100 karbovanets of the Ukrainian National Republic (revers) 1917

Curator: Oh, look at this! It's a 100 karbovanets banknote from the Ukrainian National Republic, dating back to 1917. It was designed by Heorhiy Narbut, an artist of real vision. Editor: Wow, the weight of history is practically tangible. There's something immediately captivating about the aging of the paper itself. It feels brittle, doesn't it? Curator: Brittle yet resilient, wouldn’t you say? I’m fascinated by how Narbut incorporates art nouveau elements while drawing upon traditional Ukrainian motifs. Notice the stylized plant forms, how they almost seem to cradle the denomination. Editor: Exactly. And you can see it as a material expression of nationalism itself. Think about the kind of labour that goes into designing, printing, and distributing currency at this time, it speaks volumes about Ukraine's effort to establish its independent financial infrastructure amidst revolution. The text even seems to be in multiple languages. Curator: It is! You’ll find Ukrainian, Russian, and even what I believe to be Yiddish on this single note. This highlights the complex multicultural fabric of Ukraine at the time. The handwritten quality of the typeface adds another layer of meaning too—emphasizing craft and care at a period when mechanized processes threatened tradition. Editor: Absolutely. The very means of production becomes a statement, in this context. And that imagery too – it appears to be grain within the roundel designs – an essential component to the infrastructure of everyday people. I am immediately wondering how accessible that kind of visual language would be, and how recognizable to a broad public? Curator: I agree, its accessibility is questionable, perhaps a reflection of the intelligentsia steering the ship at that moment. All those little symbolic touches… It’s like Narbut is embedding hopes and dreams for a newly imagined nation, right there on the currency. I keep coming back to that deep feeling of yearning I get when I see pieces like this, things built with real purpose. Editor: I understand what you mean – though that element of practicality of access is something I cannot look away from when I engage with art such as this. The physical manifestation of national identity created under such turbulent historical conditions makes it so special. Curator: It's almost ghostly. I won’t soon forget looking at this object – one tiny artifact embodying a grand political dream. Editor: Me neither. It is interesting how an everyday medium such as currency can carry such tremendous importance to cultural memory.