On the eve of Medical Worker Day, 26 July 2024, a new commemorative coin called “The Country of Superheroes. We Thank Our Medical Workers!” was presented in the National Children’s Hospital Okhmatdyt.
The coin celebrates the selfless work of Ukrainian healthcare professionals, who are constantly saving the lives and health of children and adults, both in the rear and on the front line.
The new coin was presented by NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyy and General Director of Okhmatdyt Volodymyr Zhovnir. They handed over the first commemorative coins to Okhmatdyt workers who were distinguished for their long service and professional achievements.
“We are presenting our new coin at Okhmatdyt, the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, which, in addition to its incredible professional energy, has a significant symbolic meaning for the country,” said Pyshnyy. “This is a heart that beats for the whole country, for every child. Unfortunately, footage from modern Ukraine has shown a doctor who had just been performing surgery on a four-month-old baby clearing rubble in blood-stained clothes after a Russian missile strike. It is important that such stories of incredible and strong Ukrainians are heard and remembered. Ukrainians are not looking for fame, but they deserve to be recognized as few others. It is to them that the NBU dedicates its new commemorative coin. We will rebuild everything that has been destroyed. The enemy can smash concrete walls, but it will never destroy the character of Ukrainians.”
To support Okhmatdyt, the NBU team held an internal charity fundraiser. Governor Andriy Pyshnyy said that NBU employees donated a day’s worth of their salaries, raising about UAH 6.6 million, which will be transferred for the restoration and reconstruction of this world-famous medical facility.
“On the occasion of Medical Worker Day, I would like to say that our doctors are the best,” said Zhovnir. After the Russian missile attack on Okhmatdyt, I remember that everyone worked as a single mechanism to ensure that we did not lose anyone: calming parents and children, carrying things and helping to evacuate children, rescuing people from the rubble, and clearing the way for ambulances and firefighters. However, the Russian missile attack did claim the lives of two people – our doctor and a visitor. We will never forget this. Despite all of the enemy’s attempts to destroy Ukraine, I’m confident that both our team and the whole of society will do everything they can to make Okhmatdyt even better and stronger than before the attack.”
Coin Design
The obverse shows a stylized strip of bandage with a bloodstain on it in the form of an outline of the territory of Ukraine. It is an unhealed wound in the heart of every Ukrainian that constantly hurts and bleeds. Above, against a smooth background, is the legend УКРАЇНА (Ukraine); to the right of the legend is Ukraine’s small coat of arms. Under the bandage, to the right, are the coin’s face value 5, the graphic symbol of the hryvnia ₴, and the coin’s issue year 2024; beneath, to the left, is the mint mark of the NBU’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works.
The reverse depicts intersecting strips of bandage in the center. They seem to isolate the wound covered by the hand of a medic, which heals and soothes the pain. This symbolizes the dedication and professionalism of medical workers, who fight for people’s lives in the most difficult circumstances.
The coin was designed by designers from ArtTrium Group: Volodymyr Taran, Oleksandr Kharuk and Serhii Kharuk.
Coin Sales
This commemorative coin will go on sale from 30 July 2024 through the NBU’s online numismatic store. Overall, the NBU plans to sell 30,000 of these commemorative coins through its online store, with 20,000 of them being available from the day they go on sale.
More of these coins will be sold by distributing banks (the list of these banks can be found on the NBU’s official website), as they are delivered from the NBU’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works. You can find more details about the starting date of sales and points of sale on the official websites of the distributing banks.
On 26 July 2024, the NBU issued into circulation a commemorative coin entitled “The Country of Superheroes. We Thank Our Medical Workers!”
This coin, which has a face value of 5 hryvnias, continues the My Immortal Ukraine series. This coin is made of nickel silver in special uncirculated quality. It has a weight of 16.5 g, and a diameter of 35.0 mm. The mintage of the coin is up to 50,000 units.