This coin commemorates 500 years since the beginning of the Reformation movement, which was an important event in European culture. The traditional date for the beginning of the Reformation, which took place in Europe from the 16th to the mid-17th centuries, is associated with the publication of the Ninety-Five Theses by the German reformer Martin Luther in 1517. Luther, a professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg, deplored the sale of indulgencies (justification given by church). He stressed that salvation (or justification) was by faith alone rather than by church and religious ceremonial observances. The Reformation in Ukraine relaxed church rules and brought the church closer to the people. This was evidenced by the establishment of national schools and print houses, the translation of the Bible into Ukrainian, and services being conducted in Ukrainian, a language understood by the congregation.