1000 Roubles Icone Bialynitchy

The Bialynitchy Icon of the Mother of God — venerated in the town of Byalynichy, Mogilev Oblast — was one of the most celebrated Marian shrines in the Russian Empire, drawing pilgrims from across the western borderlands. The original icon was destroyed during Soviet anti-religious campaigns in the 1930s, a fate shared by the monastery that housed it. What survives today are copies and descriptions; the National Bank's decision to strike this coin in 2014 was partly an act of cultural reclamation.

Belarus issued several high-denomination gold pieces in this 100g format during the 2010s, targeting the collector and bullion-art market simultaneously. Mintages on these pieces are typically very small — often under 99 examples.