2 Hryvni Leonid Hlibov

Leonid Hlibov (1827–1893) was Ukraine's foremost fabulist, writing in the tradition of Aesop and La Fontaine but rooting his work firmly in vernacular Ukrainian speech at a time when the Ems Decree of 1876 had banned Ukrainian-language publications across the Russian Empire. His fables circulated in restricted, semi-clandestine editions. This coin was issued on the 175th anniversary of his birth.