FOCUS ON PHILATELY
by Ingert Kuzych, Roman Dubyniak and Peter Cybaniak
Crimean conflict collectibles
PART II
Stamps
Although Crimea and Sevastopol have been commemorated on many stamps (both Soviet and Ukrainian), only a few depict the Crimean War specifically. In 1954, on the centennial of the conflict, the USSR issued a three-stamp set (Figure 9) titled "Heroic Defense of Sevastopol." The 40-kopek low value depicts the Monument to Sunken Ships that stands in the harbor to this day. The 60-kopek value presents five heroes from the yearlong siege. The figure in the center is Petro Kishka (1828-1882). Born a serf in the village of Ometyntsi, Vinnytsia Oblast, he was forced to enter the Russian navy by his landlord. He displayed outstanding courage during the defense of the city. The two figures to his right have surnames of I. Dymchenko and F. Zaika, respectively, and are likely also Ukrainian, but we know nothing further about them. The high value 1-ruble stamp shows Admiral P.S. Nakhimov, who led the city's defense.
Just last year Great Britain issued a set of six stamps showing six heroic individuals from the Crimean War (Figure 10). They were photographed by Joseph Cundall and Robert Howlett of the Photographic Institution of London. During June and July of 1856, as troops returning from Crimea congregated at Aldershot for a grand London parade, the photographers set up a temporary studio at Aldershot Camp, and it was here that most of their images were captured.
Ukraine released a 45-kopiyka Balaklava commemorative stamp in August of 2004, but it honored the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the city and not the events of the Crimean War (Figure 11). A subsequent special cancellation from September 4, 2004, indirectly honored the fighting at Balaklava by showing ruined buildings from the siege (Figure 12).
Collectible cigarette cards
British cigarette manufacturers had an interesting custom in the past of including little collectible cards in their cigarette packages depicting topics that would be of interest to their (mostly male) customers. This practice was a clever scheme to encourage brand loyalty, as well as cigarette consumption. We have been able to locate five such cards illustrating Crimean War action scenes. More such cards likely exist. Figure 13 shows the fierce fighting that took place at the Battle of Alma, 1854. The inscription on the back mentions that "A captured Russian general said he expected to fight brave men, but he found red devils ... The Russians were utterly routed and threw away arms and knapsacks in their headlong flight."
Figures 14 and 15 show scenes from the Battle of Balaklava. In the first, Sgt. Major J. Grieve saves the life of an officer surrounded by Russian cavalry in the charge of the Heavy Brigade. In the other, Lt. A. R. Dunn saves the life of a comrade by cutting down three Russian lancers who were attacking him from the rear during the charge of the Light Brigade. For these actions both men won the Victoria Cross (V.C.), first awarded during the Crimean War.
The card in Figure 16 shows Sgt. G. Walters saving the life of a brigadier general surrounded by the enemy at the Battle of Inkerman. The final card (Figure 17) depicts Pvts. Hampston and Bradshaw, who in daylight stormed and captured a Russian rifle pit. They, too, received the V.C.
Medals
We know of two medals prepared especially for participants of the Crimean War and a third decoration that was first awarded during this conflict for conspicuous bravery. Figure 18 shows two examples of the Crimean War Medal prepared by order of Queen Victoria in 1854 for all ranks and forces - British Army, Navy and Marines - engaged in the conflict. The ribbon of the 36mm silver medal was pale blue with yellow edges (very reminiscent of the Ukrainian colors) and shows a profile of the queen on the obverse. On the reverse, a Roman soldier, armed with circular shield and short sword, is crowned by a flying Victory. Special clasps could be affixed for each of the major engagements: Alma, Inkerman, Azoff (Azov; for the navy), Balaklava and Sebastopol (Sevastopol). Medals with one and four clasps respectively are represented in Figure 18.
Another award is the Turkish Crimea Medal prepared in 1855 by the Ottoman Sultan for the troops of the three allied armies: British, French and Sardinian (Figure 19). These 36mm silver medals - with a crimson ribbon bordered in green - depicted a cannon, weapons and the four allied flags on the obverse, and an Arabic design on the reverse. Three types were prepared that differed on the obverse in the arrangement of the flags - each flag prominently displayed for one of the three allies.
The third decoration is the Victoria Cross, introduced by the queen in 1854 for conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy. Unlike the other two medals it is not composed of shiny silver, instead it is cast from the bronze of the cannons captured from the Russians during the siege of Sevastopol. Today the Victoria Cross is recognized as the British Commonwealth's highest military decoration for bravery.
Last year the Canada Post honored the 150th anniversary of the V.C. with a pair of stamps depicting the medal (in old and new designs; Figure 20). Sixteen stamps made up the border of the stamp pane in a unique arrangement (Figure 21) that allowed the central portion to be used in listing all 94 Canadians who have won the award. Conspicuous among the winners is Sgt. Filip Konowal, whose exploits were recorded in several articles published in The Ukrainian Weekly last year and who won his decoration during World War I.
Concluding statement
The above-described items represent only a sampling of the many types of Crimean War collectibles that are available to the collector. We welcome information from others on different items they may have discovered related to this often-overlooked but extremely important chapter of Ukrainian history. The senior author of this article may be reached at the e-mail and postal addresses given below.
Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at P.O. Box 3, Springfield, VA 22150 or at his e-mail address: ingert@starpower.net.
CONCLUSION
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 6, 2005, No. 6, Vol. LXXIII
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