The cancellation ceremony took place at the Russian Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris. The joint issue was carried out as part of the Cross Year of Cultural Tourism events. Alexander Orlov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to France, Oleg Dukhovnitsky, Head of the Federal Communications Agency of the Russian Federation, Gilles Livshitz, Phil@poste General Manager, Pierre Roure, President of the Association of Descendants of the Pilots “Memorial Normandie-Neman Regiment”.
The Normandie-Niemen Regiment was a French aviation regiment, who fought during the Second World War against the Nazi invaders in the territory of the Soviet Union. On November 25, 1942, the Soviet-French agreement was signed on the formation of the French air squadron. The squadron was formed on December 4, 1942 in the city of Ivanovo, it was named “Normandie” in honor of the French province, the most affected by the German occupation. On April 5, 1943, the squadron began operations. July 5, 1943, it was transformed into a regiment “Normandie”.
November 28, 1944 the regiment was given the honorary name “Neman” for military merit and courage during the air battles in the fighting for the liberation of Lithuania and the crossing of the Neman River, and since then it became known as the Normandie-Niemen Regiment. During the fighting on the Soviet-German front of the Second World War, the regiment pilots flew 5,240 sorties, carried out about 900 air battles, won about 300 battles, damaged more than 80 German airplanes. 96 pilots were awarded Soviet and French military awards, four were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The postage stamp depicts a bas-relief with a group of soldiers who fought during the Second World War as part of the Normandie-Niemen Regiment. Circulation: 287,000 stamps. Face value: 41 RUB. Additionally, JSC “Marka” has manufactured first day covers and first day postmarks for Moscow and Paris, France.
“This stamp issue is included in the special philatelic program of the Federal Communications Agency of the Russian Federation and JSC “Marka” “The Way to Victory”, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the issues on which are being implemented since 2016. In 2016, we produced 4 stamps as part of this series with a total circulation of 1,036,000 copies. Now we are releasing the fourth of the planned for 2017 in the postal circulation. Thus, the total circulation of the issued stamps in the current year in the series “The Way to Victory” has grown to 1,148,000 copies. Joint issue of postage stamps is a vivid example of the exchange of cultural traditions between countries. 2017 is declared a cross-country year of cultural tourism between countries, and the release of the brand fits perfectly into this concept.
Stamps will fly around the world, telling all users of postal services about the history of our countries and their great deeds,” said Mr. Dukhovnitsky.
“This issue is of great political importance. It is very important that the postage stamps of the first joint issue of Russia and France are dedicated to the symbol of Russian-French friendship - the Normandie-Niemen aviation regiment,” said Mr. Orlov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to France.
The stamps of the joint issue, dedicated to the legendary aviation regiment, were sent to the postal circulation, and citizens of both countries are able to use them to send their mail correspondence around the world.
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