FOCUS ON PHILATELY: Your chance to choose: Ukraine's 2002 stamps (05/11/03)

FOCUS ON PHILATELY

by Ingert Kuzych

Your chance to choose: Ukraine's 2002 stamps

Ukraine Post continued to produce attractive and interesting stamp issues last year, continuing various popular series from the past, as well as initiating quite a few new ones. In all, 66 stamps appeared in 2002, 15 of which were part of four souvenir sheets.

It was a bit of a surprise that so few souvenir sheets were produced last year; many more have appeared annually in the past. Since a souvenir sheet has emerged as the winner for best philatelic design for the past five years in a row, it will be interesting to see if the trend continues in this year's balloting for the Narbut Prize.

The prize is named after Heorhii Narbut, Ukraine's famous graphic artist of the early 20th century, who designed some of Ukraine's first stamps and banknotes. Instituted by yours truly in 1992, the year Ukraine resumed stamp production, the monetary prize has been awarded annually and is now regarded as the premier recognition for Ukraine' s philatelic designers.

While only one stamp of a religious nature was released last year (in contrast to the nine the year before), many more stamps illustrating animals made an appearance than at any previous time. In total, 14 issues specifically represented animals of Ukraine or surrounding regions. If one includes the horses or birds shown as part of the image on various other designs, or the animal characters on the folk tales stamps, then the "animal" stamp total can be raised to 25. This is certainly more than necessary and hopefully represents only a one-time aberration.

Nevertheless, a great many very worthy individuals, events and topics were commemorated on last year's releases, all of which are briefly described (chronologically) in the list below. Following the listing is a form allowing you to indicate and submit your selection for the best stamp design. The ballot may be photocopied if more than one member of a household wishes to vote. Electronic balloting also is available and is described at the end of this article.

All votes received are tabulated and combined with votes from Ukraine. The prize winner is usually announced in September. Your name will not be disclosed and is requested simply to prevent multiple voting. Anyone can vote for the Narbut Prize. You do not need to be a stamp collector, artist, or even Ukrainian, for that matter.

No., Description

415-417: The first three stamps of the year were the continuation of a long-running series honoring Ukrainian hetmans. The individuals highlighted in 2002 were Pavlo Teteria (Right-Bank hetman in 1663-1665), Demian Mnohohrishnyi (Left-Bank hetman, 1668-1672), and Ivan Briukhovetskyi (Left-Bank hetman in 1663). These stamps bring to 15 the number of individuals presented in this series first begun in 1995.
418-421: The next four stamps were part of a new series depicting the "Military History of Ukraine." Shown were a lightly armored mounted Scythian horseman, heavily armored Scythian infantrymen, a Scythian king and young warrior, and a mounted female warrior-archer (an Amazon).
422, 428, 441, 447, 465: Five new stamps were added to Ukraine's beautiful definitive (regular) stamp series on na-tive Ukraine flora. The 5-kopiyka stamp depicts periwinkle, the 10-kopiyka illustrates hollyhocks, the 30-kopiyka shows marigolds, the "C" value (equivalent to 15 U.S. cents) pictures lilacs, while the 45-kopiyka portrays cornflowers.
423-424: Stamps highlighting Ukrai-nian world sports champions made an appearance in February. Honored were winners in track and field and swimming.
425, 442, 446, 466, 469, 470: No less than six stamps from the continuing "Regions and Administrative Centers of Ukraine" series were released last year. The oblasts represented were Kyiv, Luhansk, Chernivtsi, Odesa, Cherkasy and Sumy. The center of each of these stamps shows the region's coat of arms and its location on a map of Ukraine; the sides illustrate oblast scenes.
426-427: Another beautiful series that has been going on for several years recalls the era of tall ships in Ukraine. Last year's contribution depicted the 54-gun frigate Syzopol, completed in Sevastopol in 1841, and the 16-gun brig Perseus, built in Mykolaiv in 1840.
429: On March 1, 1992, exactly three months after ratifying its independence from the Soviet Union, Ukraine began to once again issue its own postage stamps. On March 1, 2002, a special stamp was prepared to commemorate the first decade of Ukrainian stamp releases. Reproduced on the elaborate issue was the first stamp of 10 years earlier recalling the 500th anniversary of the Ukrainian Kozak.
430: This portrait stamp recalled the 175th birth anniversary of the outstanding literary figure Leonid Hlibov (1827-1893).
431: Ukraine's first chess stamp commemorated "Ruslan Po-nomariov - The 16th World Chess Champion."
432-433: Another first was Ukraine's souvenir sheet showing the "National Circus of Ukraine." Softer, more diffuse circus scenes frame prominent images of a tiger and lion. This issue was Ukraine's "Europa" entry, whose theme last year was circuses.
434: The sole religious stamp of the year highlighted "Verbna Nedilia" (Palm Sunday).
435-438: Perhaps the most exotic issue of the year was the leopard snake block of four stamps. This very colorful set was a real attention-grabber due to both its unusual subject matter and striking realism. This reptile is found in Ukraine and is listed in its Red Book of Endangered Species.
439-440: A souvenir sheet showing Ukrainian Opera Houses - this time from Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk - followed up on an earlier souvenir sheet from 2000.
443-444: Two other animals from Ukraine's Red Book were shown on a pair of stamps in June: the harbor porpoise and the European shag (a water bird).
445: A portrait of the prominent composer and conductor Mykola Leontovych (1877-1921) graced this issue on the 125th anniversary of his birth.
448-452: More fauna appeared on a special souvenir sheet that illustrated many of the birds and plants found in the Chornomorskyi Biosphere Reserve.
453-455: The "Ukrainian Folk Tales" series continued with three stamps illustrating the stories "Kolobok," "Pan Kotskyi" and "Kurochka Riaba." This issue understandably was a big hit with children.
456-458: Yet another series that continues to astound with lovely images is that devoted to "Treasures from Ukrainian Museums." Last year three intricate works by master folk artist Hanna Sobachko-Shostak (1883-1965) were featured.
459-462: An important new series was "launched" in August honoring "Ukrainian Contributions to Space Exploration." Four very worthy scientists re-ceived their own stamps: Yurii Kondratiuk (1897-1942), Mykhailo Yanhel (1911-1971), Mykola Kybalchych (1853-1881) and Serhii Korolov (1907-1966). Their contributions were all in the fields of cosmonautics and rocketry.
463-464: In September Ukraine and Kazakstan prepared a joint stamp issue. (This is a special event where two or more countries issue a stamp or stamps on the same topic, often with similar or identical designs.) The theme was the "Protection of the Natural Environment" and depicted on the stamps were two endangered animals: the Caspian seal and the Black Sea beluga sturgeon.
467: The millennial anniversary of the town of Khotyn (in Chernivtsi Oblast) was truly worthy of commemoration. This site has a fascinating history, having changed hands on numerous occasions. At different times it was controlled by Kyivan Rus', Moldavia, the Kozaks, the Poles, Russia, Austria and Romania, before reverting to Ukraine. The stamp shows the massive fortress built by the Genoese in the 13th century.
468: A special issue for the eighth All-Ukrainian Philatelic Exhibition "Odesaphil 2002" came in October. Prominent in the design are the famous Potemkin Stairs in Odesa.
471-473: Yet another new series inaugurated last year was "Kyiv Through Artist's Eyes." A set of three stamps kicked off the series with scenes by Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), including a watercolor of "Askold's Tomb," a landscape etching and another watercolor of "St. Oleksander's Church."
474: A cartoonish stamp titled "Happy New Year!" helped close out the philatelic year. Presented on the issue was a wispish Father Frost carrying what looks like an oversized Christmas tree.
475-480: The final stamp issue of 2002 was a beautiful six-stamp treatment illustrating "Ukrainian Folk Costumes," both as single stamps and on a souvenir sheet. This was the second consecutive year that Ukraine Post released such a set and the regions depicted this time were: Vinnytsia (The Feasts of "Pokrova" and "Spas"), Cherkasy (spring folk song rituals of vesnianky and haivky) and Ternopil (Easter scenes).

Once again this year, we are making participation in Narbut Prize voting easier than ever. All of the above philatelic issues may be viewed in color on Bohdan Hrynyshyn's Ukrainian Electronic Stamp Album: www.ukrainian-philately.info/narbut.htm An accompanying ballot allows for Narbut Prize voting directly from this site.

Further information about Ukrainian philately and about previous winners of the Narbut Prize may be found on the website of the Ukrainian Philatelic and Numismatic Society (UPNS): www.upns.org. Click on "Related Sites" to find out where stamps may be ordered.

Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at P.O. Box 3, Springfield, VA 22150, or at his e-mail address: ingert@starpower.net.

NARBUT PRIZE BALLOT

Dear Mr. Spiwak:

My selection for this year's Narbut Prize, as the best philatelic design of 2002, is:

No. _________ Title _________________________________________________________

Sincerely, Mr.(s.) ____________________________________________________________

Mail this ballot to:
Mr. Paul Spiwak
42 Irving Rd.
New Hartford, NY 13413

Or send an e-mail with the stamp/souvenir sheet number and name to pbspiwak@yahoo.com.
Copies of this ballot are acceptable if more than one member of a household wishes to vote.
One ballot per person, please.
Deadline for submitting votes is August 15, 2003.

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