Executed Renaissance

The National Bank of Ukraine has released commemorative coins to honor two Ukrainian artists who were executed during the Soviet Union’s Great Purge of 1936-38—painter Ivan Padalka and writer Maik (Mykhailo) Johansen.

The commemoratives share a common obverse. The inscription SLOVO (“word”) appears in the center, with a bleeding bullet hole in the first “O.” The reverses depict a portrait of each artist, respectively, with their names and years of birth and death. The mintage for each 5 hyrvnias is limited to 75,000. They can be purchased through the National Bank of Ukraine’s online store.

The Artists

Born on November 15, 1894, Ivan Padalka was a Ukrainian painter,  graphic artist, and teacher. His works were exhibited internationally in countries such as Denmark, Italy, Germany, and Norway, and he is well-known for his 1927 engraving “Construction of the Derzhprom Building in Karkiv.”

Maik Johansen was born on October 16, 1895. He was a poet, novelist, translator, linguist, and screenwriter known for founding the literary groups Hart, VAPLITE, and the Techno-Art Group A. His poetry collections D’hori and Yasen, as well as his screenplay for the film Zvenyhora, are his best-known works.

Padalka and Johansen were executed in 1937 on charges of counterrevolutionary activity and Ukrainian nationalism.