POSTCARD N.148 - BELARUS

Postcrossing Postcard sent on the 5th July; received on the11th July 2024

Postcard image: River Svolna, the right tributary of the Drissa, Vitebsk region.
__________________________________________________________________________________

It always pleases me to see that quite often postcrossers really go that extra mile to ensure that the card they are sending to someone else, somewhere, whom they don't know, is not just a square of paper with a nice photo on it - what would already be quite fine, since this corresponds to my definition of postcard - but also a friendly gesture by  trying to accommodate the receiver's own personal interests.

Elena, who sent me this lovely card, collects stamps. and she knows, from my profile, that I share her interest in this particular field, so she made sure she used a bunch of nice stamps to post the card  to me. Quite a nice and friendly gesture, which I trully appreciated. Вялікі дзякуй, Elena! 

River Svolna   originates in Russia, in the Necheritsa Lake, close to the Border with Belarus, where it runs meandering through forests (judging from the photograph)  for most of its path, before joining the Drissa, some 200km from Minsk, the country's Capital city..

Stamps left to right , top to bottom:

- Naratschanski National Parlk, establihed in 1999 and named after the lake it encompasses - Lake Narach - occupies a total area of 89000 hectares, in the northwest of Belarus.

It is featured on the photograph that illustrates the "A" tariff stamp issued on 05OCT2016 as part of a two stamp joint Pakisntan-Belarus issue themed on National Parks. The tariff "H" companion stamp of this issue,  is dedicated to Saiful Muluk National Park, in Pakistan.

- Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are cute animals, even cuter as babies, of course. 

A baby fox is the subject of the"A" tariff stamp issued on 09JAN20202, as part of a mini-sheet dedicated to wild baby animals. 

- The Polesye State Radiation - Ecological Reserve was established in the aftermath of the horrific Chernobyl disaster and it occupies the area in Belarus right next to the Ukrainian Chernobyl Exclusion Zone,  most affected by radioactive fallout.

An eagle, a woodpecker, a linx and a wader bird which I cannot identify are present in th "A" tariff stamp issued on 01MAR2028, which in conjunction with an "H" tariff stamp dedicated to the  Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve constitute Belarus contribution to the Commonwealth of Independent States 2018 common issue, themed on Nature Parks.

- 5 Belarusian kapeyka stamp part of the definitive issue of 06JUL2016 illustrated with the Belarus Coat of Arms. The set comprises 12 stamps all identical but with a differing colour background.

- 1 kapeyka self-adhesive imperforated stamp illustrated with a cucumber, part of a definitive "vegetable" 14 stamp set, issued on 01JUL2020.

The Postmark hails from Minsk, Belarus capital.

POSTCARD N.123 - BELARUS

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 30th October; received on the 13th November 2023

Postcard image: Autumn leaves
__________________________________________________________________________________

A simple yet beautiful postcard perfectly in tune with the season, and quite special too since it is not a mass market product, but a one off result of someone's artistic abilities. 

Thank you so much Helga, I loved it!

The small N tariff  self-adhesive imperforated stamp with the image of a purple radish is part of a definitive "vegetable" 14 stamp set, issued on 01JUL2020.

The very clear postmark indicates that the postcar was sent from the Belarus capital, Minsk.

POSTCARD N.49-  Belarus

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 26th October; received on the 22nd November
Postcard image: Tradiitonal Belarus Costumes (?)
____________________________________________________________________

I love a surprise. Today, as usual, I went to check my letterbox. All I found inside were the usual supermarket promotion brochures, which I confess I seldom open at all. After dinner I picked up the two or three brochures and was going to thrown them on the recycling bin when out of one a postcard dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe my luck... Not that I could be blamed, but I was going to unknowingly throw away a postcard from someone who had gone through the care and trouble of writing it to me... As of today, I'll never throw a supermarket catalogue brochure into the bin without first making sure there's nothing inside 😀

And what would be more: not only would I be throwing away a pretty nice postcard, with a great stamp on it, but I would miss the opportunity of adding another country to my list: Belarus. Thank you so Much Maria, for your nice Postcard!

Belarus... quite cited on the news lately... just as my own country, decades ago, would also be cited on the news abroad.. the essence of people is the same everywhere though, no matter who leads, or rules, or reigns, or dictates,  a friendly gesture like writing a postcard to a complete stranger just goes to prove it!

I quite like the postcard Maria sent me. Not being able to read Belarusian, I would presume that it shows  local  traditional costumes . I tried to find a photo on the internet of a wooden church similar to that on the card to try to identify the region, but I wasn't lucky.

Being a Postcrosser herself, Maria went through the trouble of making sure she would post her card with the most appropriate stamp: the N tariff (surface international postcard) single issue set stamp celebrating Postcrossing, issued on 21JUL21.

 So far, it seems, 15 postal administrations have issued Postcrossing themed stamps, these being those of Russia, Austria, Belarus, The Channel Islands, The Czech Republic, Finland, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Ukraine, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Poland, Ireland, Äland and Brazil. Strangely enough, the place where it all started, my own country, hasn't yet obliged...

The two small 1(cucumber) and 5 (carrot) kapeyka self-adhesive imperforated stamps are part of a definitive "vegetable" 14 stamp set, issued on 01JUL2020.

The postmark was applied twice and it is not very clear, but it seems to read Minsk, (the Belarus Capital) what confers with where Maria sais she was writing from.