traditions. Their main resource is the people who generate wealth not only for their region but also for the entire economy of Ukraine,’ noted Ms Tamara Loshmanova.

All the coins have been manufactured with the application of state-of-the-art minting technology: outer ring – copper-nickel alloy; center – Nordic gold (CuAl5Zn5Sn1), quality – “special uncirculated”, diameter– 28.0 mm, and weight – 9.4 g. The coin edge is intermittently grooved.

The total mintage figure for each coin is 20, 000 pieces. The coin is priced at UAH 25. The coins are available for sale at the regional branches of the National Bank of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine’s distributors selling commemorative coins.

The coins have been designed by Sviatoslav Ivanenko and sculpted by Sviatoslav Ivanenko, Volodymyr Atamanchuk, Anatolii Demianenko.