1999 philatelic issue marks 60th anniversary of the proclamation of Carpatho-Ukrainian state

Until the end of World War I Carpatho-Ukraine belonged to the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Later it became an autonomous territory within Czecho-Slovakia. On March 14, 1939, it declared its independence, a decision that was ratified by the provincial Parliament, and Msgr. Augustyn Voloshyn (depicted above) was elected president. But already on March 16 Hungarian troops occupied this territory. The first stamp of Carpatho-Ukraine was issued March 15, 1939. This official cover above was issued by the Ukrainian Stamp Collectors Club of Austria in 1999 to mark the 60th anniversary of Carpatho-Ukraine. The art work is by Ivan Turetskyi of Lviv; layout is by Erhard Steinhagen of Vienna. A trilingual (Ukrainian-German-English) text appears on the back of the cover. A special bilingual (German-Ukrainian) cancellation also was used on the occasion of this historic anniversary.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, March 18, 2001, No. 11, Vol. LXIX

| Home Page |