20 Hryven Kyivan Rus

Issued in 2001 as part of Ukraine's ambitious bimetallic commemorative program marking the decade since independence, this piece draws its subject from the medieval Kyivan Rus state — the political and cultural ancestor both Ukraine and Russia have long contested as their own. That argument was already well underway by 2001, making the choice of subject pointed rather than merely historical.

The gold-in-silver bimetallic format was used selectively by the National Bank for prestige issues of this period. Mintages were kept deliberately low.