Front: Founding Viking brothers Kyi, Schchek and Khoury with sister Libyd standing at bow of ship

Back: Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev

Front: Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great (958-1015), Grand Prince of Kiev

Vladimir I converted to Christianity in 988, and proceeded to baptise the whole Kievan Rus.

Back: Building facade

Front: Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), Ukrainian poet and painter

Shevchenko was born in central Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. The son of a serf, Shevchenko became not only an artist and a painter but one of the most versatile people of 19th century. The first collection of Shevchenko's poems was published under the title Kobzar("Minstrel") in 1840. It became a harbinger of the works of one of the greatest humanist writers of all times.

Back: Kiev State University