Lithuania · Together with Ukraine

Issue date16 Mar 2023

Total mintage465,000

EU maximum500,000

Editions2

Edge letteringLAISVĖ ★ VIENYBĖ ★ GEROVĖ ★

InscriptionLIETUVA / 2023 / KARTU SU UKRAINA

DesignerEglė Žemaitė

mintUAB Lietuvos monetų kalykla, Vilnius (Lithuania)

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin bears the motto “Together with Ukraine”. At its centre is a stylised sunflower whose petals resemble people holding hands, embracing and protecting one another, thus symbolising unity, support and solidarity. The sunflower also appears as a rising sun and a sign of a new beginning; birds stand for freedom, hope and courage, while ascending people recall those who sacrificed their lives. Below the petals is the inscription “KARTU SU UKRAINA” (TOGETHER WITH UKRAINE).

The design

Depicted in the centre is a stylised sunflower whose petals resemble human silhouettes holding hands, embracing and protecting one another, thereby embodying unity, support and the strength of togetherness. Through artistic means, the sunflower is designed as a rising sun—the hope of a new beginning—with birds representing freedom, hope and courage, and with people rising above their circumstances and never accepting an imposed will, also alluding to those who sacrificed their lives and their departing souls. Along the inner coin ring, the inscription “LIETUVA” (LITHUANIA) and the minting year “2023” can be seen; on the right is the mint mark of the Lithuanian Mint, and beneath the sunflower petals is the inscription “KARTU SU UKRAINA” (TOGETHER WITH UKRAINE). The coin was designed by Eglė Žemaitė.

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the outer coin ring.

Background on the topic

The occasion refers to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The conflict had already begun in 2014 with the Russian annexation of Crimea and the fighting in the eastern Ukrainian Donbas. On 24 February 2022, Russia escalated it through a full-scale invasion. Millions of people had to leave their homes; numerous Ukrainian cities and parts of the infrastructure were destroyed or damaged. Ukraine has since been defending its state independence and territorial integrity.

Lithuania is one of the European states that support Ukraine politically, militarily and humanitarianly. The country took in Ukrainian refugees and advocated within the European Union and NATO for aid and sanctions against Russia. The issue of the coin is therefore not tied to a historical anniversary. It was a timely political statement of solidarity intended to reach a broad public through an everyday means of payment.

This position is also connected with Lithuanian history. Lithuania was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. Political persecution, deportations and armed resistance against Soviet rule followed. After restoring its independence in 1990, Lithuania oriented its foreign policy towards the European Union and NATO. Russian claims to power over former Soviet republics are therefore also perceived there against the background of its own historical experiences.

The sunflower is closely associated with Ukraine. The country is one of the major cultivation areas for this plant; sunflower fields are a common motif in depictions of Ukrainian landscapes. Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, the flower has also internationally become a symbol of support for Ukraine. The coin’s design thus combines a culturally familiar symbol of the country with the political message of the issue. The Ukrainian-Lithuanian context also refers to both countries’ shared affiliation with Eastern Europe and to Lithuania’s support for closer ties between Ukraine and the European Union.