Exchange Currency of “Juicy Fruit” Gum

By Adria Pelensky

Allow me to take you back in time. Let’s go back about five months ago. I had just started my internship in Lviv as a young impressionable Ukrainian Canadian. I had familiarized myself with cultural norms and traditions, learned statistics like population and greatest export, as well as the real GDP per capita. I was well versed in any contemporary facts about Ukraine. Did you know that Ukraine has a 99% literacy rate among men and women? Fact - and a very impressive one at that. Among your trivia of Ukraine, you probably don’t know what is the currency. I’m sure many of you would answer: “the hryvna”. However, while this is in part true, it is the officially recognized state currency of the country, there is another currency flowing from cash registers, the international currency of “Juicy Fruit”.

For my first weekend in Ukraine, I was fortunate enough to be here for the Elections. With political banners waving from buildings, swag lining the streets like garbage and free rock concerts blaring through the main square, I knew Ukraine was on the cusp of voting. Being the foreigner that I am, I did what any normal outsider would do - enjoy the show. The performers were not ones I identified (surely those were saved for Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti), but they were entertaining, nonetheless. Since it was a humid day, after a few songs I walked over to the closest mahazyn to purchase myself a nice cold “Lvivske”. Before purchase, I noticed the glass window had stickers all over it advertising its price: 1.80. “Excellent!” I thought. Quickly in my head when I did the math, that equated to less than 40 cents Canadian. Approaching the counter, I reached into my pocket and pulled out two crisp “Volodymyr Velykiy’s”, also known as two hryvna. The lady at the counter looked dismayed. I ignored her appearance and made my order. When I handed her my payment, she asked me if I had change. Since I didn’t, I kindly replied no. I popped the cap off of my beer and took a sip. “Wonderful” I thought, “it’s at room temperature. Was this red wine?” Annoyed, I reached for my change, only to be handed two sticks of peppermint “Juicy Fruit”. Mystified by this transaction, the lady explained that she had very few kopeks left and needed to repay me through this method. Begrudgingly, I accepted.

This would not be the first and last time for such a transaction - this continued for months.

I had finally reached my breaking point. Perhaps it was necessitated by the gross inflation for the stick of “Juicy Fruit” – one mahazyn had valued it at 50 kopeks! – Or maybe they just caught me on an argumentative day, but I was finally going to end this. I had purchased a bottle of carbonated “Bonaqua” (hazovana voda is a staple in Ukraine) for the standard price of ‘double whatever beer costs’, so 4.50. I paid the lady 5 hryvna, and she gave me the apathetic glare, dropped the bill in the till, slammed it shut, and then reached into an adjacent container. Handing me a single stick of “Juicy Fruit” and my bottle of water, she expected me to be on my way. I made it very clear to her that I did not order this overpriced stick of gum, but she gave me the same explanation that I had been hearing for months: “no kopeks”. Bitter, I left and went about my business.

A few hours later, I returned to the same mahazyn, ordered the same carbonated “Bonaqua” from the same lady, only this time, I had 4 hryvna AND my stick of “Juicy Fruit” which was valued at 50 kopeks. Smugly, I approached, placed my order and handed over the payment. Guess who didn’t like getting the “Juicy Fruit”? The lady at the mahazyn explained to me that I could not pay her in this method, as they did not accept bartering. The irony! I merely wanted to prove a point, that she didn’t like getting “Juicy Fruit” as change as much as I did.

Some of you may be puzzled, others startled, some, laughing. Imagine how Wrigley’s feels? I’m sure no one is sending them any royalties from this recognized system of trade. Certainly this brand of chewing gum is unaware of its deep economic influence in Ukrainian commerce. It’s understandable that at times a store may not have enough float to distribute change, but this was ridiculous. It was becoming common accepted practice. By using overpriced chewing gum as change, some of these stores were making an inflated amount. Since this last event, I have made a habit of travelling with exact change, even kopeks, so these stores are not left to resorting to the “Juicy Fruit” currency.