This medal celebrates the heroic deeds and resilience of the residents of the city of ships, Mykolaiv, which became a stronghold blocking the path of the russian invaders in southern Ukraine. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, russian troops tried to capture Mykolaiv. After several unsuccessful assaults, encirclement attempts and attempts to take control of Mykolaiv Airport and Kulbakyne Aerodrome, the invaders began to bombard and shell the city, shattering people’s lives and damaging the city – many buildings were not only damaged, but completely destroyed. By joining efforts and supporting each other, the residents are holding out, defending and restoring their city. In these difficult times, they are also protecting the city’s living landmark – Mykolaiv Zoo.

Obverse: above is the legend 2023/УКРАЇНА (2023/Ukraine); beneath is Ukraine’s small coat of arms; in the center, against the backdrop of a stylized map of the city, are the following lines from Lina Kostenko’s historical novel “Berestechko”: Я ЗНАЮ ГРАМОТУ СВОБОДИ – / ЇЇ ПІДПИСУЮТЬ МЕЧІ! / ЛІНА КОСТЕНКО (I KNOW THE CHARTER OF FREEDOM – / IT IS SIGNED WITH SWORDS) / LINA KOSTENKO; there is a stylized composition that shows that Mykolaiv is a city of shipbuilding and a seaport; to the right is the building of Mykolaiv Shipbuilding Museum (the only one of its kind in Ukraine); to the left is the mint mark of the NBU’s Banknote Printing and Minting Works.

Reverse: against a smooth background is the legend МИКОЛАЇВ/МІСТО ГЕРОЇВ (Mykolaiv/City of Heroes), which divides the medal into two halves; in the upper half, against a smooth background, is a composition symbolizing people’s resistance to russian occupation in the face of the considerable damage suffered by the city; the lower half depicts a stylized view of the city as seen in perspective; it shows the city’s historical and archeological monuments.