Definitive_stamps_of_the_Soviet_Union

Definitive stamps of the Soviet Union

Definitive stamps of the Soviet Union

Add article description


Definitive stamps of the Soviet Union were the regular postage stamp issues produced in the USSR between 1923 and 1992.

Vladimir Lenin on a Soviet definitive stamp of 1961. Designed by Pyotr Vasilyev [Wikidata]

First definitive issue

The inaugural release of the Soviet Union definitive stamps took place in October 1923, commonly referred to as the Gold Standard issue. These stamps prominently featured the busts of a worker, a Red Army man, and a peasant. Over the course of the years 1923 to 1926, the worker and soldier designs appeared on thirteen different stamps each, while the peasant design was featured on ten stamps.[1]

Other notable issues

In 1929, the Soviet Union released its third set of definitive stamps. This series featured updated images depicting male and female workers, male and female collective-farm workers, and a Red Army soldier. These designs reflected the significant societal transformations brought about by industrialization, collectivization, and the advancement of women's rights in the Soviet Union. Notably, the inclusion of the female worker and female collective-farm worker alongside their male counterparts marked the first appearance of women on Soviet stamps.[1]

With the progress of the socialistic economic programs, the representation of the major groups of Soviet society changed, moving from the more generic image of the earlier period. The worker was shown in the fifth issue of March 1939 as a steel foundryman and in the sixth issue of August 1939 as a miner.[1]

The last definitive series that begun in the Stalin period was the eighth issue (May 1948 to July 1957). It was remarkable by the fact that the scientist was for the first time portrayed on Soviet definitive stamps. In 1958, the engineer design appeared meaning that representatives of other Soviet labouring groups were also depicted on stamps. In 1961, a definitive stamp with the combine worker appeared.[1]

Summary of all issues

This table represents an outline of the overall USSR definitive issues produced in the Soviet and post-Soviet times (1923 – 1992).

More information Issue No., Dates ...

See also

Notes

  1. Stamps of the 9th issue were in use till 1 April 1961.

References

  1. 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.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Definitive_stamps_of_the_Soviet_Union, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.