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Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire until the Russian Revolution. The Ukrainian People’s Republic was founded on January 22, 1918 and remained under German influence until December 14, 1918 when Hetman P. Skoropadsky was overthrown. At the same time, a Soviet Ukrainian People’s Republic was set up on December 25, 1917. Fighting continued between White and Red forces through 1921. The People’s Republic was absorbed by Soviet Ukraine on May 7, 1921, and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became a founding member of the Soviet Union on December 30, 1922.

Various parts of present-day Ukraine shifted between different countries in the years before World War II. Western Ukraine gained its independence from Austria on November 1, 1918, and was incorporated into Ukraine on January 22, 1919. Bukovina gained its independence from Austria on November 12, 1918, was part of Romania from December 31, 1918 until September 15, 1947 when it became part of Ukraine. Carpatho-Ukraine was part of Czechoslovakia until March 16, 1939, part of Hungary until June 29, 1945, when it was incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR. Crimea was part of the Russian SFSR, then transferred to the Ukraine in 1954.

The Ukraine declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 24, 1991.

Russia had reformed the Ruble (RUEI) under Elizabeth II on November 23, 1755, setting 1 Gold Imperial equal to 10 Silver Rubles or 1000 Copper Kopeks. Paper Assignatzia (RUEA-Ruble-Banco) also circulated, though usually at a discount to specie money. The monetary system was reformed on July 1, 1839 with 1 Silver Ruble (RUES) set equal to 3.5 Ruble Assignatzia (RUEA). Credit Ruble Banknotes (RUEP) replaced the Ruble Assignatzia on June 1, 1843. Russia went on the Gold Standard on January 3, 1897 and introduced the Gold Ruble (RUER), which was used until the outbreak of World War I.

The Ukrainian People’s Republic issued banknotes in 1918 denominated in Grivna (UAG) with 1 Karbovanetz equal to 2 Grivna or 200 Shahiv, and the Karbovanetz issued at par with the Russian Ruble. After the Soviets defeated the Nationalists, the Soviet Ruble, often referred to as the Ruble Sovnazki (RUFS), was introduced. The first currency reform occurred on January 1, 1922 when the Ruble of 1922 (RUFR) replaced the Ruble Sovnazki of 1921 at 1 1922 Ruble equal to 10,000 Ruble Sovnazki. On October 22, 1922, the 1923 Ruble (SUB) replaced the 1922 Ruble at the rate of 1 1923 Ruble equal to 100 1922 Rubles. The Chervonetz (SUC) was introduced on December 27, 1922, which was backed 25% by gold, and eventually replaced the Ruble Sovnazki as a unit of account. The Gold Ruble (SUG) was introduced on March 7, 1924 equal to 1/10 Chervonetz and 50,000 Rubles of 1923.

During World War II, Germany occupied Ukraine and issued Karbowanez (UAC) banknotes from the Nazi Zentralnotenbank Ukraine. The exchange rate was set at 10 Karbowanez equal to 1 Reichsmark. The Nazis had planned on issuing banknotes in Russian in Rubles and Chervonetz, but they rejected the idea of using the Russian language on occupation banknotes. German Reichsmarks were used in the western part of Ukraine, Lei were used in the parts of Ukraine occupied by Romania, and Forints were ised in Carpatho-Ukraine occupied by Hungary.

After the war, a New Ruble (SUN) replaced the Gold Ruble on December 29, 1947 at the rate of 1 New Ruble equal to 10 Gold Rubles. On January 1, 1961, the Hard Ruble (SUR) replaced the New Ruble at the rate of 1 Hard Ruble equal to 10 New Rubles.

After Ukraine regained its independence, it issued the Karbovanetz (UAK) at par with the Soviet Ruble. The Hryvnia (UAH) replaced the Karbovanetz on September 2, 1996 with 1 Hryvnia equal to 100,000 Karbovanetz. The Hryvnia is divisible into 100 Kopiyok and is issued by the Ukrainian National Bank.

Carpatho-Ukraine, also known as Ruthenia, was the eastern part of Czechoslovakia. In March 1939, it declared its independence, but was occupied by Hungary the next day. At the end of World War II, it was reclaimed by Czechoslovakia, but was incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR as Trans-Carpathian Ukraine. No separate currency was ever issued for Carpatho-Ukraine.

Here is a 3 Karbovantsiv note dated 1991. The note is greenish grey and pale orange on yellow underprint. The obverse fetures the portrait of the Viking Sister of the Founding Brothers. The reverse depicts the Cathedral of St Sophia. No serial number was printed on this note. This note has its value printed in flourescent ink to the left. The note has a watermark showing paper fibers.

• Krause# Pick-82a

Reverse

Here is a 1991 dated 5 Karbovanstiv. The note is dull blue-violet and pale orange on yellow underprint. The obverse fetures the portrait of Lybid, the Viking Sister of the Founding Brothers. The reverse depicts the Cathedral of St Sophia in Kiev. No serial number was printed on this note.This note has its value printed in flourescent ink to the left. The note has a watermark showing paper fibers.

• Krause# Pick-83a

Reverse

This note, dated 1991, is valued at 10 Karbovantsiv. The note is pink and pale orange on yellow underprint. The obverse fetures the portrait of the Viking Sister of the Founding Brothers. The reverse depicts the Cathedral of St Sophia. No serial number was printed on this note.This note has its value printed in flourescent ink to the left. The note has a watermark showing paper fibers.

• Krause# Pick-84a

Reverse

Here is a 2 Hryvni note dated 1992 (1996 in the US calendar). The note is brown on multicolored underprint. The obverse features Prince Yaroslav, born 1017 and died 1054, he was a Prince of Kiev. He defeated the Pechenegs and established kiev as a center of power, trade and culture. The reverse depicts the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, the first Ukrainian patrimony to be inscribed on the World Heritage List, and the final resting place of Prince Yaroslav.

• Krause# Pick-104a

Reverse

This note is valued at 5 Hryven and is dated 1992 (1996 in the US calendar). The note os blue-gray on multicolored underprint. The obverse features Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmel'nyts'kyi, He led the uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth magnates (1648–1654) with the goal of creating an independent Ukrainian state. In 1654 he concluded the Treaty of Pereyaslav with the Tsardom of Russia, which led to the eventual loss of Ukrainian independence first in the Russian Empire and later in the Soviet Union. The reverse depicts the Illinska Church in Subotiv, near Chyhyryn, it is the birthplace of Ukrainian Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

• Krause# Pick-105c

Reverse

Here is a 1 Hryvnia note dated 1994 (1996 in the US calendar). The note is grayish brown and green on multicolored underprint. The obverse features Saint Volodymyr, who having inherited a vast empire from his grandmother, St Olha, Volodymyr pressed forward with a vision of a people united by a common spiritual culture that transcended the parochial loyalties of their local traditions. The reverse depicts the city of Chersonesos, an ancient Greek colony founded approximately 2500 years ago in the southwestern part of Crimea. Saint Volodymyr can be found as a watermark on this note.

• Krause# Pick-108a

Reverse

This is a 2 Hryvni note dated 1995 (1997 in the US calendar). The note is 'multicolored'. The obverse features Prince Yaroslav, which during his lengthy reign, Kievan Rus' reached a zenith of its cultural flowering and military power. The prince can also be found on this note as a watermark. The reverse depicts the Cathedral of Saint Sohpia in Kyiv, which according to a less popular theory, its model was the 13-domed oaken Saint Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, which Yaroslav I the Wise determined to imitate in stone as a sign of gratitude to the citizens of Novgorod who had helped him secure the Kievan throne in 1019.

• Krause# Pick-109a

Reverse

Here is a 2005 dated 1 Hryvnia note. The note is green and blue onmulticolored underprint.

• Krause# Pick-116

Reverse

Here is a 2 Hryven note dated 2005. The note is brown on multicolored underprint.

• Krause# Pick-117

Reverse

This note is valued at 1 Hryvnia and dated 2006.

• Krause# Pick-Not Yet Listed

Reverse