1992
First tokens
On October 1, 1992, tokens were introduced. The first version was made from copper alloys in the city of Brovary. The turnstiles have been upgraded, they no longer accept coins, only tokens.
Kyiv metro
token
Take a broader view. Try a device with a wider screen (at least a laptop).
Before the tokens
After the opening of the Kyiv metro in 1960, entry was only by ticket. It was not very efficient, because they had to be composted manually, and long queues lined up during rush hours.
Later, in 1961, turnstiles began to appear. They accepted a coin of a specific denomination to pass a passenger.
This system of passing passengers (ticket or coin) existed until 1992, when it was replaced by tokens and electronic cards.
94
Green plastic tokens
On April 20, 1994, tokens became plastic, which made them cheaper to manufacture and lighter. The turnstiles have been modernized, they used to verify the token by size and weight, now by color and amount of phosphor.
2000
Blue plastic tokens
The turnstiles were designed to recognize 2 colors. In the event of a rise in price, the color of the token changed. On February 7, 2000, the fare doubled, green tokens were replaced with blue ones.
08
Green tokens… again
On November 4, 2008, the fare increased by 4 times. The blue tokens have been replaced by the old green tokens. Later, a new batch of green tokens was additionally produced.
19
The last year for tokens
On October 30, 2019, the tokens were withdrawn from circulation. They were replaced by contactless payment and electronic cards.
Token price history
| 01 Oct 1992 | 5 UAK* |
| 20 Apr 1994 | 100 UAK* |
| 01 Feb 1995 | 7000 UAK* |
| 07 Feb 1996 | 20000 UAK* |
| 02 Nov 1996 | 0.2 UAH |
| 19 Mar 2000 | 0.5 UAH |
| 01 Dec 2008 | 2 UAH |
| 07 Feb 2015 | 4 UAH |
| 15 Jul 2017 | 5 UAH |
| 04 Jul 2018 | 8 UAH |
* UAK – Ukrainian karbovanets, unit of currency in Ukraine (1992-1996)
** In the photo: token counting machine
