NBU Issues Commemorative Coins to Celebrate the Ornek – a Crimean Tatar Ornament

On 23 May 2024, the National Bank of Ukraine (the NBU) presented new commemorative coins entitled "The Ornek. A Crimean Tatar Ornament." 

The coins celebrate a traditional ornament of the Crimean Tatars – one of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. In 2021, the Ornek was officially included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The new coins were presented by NBU Deputy Governor Oleksii Shaban, together with Esma Adzhiieva, head of the Alem NGO. The presentation was also attended by acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Rostyslav Karandieiev and Head of Cooperation of the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine Andreas Huber. 

"The NBU is proud of the diversity of Ukraine’s intangible cultural heritage, and the originality and uniqueness of its Crimean Tatar component," said Shaban. "As testament to our deep respect for the indigenous people of Crimea and on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Ukraine’s membership of UNESCO, we present coins that celebrate a unique ornament that is an integral part of the Crimean Tatars’ national identity. We believe that these coins will become a kind of talisman predicting the liberation of Crimea from occupation and the restoration of free life of the Crimean Tatar people in their homeland – Ukrainian Crimea."

"The culture of the Crimean Tatars is a living heritage that has been preserved to this day, and we continue to develop it in the context of present-day reality," said Adzhiieva. "We are working hard to rethink the approach to understanding the heritage of our people in the all-Ukrainian cultural space. And this not only concerns its external forms and aesthetics – costumes, dishes, beautiful things or rituals – but also the fact that content and values are more important than form."

"It is important to capture everything that defines our identity, what we are fighting for with the enemy," Karandieiev said during the presentation. "That is why today the national Crimean Tatar ornament – the Ornek – is being protected by UNESCO. And that is why we have included the traditional dance of the Crimean Tatars, the practice and cultural context of cooking traditional dishes, and the coffee tradition of the Crimean Tatars in the National List of Elements of Ukraine’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. We must work together at the state level to protect our cultural heritage, because Crimea is Ukraine."

Coin design

Obverse of the coins: in the center of the composition is a Crimean Tatar embroiderer (nağışçi), a charming craftswoman leaning over an embroidery machine (kergef). Her hands, masterfully handling the needle, breathe life into the canvas, creating exquisite Ornek patterns on it. The ornament sprouts in different directions from the craftswoman, symbolizing the continuity of the tradition and its unceasing continuation by talented descendants. Above is the legend УКРАЇНА (Ukraine), below which are the legends ÖRNEK / ОРЬНЕК, Ukraine’s small coat of arms, the coins’ face value, the graphic symbol of the hryvnia ₴, and the coins’ issue year – 2024.

Reverse: against a smooth background is an Ornek ornament in relief, which stands for familial values. In the center of the ornament are interconnected elements that reflect the deep symbolism of family ties. This family consists of the signs of a man, a woman, and their common home. On both sides of the central vertical are symbols representing children. Together they create a full-fledged ornament that reflects family unity and harmony.

These coins were designed by Esma Adzhiieva, head of the Alem NGO. The design was adapted by Oleksandra Kuchynska.

Coin sales

The 10-hryvnia coins are made of silver and have a mintage of up to 7,500 units; the five-hryvnia coins are made of nickel silver and have a mintage of up to 75,000 units (souvenir packaged).

These coins will be gradually sold through the NBU’s online numismatic store and 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 on the store’s website, on the official websites of the distributing banks, and/or in the branches of the distributing banks.