19th May 2023: Odesa, Ukraine

Odesa is the third largest city in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located on the Black Sea. In 1794 a decree of the Russian empress Catherine II was issued to establish a navy harbor and trading place in Odesa. During the 19th century, Odesa was the fourth largest city of the Russian Empire, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Warsaw. Its historical architecture is more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Some buildings are built in a mixture of different styles, including Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Classicist. Since 2023 is the Historic Centre of Odesa on the UNESCO World Heritage List and it was immediately added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The declaration was made in response to the bombing of Odesa during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has damaged or destroyed buildings across the city.

A wonderful stamp was used on the card. It celebrates Kalush Orchestra, who have won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with their song Stefania. The stamp was issued on 10th April 2023.

Thank You very much Hanna!

cover from Ukraine

Today I got not only two postcards but also two covers including one from Ukraine.

Eight stamps about coat of arms of Ukrainian cities were used on the cover.

This was sent through official Postcrossing. In the cover was this maxicard of the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Borsypil. Boryspil is a city of regional significance located in the Kyiv Oblast. A battle of the Polish-Russian War was fought near the town in 1920.

In the cover was however not only the maxicard but also some mint Ukrainian stamps. I will show all of them on my stamp blog in the next days, but this one I want to show here already today. It honours Frontline Heroes (issued 29-05-2020) and combines the current fight against Covid-19 with the war in the eastern part of Ukraine. 

 Thank You very much Natalia!

Ukraine: Year of the Pig

Last Thursday I got a postcard from Ukraine.

It is about the Year of the Pig.

With a matching stamp:
Centenary of the first Ukrainian Stamps (from set of two) (issued 09-10-2018)
Year of the Pig (issued 14-12-2018)
Fire Vehicles (from set of three) (issued 12-10-2016)
Birth Bicentenary of Mihailo Verbitsky (issued 04-03-2015)

Thank You very much Andriy!

Eurovision Cover from Ukraine

On Tuesday I got not only a postcard but also two covers including a great Eurovision themed cover from Ukraine.

Stamp:

Definitive (issued 09-10-2006)

Inside was a written and stamped card.

With a great stamp:
Jamala (issued 05-05-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark
Jamala, Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova, is a Ukrainian singer with Crimean Tatar ancestors. In 2016 she won the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm with her song 1944. 

Thank You very much Olga!

Ukraine: Petrykivka painting

On Monday I got four postcards: two from Ukraine and two from Germany.

One of the cards from Ukraine shows a Petrykivka painting of a rooster. Petrykivka paintings originated in the 17th century and were used to decorate house walls and everyday household items. They usually depict flowers and animals based on careful observation of the local flora and fauna. Since 2013 is the Petrykivka painting an Intangible Heritage of the UNESCO.

With matching stamps:
Definitive - Acacia (from set of four) (issued 14-01-2012)
Definitive - English Oak (from set of four) (issued 03-02-2012)
Definitive - Common Aspen (from set of five) (issued 24-01-2012)
Chinese New Year (from set of twelve) (issued 25-12-2013)
Year of the Rooster (issued 11-11-2016)

Thank You very much Sergey!

Ukraine: Cossack Mamay

On Monday I got four postcards: two from Ukraine and two from Germany.

One of the cards from Ukraine shows Cossack Mamay. Cossack Mamay is a folkloric hero found in legends, folk stories and proverbs and the national personification of Ukraine. He is usually shown with his horse and a music instrument called kobza.

With matching stamps:
Definitive - Common Aspen (from set of five) (issued 24-01-2012)
EUROPA (whole set) (issued 25-07-2014)

Thank You very much Sergey!

Ukraine: Uzhok-Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael

On Wednesday I got two postcards: one from Ukraine and my first card mailed from Antarctica.

The card from Ukraine shows the Uzhok-Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael. The Uzhok-Tserkva of the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael was built in 1745 and consists of three wooden naves and a brick sacristy. It is as one of sixteen Wooden Tserkvas in the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine since 2013 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With a matching stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 11-08-2015)
Architecture of Vladislav Gorodetsky (from set of six) (issued 14-02-2014)
Wooden Tserkvas (issued 18-12-2015)
It is a joint issue with Poland.
Definitives - Acacia and Walnut (two from set of four) (issued 14-01-2012)
Definitive - European Ash (from set of four) (issued 03-02-2012)

Thank You very much Galyna!

Ukraine: Residence of the Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans in Chernivtsi

Yesterday I got a postcard from Ukraine.

It shows the Residence of the Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans in Chernivtsi. Chernivtsi is a city in the Bukovina region in western Ukraine. It is one of the most important cultural centres of the country. The Residence of the Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans was designed by Czech architect Josef Hlávka between 1864 and 1882. The building houses the Chernivtsi University, one of the most important universities in Ukraine, since 1955. The Residence of the Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans is since 2011 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Postcrossing (issued 09-10-2015)
with a special postmark about World Post Day

Thank You very much Sergey!

Ukraine: Lviv

On Friday I got three postcards: one from Ukraine, one from Germany and one from Serbia.

The card from Ukraine shows an aerial view of Lviv. In 1772 became Lviv a part of the Hapsburg Monarchy and was then the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. It was also the fourth largest city of the Hapsburg Monarchy.

At the beginning of World War I was Lviv one of the strongest Austro-Hungarian garrisons in the Eastern part of the country. During the Battle of Lviv in August 1914 the city was captured by Russian troops and stayed conquered until June 1915. After World War I Lviv became a part of Poland.

After World War II Lviv became a part of the Soviet Union and is since 1991 a part of Ukraine. Today is Lviv the seventh largest city in Ukraine. The Ensemble of Lviv's Historic Centre is since 1998 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Definitive (from set of three) (issued 11-01-2013)

Thank You very much Kseniya!

Ukraine: Maidan Nezalezhnosti

Yesterday I got four cards: one from Ukraine and three from Finland.

The card from Ukraine shows the Independence Square, the Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The Independence Square is one of the main squares of Ukraine's capital Kiev. The square is the place of various festivals like the Independence Day, the Kiev City Day or Kiev's Christmas Tree. It is also known for being the venue of political rallies since the Ukrainian independence movement in 1990 including the Orange Revolution in 2004 and the Euromaidan in 2013 and 2014.

With nice stamps:
Fine Arts (from set of four) (issued 07-06-2011)
EUROPA (whole set) (issued 30-04-2010)
Year of the Horse (from set of twelve) (issued 25-12-2013)

Thank You very much Sergey!