COVER N. 210 - RUSSIA

Postmark: ПОЧТА РОССИИ - УCОПО КАЛУГА  248097 (Russian Post - Kaluga Post Office 248097) 18.01.2023

Posted on the 18th January; Received on the 8th February 2023
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Another cover from Russia and another lovely envelope, as Julia always tries to ensure whenever sending me a letter. Thank you so much, Julia. I'm always very pleased to receive your covers and postcards.

I have to confess my ignorance regarding the personality that the Russian pre-stamped envelope honours, so, as usual, I consulted Google who pointed me towards his potted bio in Wikipedia.

Another Russia based biographic site expanded a bit the information and so I learned that  John Aldrige (1918-2015) was an Australian-British Author, whose most noteworthy novels are set against the backdrop of the Second World and the Cold Wars although he would also write children and teenagers books, for which he equally gained some international recognition.

Upon reading these articles, I  made a note to try to find his first novel, "Signed with their Honour", because not only the reviews look good, but also it should make for an entertaining read for a vintage aviation fan, like my own self. 

From the biographical notes I consulted, Aldridge was also ideologically close to the USSR, so much so that he was awarded the International Lenin Prize "for strengthening peace between peoples" in 1972, hence, probably, his inclusion in the list of personalities honoured by rusmarka with its line of commemorative self-stamped envelopes.

Besides the printed stamp on the envelope, there are two more stamps on it, left to right:

- On 31JUL2014 the Russian Postal Administration issued a set of 4 20 Rubble stamps on the occasion of the centenary of the beginning of the First World War. 

The one on my cover is dedicated to the Erzurum Operation, January-March, 1916, a Russian offensive against the Ottoman forces that culminated with the capture of the city of Erzurum, a strategic city in Eastern Anatolia, and its fortress.

- The MS Mustai Karim - is a luxury river liner, built in 2019, which according to a Russian tourism site " takes its name from the illustrious poet, writer and playwright who was awarded People's poet of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1963 and who won the Lenin Prize in 1984".

The 18 Ruble  stamp celebrating this particular vessel was issued on 08SEP2022.