Today, on July 10, Ukrposhta, together with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, presented a limited edition postage set “Treasures of Crimea. Return,” released under the “Own Stamp” project. The postal issue is dedicated to the opening of the exhibition “Treasures of Crimea. Return,” which began on July 5 at the Treasury of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the BGV Charity Fund, and the NGO “Institute of Public Communications.” The exhibition will be on display at the museum until the complete de-occupation of Crimea, after which the collection is planned to be moved to the territory of the peninsula.
In June 2023, Ukraine achieved a historic victory against russia in the international legal arena: the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld the decisions of lower courts to return 565 artifacts from the exhibition “Crimea: Gold and Secrets of the Black Sea” to their homeland. These artifacts were exhibited at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam during the occupation of the peninsula. The valuable items, discovered during archaeological research in Crimea from the 19th to the 21st centuries, include ancient Greek, ancient Roman, late Scythian, Sarmatian, Hunnic, and Gothic finds.
The “Treasures of Crimea. Return” postage set consists of a sheet of nine stamps, each depicting an ancient artifact featured in the exhibition, and an artistic envelope with a special cancellation mark.
The release of the stamps and envelopes was accompanied by a ceremonial cancellation, attended by the General Director of Ukrposhta Ihor Smilianskyi, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Rostyslav Karandieiev, and the General Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine Fedir Androshchuk.
“Ukrposhta stamps have the ability to foresee events. Today, we are presenting a stamp called ‘Treasures of Crimea. Return’. By issuing this stamp, we signify the return of treasures to the territory of Ukraine, but we hope to believe that this return will soon happen in every sense of the word. We will achieve justice, and the treasures of Crimea will definitely return home under the Ukrainian flag,” noted Ihor Smilianskyi, the General Director of Ukrposhta.
“Stamps have long become artistic creations and means to promote everything Ukrainian globally. I thank Ukrposhta for their interest in the unique collection of returned exhibits, which are currently showcased at the ‘Treasures of Crimea. Return’ exhibition, and for their efforts in protecting Ukrainian cultural heritage, of which Crimea’s legacy is a significant part. By joining forces, we will achieve our goal,” stated Rostyslav Karandieiev, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy.
“We wanted all citizens of Ukraine to see this exhibition. Ukrposhta has created a unique opportunity to participate by introducing stamps, allowing people to see these unique exhibits dedicated to the history of Ukraine and Crimea. This initiative underscores our commitment to showcasing and preserving our cultural heritage,” emphasized Fedir Androshchuk, General Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.
Additional information:
The postage set “Treasures of Crimea. Return” includes a numbered sheet of nine stamps and an artistic envelope (C6 format) with a stamp and a special cancellation mark. The price of the set is 600 Ukrainian hryvnias. The edition is limited to 565 copies, corresponding to the number of exhibits in the exhibition. The designer of the sheet and envelope is Daria Tsykunova. The release was conducted with the participation of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. On the same day, a special cancellation event “Treasures of Crimea. Return” will take place at the Kyiv Main Post Office (22 Khreshchatyk Street) throughout the day.
