FOCUS ON PHILATELY
by Ingert Kuzych
Frequently asked questions
It's been over a year now since "Focus on Philately" has begun appearing regularly on the pages of The Ukrainian Weekly. In that time I've received various questions related to Ukrainian collecting, but some tend to get asked more regularly than others. With that in mind, I've decided to devote this month's column to responses to these repeated queries.
Is there a Ukrainian stamp collectors' society in North America, or are there some regional/local clubs I could join?
Yes, to both questions. The Ukrainian Philatelic and Numismatic Society (UPNS) is the largest Ukrainian collecting organization outside of Ukraine (strictly non-political, its enrollment is approaching 350). Although composed mostly of North American members, it also serves collectors from around the world, including Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.
An annual membership fee provides six bimonthly newsletters (with the latest on Ukraine's new stamp and coin issues), and two issues of the journal Ukrainian Philatelist (with more in-depth studies of philatelic and numismatic releases).
The UPNS holds an informal "zustrich" (get-together) every spring on the East Coast (open to everyone) where all sorts of collectibles may be obtained, either by purchase or trade. This year's get-together will be at the Ukrainian Homestead Resort in Lehighton, Pa., in May. (Check the "Preview of Events" schedule of The Ukrainian Weekly in the spring for details.) More formal UKRAINPEX conventions are frequently held in the fall and include exhibitions of rare Ukrainian materials, special talks on a variety of collecting topics and, of course, lots of buying and trading.
The UPNS has a dozen local chapters where members get together. Four chapters are in the United States: Chicago, Detroit, Mid-Atlantic (Maryland-Virginia), and Philadelphia; three in Canada: Calgary, Montreal and Toronto; three in Ukraine: Kyiv, Lviv and Mariupol; one in Adelaide, Australia; and a new chapter in Paris, France.
Interested persons may join by contacting: George Slusarczuk, P.O. Box 303, Southfields, NY 10975-0303
Annual membership is $20, plus a one-time $2 registration fee. A true bargain!
Are there Ukrainian philatelic clubs abroad?
Yes, there are many Ukrainian collecting societies overseas. Not surprisingly, most exist in Ukraine, but it would be impossible to list them all here. However, I will mention three other active organizations outside of Ukraine.
The Australian UPNS chapter mentioned above is really an independent organization, The Ukrainian Collectibles Society (UCS), that is affiliated with UPNS. Formed just five years ago, UCS regularly releases a splendid journal titled The Southern Collector and has organized some well-attended exhibitions.
Two other Ukrainian philatelic societies exist in Western Europe. Their membership sizes only consist of several dozen members, but they do put out publications and hold periodic exhibitions. The oldest is the Ukraine-Philatelisten-Verband (UPV - Ukrainian Philatelic Society) in Germany founded in 1920; its journal is Der Ukraine-Philatelist.
The other organization is the Ukrainischer Briefmarken Sammler-Verein (UBSV - Ukrainian Stamp Collectors Club) in Austria, established in 1967. Its publication is the UBSV Vereinsjournal.
All three societies prepare special cacheted envelopes for each of their exhibitions; these are marked with special commemorative cancellations especially prepared for the event. Such covers are very collectible and those of the UBSV are the most sought. This organization is quite active and sponsors several shows per year. Since its founding, it has released some 140 very colorful covers (many designed by prominent artists) on a wide variety of Ukrainian topics: folk art, religion, music, literature, famous personalities, etc.
Figures 1-3 show examples of releases from a number of these philatelic societies.
Where can I obtain Ukraine's latest stamp issues or some of Ukraine Post's releases from past years (1992 to the present)?
There are two North American dealers who specialize solely in modern Ukrainian stamps; they are:
One other dealer carries modern postal issues in addition to stocking classical Ukrainian stamps (from 1918-1923, Western Ukraine and Carpatho-Ukraine). This firm is:
Can Ukrainian stamps be obtained by auction?
Yes, thrice yearly auctions are held by Zabijaka Auctions (January, April and September) but the items are strictly of classical materials. Listings of the hundreds of lots presented at each auction may be obtained by sending $1 to: P.O. Box 3711, Silver Spring, MD 20918-3711 or the auction can be accessed on the Internet: http://www/collectormall.com/stamps and click on Zabijaka Auction. In addition, Mr. Zabijaka offers an open sale of items available to buyers on a first-come-first-served basis. No bidding is necessary.
I know all four of the gentlemen mentioned above and can vouch for their fine service and integrity.
Ukrainian collectibles also appear on sites such as e-bay. I would recommend against bidding for these materials unless you are knowledgeable about the items presented.
* * *
Finally, I'll include one other question I get asked all the time.
What sort of a name is Ingert? (The implication being that it can't be Ukrainian.)
Well, believe it or not, it is Ukrainian (sort of). Ingert is the original Scandinavian form of Ihor and dates back over a thousand years to when Ukrainian lands were being infiltrated by the Rus'. Inger[t] became Ingvar, which in turn became Ihor. So, I'm Ihor when I visit relatives in Ukraine, but I usually go by the "English" version, Ingert, at other times; I answer to either version in responding to mails.
Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at P.O. Box 3, Springfield VA 22150, or by e-mail at: ingertjk@gateway.net
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 2, 2000, No. 1, Vol. LXVIII
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