Guerilla warfare is an integral part of any long-lasting armed conflict. Right after the Great Patriotic War broke out in 1941, the directives “To Party and Soviet Organizations in the Front-Line Regions” and “Concerning Organizing Combat in the Rear of the Nazi Troops” were issued, which stated the necessity to create a national resistance to aid the regular troops.
The guerrilla warfare was made regular on May 30, 1942 by the establishment of the Central Headquarters of the Partisan Movement, which controlled local headquarters in the regions mostly led by the leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The sole administrative body triggered a large-scale guerrilla warfare, which was well organized and had a clear management and reporting structure. These efforts enhanced the performance of all partisan units. The usual partisan unit comprised several dozen people; however, they grew larger consisting of several hundred of combatants as the partisan movement developed.
The guerilla movement, which swept the majority of civilians within the temporarily occupied territory during the Great Patriotic War, became a major part of the armed resistance of Soviet people to the Nazi invaders. The partisan actions inflicted severe material damage upon the enemy, demoralized and contained the troops, disrupted weapon and food supplies, and crippled the enemy army infrastructure.
The postage stamp features a bas-relief depicting partisans, which included the elderly, women and children.
Additionally, JSC “Marka” has manufactured a first day cover and postmark for Moscow.
Design: S. Ulyanovskiy
Face value: 41 RUB.
Size of stamp: 65×32.5 mm, size of sheet: 180×180 mm.
Form of issue: sheet with illustrated margins of 7 (2×4) stamps and a coupon.
Circulation: 287,000 stamps (41,000 sheets).
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