POSTCARD N.175 - UKRAINE

Postcard sent on the 20th November 2024, received on the 30th January 2025.

Postcard image: Irpin, the City of Heroes.  The Central House of Culture 

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The Russian aggression on its neighbour drags on, in a relentless war of attrition that sadly brings to mind the ferocious lunacy of the western front of WW1...countless lives, sufferance, destruction, what for?

I read it on the news that V. Putin  is quoted as saying that that if  D. Trump (who would end it in 24 hours, both before and after his coming to office, of course...) had been in power in 2022, the war would never had started... How come, then? Would the so called Ukrainian Nazis need no denazification then? 

Anyway, today I got a rather battered postcard from Alex from the Ukraine which was hand dated of last August.

For some reason, not hard to understand, for the postmark hails from Slovyansk, in the Donbas region, a place that has suffered badly the burden of the despicable aggression, the cancellation is dated of the 20th November, 

Before arriving at my letterbox it also got some heavy rain on it, for it shows clear signs of having been affected by water, but this could and probably did happen very recently for a letter I had mailed myself three days ago also arrived totally destroyed by water. Blame it on the ongoing storms that have been affecting Europe, because of climate change, that Chinese hoax....

Thanks Alex. I'm very happy to have this postcard on my collection which again bears testimony to the resilience of the valiant Ukrainian civil servants that make the country go on, in spite of all the hardship impinged upon them. Heroes, all of them!

The photo on the postcard is that of the Central House of Culture in Irpin, built in 1954 and clearly an important military target such as all the civilian institutions and homes that the Russian have destroyed since the 25th February 2022, for it was heavily shelled by artillery fire on 17 March 2022, barely one month after the beginning of the invasion.

As far as I could read, in 2023, protective works were carried out in order to minimize the consequences of exposure to winter of the damaged areas of the building, and I hope that it may sometime in the near future be fully recuperated and us for its  peaceful purpose.

On 23JAN2022, just about one month from the start of the shameful Russian occupation, Ukrapost issued the "F" tariff stamp on the top right of the postcard, dedicated to the 2022 Benjing Winter Olympics.

The Ukraine participated on this olympiad with a team of 45 athletes, competing in 12 disciplines.

 Oleksandr Abramenko won the only Ukranian medal: silver in thye Men's aerials copetition in Freestyle skiing.

I cannot find any indication as to the lion's head on the stamp, which was also used on a comemorative coin issued by the Ukraine mint, but statues of guarding lions are quite common in China, so there's probably a connection here.

For three years starting in 2018, Ukraposta issued a series of 3 beautifully illustrated minisheets with stamps dedicated to the Alphabet, each stamp being illustrated with a letter and a an object presumably begining with this particualr character.

The eleven stamps on the 2020 minisheet, issued on 12SEP2020, had each a face value of 9 Ukrainian hryvnia. The stamp on the postcard is illsutrated with a pair of boots, чоботи in  Ukranian.

On 05JUL2019 Ukraposta issued a set of five 8 Ukrainian hryvnia in the series The Beauty and Greatness of Ukraine  dedicated to the Donetsk Region.  The stamp dedicated to the Stone tombs reserve, near the town of  Nazarivka, in the Mariupol region, a nature reserve established on April 5, 1927. Sadly the occupier installed a military base in the reserve, I read... not good news for conservation, I fear.

There are two postmarks 0on the card, One of  Slovyasnk and the one on the upper right corner which calims "Донбас - це Украіна" (Donbas is Ukraine).

COVERS N. 514/515 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Karmatorsk / Slovyansk 23.08.2024

Posted on the 23rd August; Received on the 25th September 2024

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After a week of trekking in the south (which will in time be reported about in my other blog, as usual), I return to these pages to comment on two letters from two cities in the Donbas region of Ukraine, which we have sadly become used to hearing about in the news as they  have (and still do) suffered heavily the effects of Russia's unjustifiable aggression and occupation.

It is a matter of wonder and absolute respect for those that ensure it,  that in times like this, public services, like the postal service, still carry on their essential functions.

My utmost respect for these Ukrainian Civil Servants and also my warm thanks for the person who, on behalf of Alex, sent me these two official and rather special first day covers, which were issued under the motto "Все буде UA" (Everything  will be UA).

Issued on the 33rd anniversary of Ukraine's independence, the "U" tariff  self-adhesive stamp wherein the yellow and blue national colours prevail, bears the shape of the country, with the "Все буде UA" legend written on it under the image of a mother holding a new born baby, an obvious allegory for rebirth and peace.

Reconstruction is also the obvious idea behind the UA letters in the envelope, designed as two habitational buildings being recovered from the effects of the aggressor's bombardments.

The Kramatorsk cover, on top, also carries  2 "F" tariff stamps which are part of the definitive series issued on 29SEO2021, dedicated to coats of arms of the cities of Ukraine. The coat of arms presented is that of the city of  Kremenchuk.

Postage on the Sloviansk cover was completed with four U tariff stamps of the set of two definitives issued on 27SEP22 dedicated to traditional Pysanka Easter eggs, in this case painted in the characteristic fashion  of the Lviv area.

The Sloviansk cover also features and additional postmark with the inscription "Донбас - це Украіна" (Donbas is Ukraine)

COVER N. 492 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Kyiv 184 Ukraina 04.07.2024

Posted on the 4th July; Received on the 24th July 2024

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Who would have thought that I would get a Russian cover on one day and an Ukrainian cover the day after. I like to view it as another small sign of better times ahead….

That said, I cannot but admire the brave people in places like Kyiv who, amidst all the hardship and the constant threat of a treacherous bomb falling from the sky onto to their houses, still find the courage to carry out their normal day to day tasks, trying to accommodate abnormality and brutality into their lives. They have my utmost respect! 

Дуже дякую; Basil!

As I said yesterday, there are signs that things might be changing for the better.... Ukraine’s Foreign Minister was in China yesterday, there have been statements from both Russia and Ukraine about starting negotiations... a new Peace Conference is on the horizon.... let us hope these signs materialise into something palpable soon.  The sole drones that should fly over cities are those of photographers and skywriters; the sky is for birds, not bombs!

May Peace prevail and the only boots that step onto Ukrainian soil be those of peace loving people of all nations, for those who come in Peace will always be welcomed everywhere.

The Antonov An-178 is a medium transport aircraft, still under development by the Ukrainian Antonov Company.

Powered by two Progress D-436-148FM Turbofan engines, it has a range of 3,680km and  can accommodate 90 soldiers, for a maximum payload of 28 tons .

It can also be developed as a platform for  missions in the fields of military or civil transport, Search and Rescue, medical and purpose emergency situations.

The first flight took place on May the 7th, 2015.

On  11AUG2017,  Ukrposhta  issued a two stamp set (3 and 5.40 hryvnia) in the series dedicated to Military Equipment of the Ukrainian Defence Industry - Ukroboronprom. The 5.40 stamp depicting the Antonov An-178, was used on the cover.

On 28JUN2022, the "U" tariff stamp with a painting by a young artist featured on the cover was issued. The Russian invasion of Ukraine having taken place on the 25th March, the painting is an obvious call for peace and for Ukraine pride wherein several aircraft fly against a starry sky. One of them, decorated with flowers, is carrying a female figure which can be a child or a woman or even an angel, while the An-225 Mriya (dream) the largest aircraft ever operational, which was destroyed in its hangar  by the Russian aggressors in the first days of the war,  flies in its company, leaving Ukrainian flag tinted contrails in the sky.

The ennvelope for the cover is the official envelope for this stamp issue, being illustrated with the same artwork.

Tariff "T" stamp. part of the definitive series dedicated to the traditional hand painted Pysanka Easter eggs. Illustrated with an egg from Hutsulshchyna, this stamp was issued on 21APR2023.

Part of the definitive series dedicated to coats of arms of the cities of Ukraine, the "F" tariff stamp with the coat of arms of Kremenchuk, was issued on 29SEO2021.

Basil included this nice postcard in its cover, dedicated to the cities of Ukraine, although I can only Identify on it Kiyv, by the famous Monument of Independence, which is central to the illustration.
 

POSTCARD N.130 - UKRAINE

Postcard sent on the 28th December 2023; received on the 30th January 2024

Postcard image: Antonov AN-225 MRIYA - City of Heroes. Hostomel
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The largest cargo aircraft in the world, originally conceived to  piggiback carry the Buran space shuttle in the 80s of last century and then reconverted as a cargo aircraft capable of transporting gigantic packages, such as wind turbine blades or train locomotives.

Further to its enormous size - a 88,4 m wingspan and a total length of 84 m - its unique six engine configuration made it an absolutely unmistakable sight, wherever it went, always drawing on the attention of aircraft spotters all across the world, eager to include its picture in their collection. 

First flown in 1988, the one of a kind, mastodontic, Antonov AN-225 MRYA (Dream) would be destroyed by the Russian agressors in the early days of the invasion of Ukraine, in its usual base, the Antonov Airport, in Hostomel.

Ukraine authorities have vowed to rebuild the "Dream", but more pressing priorities are still ahead, so it is not clear when such an iconic aircraft will again cruse the skies

While visiting Ukraine just before the year's end, the Phantom sent me this postcard illustrated with quite eloquent before and after images of  the AN-225. Thanks a lot, Alex!

The 4 stamps on the back of the postcard are the single stamp issue of 26JUL2023 dedicated o the Ukrainian Security Services, illustrated with a soldier and what looks like a MI-17 helicopter.

The tariff T stamp on the face of the postcard is part of the definitive series with coats of arms of Ukrainian cities - Komarno, in this case - and was issued on 01DEC2021.

The postmark indicates that the postcard was sent from Nerubayske, Odessa.

COVER N. 391 - UKRAINE 

Postmark: Odessa 27 Ukraina 27.12.2023

Posted on the 27th December 2023; received on the 15th January 2024 

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Just before the end of the year, the Phantom managed to visit the beautiful city of Odessa, on the Black Sea,  which, just like the whole country and its valiant people is writing an everyday story of resistance and  endurance in the face of the unjustifiable aggression it has been suffering for almost two years now.

Thanks a lot, Alex, I'm sure that a seemingly insignificant gesture as visiting a Post office in the Ukraine these days and asking for some stamps and postmarks is a little note of naturalness and civility  that helps bring some sense of normality into the lives of all those afflicted by the absurd conflict.

Within the context of the war, railways in the Ukraine have taken a new much improved role as a strategic transportation infrastructure both in what concerns internal communications and Ukraine's links with the outside world.

As such, added strain has, I'm sure, been put into all those who ensure that train services are being provided in the current state of affairs.

Acknowledging their contribution to the country’s defence, Ukraposhta issued on 02NOV2023 a two stamp, tariff W, souvenir sheet, as a tribute to Railway Workers. The sheet and stamps are illustrated with a painting of a railway station with two trains in the platforms, one of the stamps (the one with a train on fire, on the cover) carrying the legend "Kherson" and the other " Lviv".

The stamps illustrate one of the many sad episodes of the war, which took place on May the 4th 2023, when the Kherson to Lviv train was shelled by the Russian army at the Kherson station. Thanks to the swift action of the railway personnel, the burning car was promptly unhooked from the remaining composition and the train continued to Lviv, leaving Kherson station with only a 14 minute delay, as I read on an Ukranian news website.

To complete postage, Alex used a ж tariff stamp from a minisheet sheet with 20 defintive stamps issued on 17MAR2017, entitled, "Eight definitive issue - trees", illustrated with extremely beautiful images of tree leaves and fruits, the one on the stamp being that of the White Willow.

All the available postmarks at Odessa Main Post Office can be seen on this very particular cover.

COVER N. 357 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Odessa 16.10.2023

Posted on the 16th October; received on the 2nd November 2023

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Ukraine... 

The world has suddenly turned its eyes into another murderous conflict in the Mediterranean cul-de-sac (literally?) and the very next day the media almost leads us to believe that all is quiet in the eastern front.... unfortunately, that is not so!

The war rages on with no prospects of any eminent end... Ukraine enters its second harsh winter under the unjustified  and brutal aggression of its neighbour, and more suffering and hardship is the Christmas gift that many will again have under their tree this year.....

Tens of thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands of injured, countless displaced, localities raised to the ground, basic life support infrastructures destroyed, ecological disasters,..

Who will mend the wounds when it all finally comes to an end? 

Thank you so much Matthias, for  this cover sent from a city that is World Heritage. If only Peace, the Highest Value of Humanity,  was World Heritage too.....

Cultural identity cannot be destroyed easily, if at all. Ideas are not tangible; they linger in the minds of those that survive any form of oppression. And Cultural identity, as much as it is translated  into physical objects, is also an idea, the result of our upbringing in a given cultural context, which to a significant degree shapes the way we interpret and contribute to the world around us.

Hryhorii Skovoroda (1722-1794) was a philosopher, a poet, a musician and a teacher. Born in a village in what was then the Russian empire and is today Ukrainian territory, his legacy and origin are disputed by both sides of the present conflict.

In the place where he lived his final days and where he was buried, now called Skovorodynivka in his honour, located in the Kharkiv Oblast, a museum dedicated to his legacy was opened in 1972.

On the night of the 6th to the 7th May 2022, an artillery shell targeted the building, in another clear demonstration of the repeated claim by Kremlin authorities that Russia does not target civilian targets, setting it alight and destroying it. 

The collections it housed, however, survived because they had been removed as a precaution measure, should such a pointless deed occur.

Ideas cannot be set alight by artillery shells, nor determination. And the Ukrainian will rebuild their museum, but this will need funding, which the country is trying to find amidst other war induced pressing needs.

The souvenir sheet which Matthias used on the cover was issued by UkraPost on 22SEP2022

Under the legend "The Garden of Divine Songs (the title of a collection of poems by Skovoroda), on the occasion of  the 300th anniversary of the birth of Hryhorii Skovoroda" two stamps are included in it:

- a 45 hryvnia stamp, illustrated with a statue of the philosopher, which luckily survived on site the shelling that destroyed the building; 

- a 15 + 15 hryvnia stamp, depicting what is known as the fountain of unequal equality, a way of making clear a concept Skovoroda held dear and which in practical terms means, as I understood it, that we are but recipients of God's grace  and once full, once our capacity is attained, no matter how much grace the fountain with continue to pour, any that will fall upon us will overspill. Thus, we are all individuals that differ from one to another.

The 15 hryvnia surtax on this particular stamp is destined to the reconstruction fund of the Skovoroda museum.

Of note is also the envelope witch is illustrated with a rather unobvious hero of the Ukrainian war: Patron, a Jack Russell that to its credit has the detection of over 200 land mines and unexploded bombs, for which he was awarded by President Zelensky a medal for valour.

The canine hero was also honoured with an eight stamp set issued on 01AUG2022, the image on the envelope showing it dressed as a superhero, being taken to work by a member of the bomb disposal team.

The very nice pictorial postmark is illustrated with the coat of arms of the city of Odessa and  two of its landmarks: Vorontsov Lighthouse, and the obelisk of the monument to the unknown sailor. 

COVER N. 294 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Kyiv 134 Ukraina 17.07.23

Posted on the 17th July; Received on the 13th August 2023

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Another cover from martirised Ukraine. It is no small wonder that on times like this, under the constant threat of bombings and all the other obnoxiousness that war is so prodigal in producing, people still find ways to cling to some sort of normality. Hobbies can help, I presume; anything that might distract the mind from the horrors that are actually felt, not just witnessed for brief moments on the news on TV, might help but I guess there is no escaping reality, which is always there to make its abhorrent presence be felt, just like yesterday, at a peaceful market, of all places...., in Kostantinovka. How can such an order be given? How can a human being hit the fire button for such an hideous crime?

War dehumanises people, and the wounds will take ages to heel, if ever.....

Where have all the flowers gone....?

Thanks a lot Basil, I most sincerely wish you can go back to enjoying your hobby in peace as soon as possible.

Mир; Mir; Peace and Victory reads the legend on the frame of the companion stamp to the common design  stamp, by its side, which constitutes the Ukranian 2023 Europa set, issued on 24MAY2023, precisely 15 months after the beginning of the unjustifiable Russian invasion.

On the stamp, a young girl closes her eyes and wishes for those two words to come true, no doubt about it, while a white dove flies by, answering her summons....

Peace, the Highest Value of Humanity, reads the cyrillic legend on the side of both stamps...

On 03JUN2020, Ukrposhta issued two more definitive stamps of the Ukrainian cities coats of arms series. One of them, with an H letter denomination (letter denominations on Ukrainian stamps are a rather complex matter and I cannot find a document explaining what they stand for) and illustrated with the coat of arms of  Stariy Merchik, can be seen on the cover.

Ukraposhta has also been adding quite regularly stamps to a definitive series dedicated to the traditional hand painted Pysanka Easter eggs. The one on the cover, is illustrated with an egg from Hutsulshchyna, and was issued on 21APR2023, with the letter tariff T.

Of note is the fact that for the cover, Basil used  the official  envelope for the Europa 2023 issue.

 COVER N. 258 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Odessa Ukraine 04.05.2023

Posted on the 4th May; Received on the 25th May 2023
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Another unexpected cover from Alex, the wanderer. I have received so many covers from Alex, from so many different places that whenever I get a new one I can't help but think of Lee Falks' famous character, the Phantom, "the ghost who walks", since he seems to be all over the place at the same time 😀.

Vielen Dank, Alex!

Odessa, the beautiful Ukrainian  port city in the Black Sea, whose historic centre as of January this year has been declared both  a World Heritage Site and an Endangered World Heritage Site all at the same time, due to the effective danger that it faces as a result of the Russian aggression that is now on its second year and with no prospects of coming to an end in the near future....

How much longer will Ukraine have to withstand the senseless and unprovoked aggression of its neighbour...? and then, because all wars come to an end, mainly after the weight of the dead begins to be felt past the point of critical mass, (or critical mess, really...), how will the wounds heal, if ever...? Russian leaders  have condemned  several forthcoming generations to endemic hatred... quite an achievement albeit not one to be particularly proud of...

The pre-stamped printed envelope needs no explanation other than the legend it carries under the image of an Ukrainian soldier hand that clasps the shoulder of someone who in spite of having his back turned on us, we all know who he is...."Welcome to hell", so reads the legend.

- The pre-printed U tariff (domestic up to 50g) stamp  is illustrated with the Trident, the National Symbol of Ukraine, exhibiting the colours of the Country's flag.

The other stamps, left to right:

- U + 8  hryvnia stamp, part of a six common denomination stamp sheet, issued on 14OCT2022, under the motto "Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine". The stamp is illustrated with  a member of Ukraine's Navy and the image of the Vorontsov lighthouse, what makes  great sense in this particular cover since it is located in the city where the cover was mailed from: Odessa.

- U + 3  hryvnia stamp, part of a six common denomination stamp sheet, issued on 06DEC2022, dedicated to the "Weapons of Victory". On the stamp an image of  a Neptune anti-ship missile launcher. The Neptune made the news for having been the missile that sank the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the  cruiser Moskva. Again, the choice of stamp is not hazardous because the Neptune missiles that sank the Moskva were shot from the Odessa region.

- On the 8th October 2022, the bridge that Russia built, connecting its territory to occupied Crimea, made the news because it was sabotaged, severely impairing its ability to carry both auto and train traffic.

Ukrapost issued a stamp celebrating this fact, demanding an "Encore for the Crimea Bridge". The M tariff stamp is illustrated with an image of the collapsed bridge, whereupon a couple looks into the horizon, mimicking DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in "Titanic".

The small H tariff stamps are examples of the definitive stamp issued on 21JAN22 as part of the Coats of Arms series. It depicts the coat of arms of the city of Bohodukhiv, in the Kharkiv Oblast.

The stamp on the back of the cover is  part of a set of two definitives issued on 27SEP22, and is illustrated with an egg painted with a motif typical of the Vinnytsia region. Its companion Stamp can be seen here.

There's no shortage of postmarks on the cover. Other than the regular postamrk that reads Odessa 1 - Ukrposhta, it contains two nice pictorial postmarks:

 

image Credits: Ukrposhta 

COVER N.182 - UKRAINE

Postmark: unpostmarked
Posted on the 10th November, received on the 24th November 2022
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Expect the unexpected ... Yesterday, on my usual anxious check on the letterbox upon arriving home after a day at work I was surprised by what these days can only be regarded as an uncommon combination: in all glory and perfect convivial harmony, a letter and a postcard were waiting for me to pick them up, both gestures of friendship, both gestures of civility, both significant expressions of  humanity, in their simplicity and almost negligible material value.

The letter came from Ukraine; the postcard from Russia. And I couldn't be happier for having received both.

A letter, stamped and duly circulated arrives at its destination in about a fortnight after expedition. 

at first sight this could be a definition for normality; as it stands, it is an expression of the utmost resilience;  a story of relentless courage; an indication that no matter what and who the circumstances cowardly  throw against you some people will never give up, when certain that they stand on the right side of history.

I, as I type in the comfort of my room, with access to such luxuries as running water, full time electricity, heating if need be, cannot even try to imagine what it is like to live in Kiev or any Ukrainian town for that matter, in the harshest conditions and always in fear that another strike of a murderous missile or drone may impinge death on the rubble they leave behind...

and yet,... Someone, amidst all this civilisational aberration, took the time to carefully compose a beautiful envelope with  gorgeous stamps, take it to the post office and mailed it... as if ... just another perfect day like the ones Lou Reed immortalised 

Thank you so much, Basil. I'm truly moved by what your beautiful cover signifies. Slava Ukraini!

I hope that soon the little miracle that happened inside my mailbox may transcend it... now,  wouldn't that be a grand Christmas Carol?

As far as I can infer from the online catalogue sources I consulted, the envelope Basi used was meant to be a FDC for a stamp of the set of 4 issued on 21MAY2021to celebrate traditional embroidery. The embroidery motiv of the envelope is typical of  the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Stamps. left to right

- The Theme for the Europa Issue of 2019 was "National Birds", Ukraine issued two Letter Z (International, up to 50 g) stamps, beautifully illustrated, one (on the cover) with a pair of nesting storks (Cicconia cicconia) and the other with a thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia).

Incidentally, given the fact that the letters V and Z are now associated with the markings on the vehicles of the aggressors,  Ukrposhta, the Ukranian Post, has stopped using these letter as stamp denominations.

- On 18AUG2017, Ukrposhta issued a set of four 4 Hryvnia  stamps dedicated to medical and melliferous plants (a second 4 stamp set would also be issued the following year), again beautifully illustrated as it is the norm with Ukraine stamps.

The stamp on the cover is dedicated to the  greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), which is Portugal is known as Erva-andorinha,  (swallow grass) certainly by way of a popular derivation of its scientific name, given that chelidon in Greek means swallow and also due to the fact that it begins to flourish when the swallows begin to arrive in their migration, in spring.

Although toxic, it has several medicinal uses mainly for skin, liver and gallbladder ailments.

The vignette on the edge of the stamp is part of the frame of the minisheet containing 9 stamps, in which the stamps were presented.

- Tradition is again at the core of the U tariff stamp illustrated witha Pysanka Easter egg, painted in the traditional fashion of the Lviv area.

The stamp is part of a set of two definitives issued on 27SEP22, the one on my cover with U denomination and its companion, illustrated with an egg painted with a motif typical of the Vinnytsia region.

- The  7th definitive stamp issue  of Ukrposhta, comprised some 20 stamps issued between 2007 and 2011, themed on traditional handmade household items . The  1,50  Hryvnia stamp on cover features an ornamented tile and its rather difficult to say when it was issued since there were several printing runs of these definitive stamps. The first iteration of this 1,50 Hryvnia stamp dates of 25MAR2009.

Unfortunately, no postmark was applied to the stamps, but I cannot complain about it since it is nothing short of a miracle that in the current state of affairs,