The Verkhovna Rada may adopt a bill by the end of 2025 that would change the name of the circulation coin “kopeck” to the historical Ukrainian “shag.” The document was registered on October 1, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said in a comment to Forbes. Stefanchuk, one of the four initiators of the project, noted that “quality processing and approval of such decisions takes time.”
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Olena Kondratyuk reported that the initiative was supported by representatives of all parliamentary factions, so the chances of its adoption are assessed as quite high. She added that the document must be considered by specialized commissions, so the exact date of the vote has not yet been announced, but the parliament will most likely consider it already in this session.
Two related projects have been registered: the main bill No. 14093, which provides for the rejection of the Soviet name "kopeck" and a return to "step", and the auxiliary bill No. 14094. Stefanchuk emphasized that the initiative has not only technical, but also symbolic meaning: "kopeck" is considered a legacy of the Russian Empire and the USSR, while "step" is a historical Ukrainian name, known since the times of the Hetmanate and the UNR and mentioned in classical literature.
The message also states that the change will not require additional costs: for a certain time, both "kopecks" and "steps" will be in parallel circulation in cash, and their ratio is planned to remain 1:1. The initiators position the step as a restoration of national identity and a break with colonial narratives.
