Postage stamps of the Soviet Union

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Vladimir Lenin on the best Soviet stamp of 1964. Designed by Pyotr Vasilyev.

Stamps of the Soviet Union were issued in the period 1923 to 1991. They were labeled with the inscription Russian: "Почта СССР" ("Post of the USSR"). In the thematics, Soviet stamps reflected to a large extent the history, politics, economics and culture of this world's first socialist state.[1]

Notable designers of Soviet postage stamps were Ivan Dubasov (who designed the , the first stamps portraying Vladimir Lenin in 1924) and . By the mid 1970s, over 4,000 stamps came out in the USSR. In 1970, the Catalogue of Postage Stamps of the USSR, 1918–1969 was published in Moscow, the yearly supplements being produced afterwards. The history and design of Soviet postage stamps were elucidated in the annual publication Soviet Collector and the monthly magazine Filateliya SSSR.[1]

First stamps[]

Main article: First USSR stamps

The first postage stamps of the newly proclaimed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were designed by Georgy Pashkov and issued in August 1923 in relation to the First All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition.[2]

  • First All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition issue of 1923

  • Reaper, 1 ruble

  • Sower, 2 rubles

  • Tractor, 5 rubles

  • Exhibition general view,
    7 rubles

Definitive issues[]

Main article: Definitive stamps of the Soviet Union
Worker, Red Army soldier, and peasant, Gold Standard issue of 1923.

The first series of the USSR definitive stamps known as the Gold Standard issue appeared in October 1923. Their design proposed by Ivan Shadr included the busts of the worker, Red Army soldier and peasant.[3][2] Also, there was a plan to sell more stamps in the international market. By targeting stamps for sales abroad, the Soviet government reckoned on earning hard currency.[3]

  • Examples of 1929 stamps with face values of 7 and 14 kopecks

  • Worker, soldier and peasant,
    3rd definitive issue, 1929

  • Lenin, 3rd definitive issue, 1929

  • 1st All-Union Pioneer Rally, 1929

Over the years, there was a steady increase in the number of different stamps issued annually by the USSR.[3] Stamp denominations continued including international postage rates. For instance, most new issues during 1939 and 1940 had face values between 10 and 30 kopecks, i.e. more than those for standard internal postage.[3]

  • Examples of 1939 stamps with face values of 10 and 30 kopecks

  • Gorky Street, Moscow

  • Lenin Library, Moscow

  • Marina Raskova,
    flight Moscow—Far East

  • USSR Pavilion at the
    1939 New York World's Fair

  • Factory woman, 5th definitive issue

  • 125th birth anniversary
    of Taras Shevchenko

  • Dairy farming, milkmaid with prize cow, All-Union Agricultural Exhibition

  • Emblem "Tractor Driver and Kolkhoz Woman", All-Union Agricultural Exhibition

  • Central Pavilion, All-Union Agricultural Exhibition

  • Glider, Soviet Aviation Day

  • Parachutists, Soviet Aviation Day

  • Airman, 6th definitive issue

  • 50th death anniversary
    of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin

  • Sochi, Caucasian health resorts

  • 125th birth anniversary
    of Mikhail Lermontov

  • 50th death anniversary
    of Nikolay Chernyshevsky

  • Examples of 1940 stamps with face values of 10 and 30 kopecks

  • 80th birth anniversary
    of Anton Chekhov

  • 10th death anniversary
    of Vladimir Mayakovsky

  • Icebreaker Georgy Sedov

  • 20th anniversary of the
    Perekop operation

One of the important topics represented on the USSR stamps was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It was usually done in two ways:[3]

  • dedicating stamps to numerous remarkable Party members, both the living and the deceased,
  • placing the Party slogans and resolutions.

  • Stalin souvenir sheet of 1949 celebrating the 70th birth anniversary of Joseph Stalin.

  • Be a Hero!, the first USSR stamp dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, 1941.

  • "Long live the victory of the Anglo-Soviet-American fighting alliance! (Stalin)", a 1943 stamp marking the Tehran Conference.

Vladimir Lenin was pictured on Soviet stamps most often among the Bolsheviks, with the first Leniniana stamps appeared after his death on January 1924. Lifetime images of Party members on stamps were used to emphasize the theme of state power. One of such examples was a 1935 set of stamps commemorating Mikhail Kalinin's 60th birthday and depicting him as a worker, a farmer, and an orator. These Kalinin stamps illustrated the motive powers of the Soviet state: the worker, the farmer, and the Communist Party. Such a practice is considered a worldwide trend when in-power politicians are shown on postage stamps symbolizing the state.[3][4]

The Party slogans and resolutions on Soviet stamps changed over time. Earlier stamp themes in the 1920s reflected, though indirectly, the spirit of New Economic Policy. Since 1929, stamps had been used for a clear declaration of the changed economic policies. When Joseph Stalin initiated industrialisation, a special set of stamps was issued to support this effort. For example, the 10-kopecks stamp showed a series of tractors, saying "Let us increase the harvest by 35%". An inscription on the 20-kopecks stamp called for "More metal, more machines!". The 28-kopecks stamp pictured a blast furnace, a chart for iron-ore production and the slogan "Iron, 8 million tons".[3][5]

  • Slogans of the Industrialisation issue, 1929

  • "For the lower cost of goods sold, for work discipline, for the better quality of a product"

  • "Let us increase the harvest by 35%"

  • "More metal, more machines!"

  • "Iron, 8 million tons"

After the Great Patriotic War, the government used stamps to call for economic reconstruction and mobilisation. A 1946 stamp issue summoned: "Give the country annually 127 million tons of grain", "60 million tons of oil", "60 million tons of steel", "500 million tons of coal", and "50 million tons of cast iron".[3][6]

  • "Give the country annually 127 million tons of grain", 1946

  • "By 1980 livestock, cattle and chickens will be significantly increased. Production of meat will grow almost 4 times,
    milk almost 3 times", 1962

Short heroic slogans of the Stalin period calling for economic mobilization were substituted on Soviet stamps in the post-Stalin years. Party platforms with rather lengthy excerpts from Party documents and congresses' resolutions appeared on stamps at that time. Such was, for instance, the series of "Decisions of the 22nd Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union—into Life" that was designed by Vasily Zavyalov and A. Shmidshtein, and issued in 1962.[3][7]

In later years, the style of stamp messages continued, differing from those of the Stalin times. They were no longer brief imperative commands but rather promises and explanations by the Party to Soviet society. For example, on a 1971 souvenir sheet from the 24th Party Congress series designed by Yu. Levinovsky and A. Shmidshtein, there was an inscription saying that "the main problem is to provide a significant increase of the material and cultural level of life of the people on the basis of high rates of development of socialist production, an increase of its effectiveness, scientific-technical progress, and an acceleration of the growth of the productiveness of labor".[3][8][note 1]

Such messages were typical of stamps for the Brezhnev and post-Brezhnev period until the changes occurred under Mikhail Gorbachev.[3] New slogans, "perestroika", "uskoreniye", "demokratizatsiya", and "glasnost", were coined and appeared on the postage stamps of the USSR.

Perestroyka issues of 1988
The Soviet Union 1988 CPA 5957 souvenir sheet (19th Communist Party Conference. State Kremlin Palace, Troitskaya Tower, Lenin (by Andreev), hammer and sickle and laurel branch).jpg The Soviet Union 1988 CPA 5941 stamp (Perestroika (reformation). Workers and slogans Speeding Up, Democratization. and Glasnost against Kremlin Palace. Cruiser Aurora and revolutionary soldiers).jpg
The Soviet Union 1988 CPA 5942 stamp (Perestroika (reformation). Worker. Industries and agriculture).jpg

Rarities[]

Soviet Air Post "Wide 5" surcharged, a unique pane of 25 USSR airmail stamps, 1924
Personalised Kartonka "All-Soviet Philatelic Exhibition", 1932. Designed by Vasily Zavyalov

A unique complete pane of 25 early Soviet Union stamps is known as . The stamp itself was produced in 1924 as a surcharge of 10 kopecks on 5-ruble green type II, basic stamp wide "5".[9][10]

In 1925, a 15-kopeck yellow stamp of "Peasant" design was printed in a very small quantity within the Gold Standard issue. Named Limonka, it is considered very rare, especially if in mint condition.[11]

  • Limonka, 1925,
    15 kopecks

  • Aspidka, 1931, 50 kopecks, perforated

Another very rare Soviet stamp, issued in 1931, is Aspidka, especially if imperforate; 24 imperforate specimens are known. Its design was created by Vasily Zavyalov.[12]

In 1932, the All-Soviet Philatelic Exhibition was organized in Moscow. On that occasion, a souvenir sheet of four stamps known as Personalised Kartonka was produced on thick card, with three-line overprint "To the best shock worker of the All Russian Philatelic Society – President of the Moscow Philatelic Organization E.M. Nurk". It is considered rare because only 25 souvenir sheets were issued.[13][14]

A San Francisco inverted surcharge with small Cyrillic "ф" ("f") is characteristic of a rare Soviet stamp called Levanevsky with overprint. Possibly unique, it was designed by Vasily Zavyalov and issued in 1935.[15]

  • Levanevsky with overprint, 1935, 1 ruble on 10 kopecks

  • Green souvenir sheet, 1964, 1 ruble

  • Russian Tokyo 1964. Trial edition - Goznak factory

  • embossed goznak mark in fiber-secured handmade paper

  • tokyo olympiad 1964 attempt to color red embossed sign goznak

Due to a plate error (asymmetric star), a variety of the first Soviet numbered Tokyo Olympic souvenir sheet of 1964 is now quite rare and known as Green souvenir sheet.[16]

The Russian Goznak stamp factory has released several sheets of the Tokyo 1964 trial stamps, they are very rare and there are few left.

Russia Seal of the USSR SC 2763a 1963 Spartakiad of nations. This year, the green commemorative block was printed in various shades. There was an error in color printing during production and the stamp was printed on a blue background, however there is a version where the blue background of the stamp was specially printed and put into circulation. Rare variation of this stamp.

  • Russia Seal of the USSR SC 2763 1963 Spartakiad of nations. Blue stamp variation, color error

  • rare variety

    1963 SC 2763 blue, enlarged print rare variety

  • 1963 SC 2763 blue, stamp rare variety

  • demonstration stamp, trial goznak 1963 SC 2763 Z bl 35 stamp test


1979/1980 Olympic bear, mascot of the Olympics in Moscow. There are several sought-after test versions of this philatelic myth in circulation. Block 148 and SC # 4792 .

There are also test versions with an embossed goznak.

  • RUSSIA,USSR:1979 SC#4792 test stamp goznak

  • logo goznak

  • stamp test 1979

  • Goznak test stamp

  • Feature of the goznak factory embossed



Trial and demonstration versions of the Russian stamps were also printed on space-related topics. Gagarin stamp in 1976. Date of issue: 04/12/1976 

Denomination: 50 K.
Perforations: 12 x 12¼
Sheet Size: 1
# Issued: 450,000
Design: R. Strelnikov It also had a demonstration version with the Goznak sign embossed on interesting grain paper. Stamp version wanted. specimen / образец
  • specimen trial stamp 1976 Gagarin ussr, Scott 4431

    1976 Gagarin specimen

  • 1976 Gagarin stamp ussr

  • goznak logo

  • Mark of the russian factory goznak on paper - cardboard with fiber.jpg
  • print specimen

    Print specimen

  • Gagarin 1976 trial hallmarked with a trial stamp

    Gagarin 1976 trial hallmarked with a trial stamp

  • Gagarin russian test stamp goznak




Stamp thematics and other aspects[]

60th birth anniversary of Mikhail Kalinin, 1935. Designed by Vasily Zavyalov.
Workers march with flag, the Kremlin Palace of Congresses and the Spasskaya Tower.
The 24th Communist Party of the Soviet Union Congress resolutions. Miniature sheet of 1971

Soviet Union stamps covered a great variety of themes. The thematics mirrored various aspects of Soviet history, politics, economics, and culture. These included:

  • the accomplishments of the Great October Socialist Revolution,
  • achievements of industry, agriculture, science, and culture,
  • various anniversary celebrations.[1]

After 1929, the quality of the Soviet stamps improved. Their agitational content expanded, as well. Increasing attention was given to stamps with face values of 7, 14, and 28 kopecks used for international correspondence.[3] These stamps were "supposed to tell the truth to the world about the victories of the workers' country of the Soviets".[17]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Later definitive issues reflected changes in the Soviet economic programs, with the correspondingly changed portrayals of the major society groups.[3]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Владинец, Н. И. [Vladinets, N. I.] (1975). "Почтовые марки" [Postage stamp]. In Прохоров, А. М., гл. ред. (ed.). Большая советская энциклопедия: в 30 т. (1970–1979) [The Great Soviet Encyclopedia] (in Russian and English). 20 (Плата – Проб) (3rd ed.). Moscow: Советская энциклопедия [Soviet Encyclopedia]. Retrieved 21 June 2015.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): August 1923, The first Vserosijsky agricultural and kustarno-industrial exhibition". Philately: Catalog: Post stamps - Russian Empire - USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Grant, J. (July 1995). "The socialist construction of philately in the early Soviet era". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 37 (3): 476–493. doi:10.1017/S0010417500019770. ISSN 0010-4175. JSTOR 179216. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016
  4. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1935. November. To the 60 anniversary from the date of M. I. Kalinin's birth". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1929. November. For industrialization of the USSR". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1946. October. Post-war restoration and development of a national economy". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1962. November – December. Solutions of XXII Congress of CPSU – in life!". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1971. September 29 – December 15. Solutions XXIV of Congress of CPSU – in life!". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  9. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1924. May. Air mail". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Lot No. 5005". Past auctions and realizations: Russia Air Post. New York: Cherrystone Auctions. June 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  11. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1925. January – 1927. March. The first standard issue". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1931. May. Building of dirigible balloons in the USSR". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  13. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1932. December. 1st All-Union Philatelic Exhibition in Moscow". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  14. ^ "Lot No. 348". Past auctions and realizations: Soviet Union 1932 – the unique souvenir sheet of four. New York: Cherrystone Auctions. October 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  15. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1935. August. Air mail. Flight. Moscow. The North Pole. The United States of America". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Stamps of the USSR (1923–1991): 1964. July – September. The XIII Olympic Games in Tokyo". Philately: Catalog. Post stamps. Russian Empire. USSR. Scandinavian Catalog; skandinav.eu. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  17. ^ Бухаров, О.Н. [Bukharov, O. N.] (1982). Marki – svideteli istorii [Stamps As Witnesses of History] (in Russian). Moskva [Moscow]: Радио и связь [Izdatel'stvo Radio i Sviaz']. p. 37.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links[]

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