Ukrainian Sunflower

A stylised sunflower — the national flower of Ukraine — which has become a symbol of peace and international solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Above, the commemorative inscription "SLAVA UKRAINAI!", the Latvian translation of the Ukrainian salute Слава Україні!; below the design, the issuing state "LATVIJA" and the year "2023".

The sunflower has been regarded in Ukraine for centuries as the national flower — a status rooted less in decree than in deeply ingrained everyday culture. The country is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of sunflower oil, and the bright yellow fields characterise vast stretches of land from western Ukraine to the steppe regions of the east. In Ukrainian folk tradition, the plant stands for joie de vivre, warmth, and connection to the land. After Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022, the symbol took on a new, worldwide dimension: images of sunflowers became an international visual shorthand for solidarity with Ukraine, carried equally by civil society initiatives, art actions and political gestures. The Ukrainian greeting Слава Україні! — "Glory to Ukraine" — also became known worldwide in this context and is now the country's official state greeting.

Latvia is among the countries that have supported Ukraine with particular resolve since the start of the war — politically, humanitarily and militarily. This stance has historical roots: as a Baltic state with its own experience of Soviet occupation, Latvia sees the defence of Ukrainian sovereignty as part of a shared European security logic. The Latvian phrase "Slava Ukrainai" on the coin, the phonetic Latvian equivalent of the Ukrainian greeting, makes this solidarity explicit. In 2023, Latvia issued a 2-euro commemorative coin placing the sunflower at the centre as a symbol of this bond and a visible sign of Latvian support for Ukraine.