The Kholmogory postroad was known as early as in the end of the 15
th century, but only a section of it to Vologda was in use. Further to the north, the road was nothing else but a nearly impenetrable thick forest. The first offers to establish a postal service in Arkhangelsk were made to Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich in the middle of the 17
th century. As envisioned by Chancellor Ordin-Nashchokin, a new route of mail delivery by post horses was about to promote faster delivery of government directives to northern cities and replies from local voivodes. At that time, the postroad followed nearly the same path as the present-day Moscow Arkhangelsk highway: through the trading quarter of the Trinity Monastery, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov the Great, Yaroslavl, Danilov, Vologda, Velsk, Shenkursk, and Kholmogory. The oldest Russian regular postal service between Arkhangelsk and Moscow was launched under the rule of Peter the Great in 1693.
The postal stamp provides images of an ancient post route: the Kholmogory postroad (Arkhangelsk — Vologda — Yaroslavl — Moscow) and the Europe logotype.
In addition to the emission of the postal stamp, JSC Marka will produce First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vologda, Yaroslavl and Arkhangelsk.
Design Artist: O. Shushlebina
Face value: 53 rubles
Stamp size: 32.5x65mm, sheet size: 146x160 mm
Form of issue: Sheet with illustrated margins of 8 (4x2) stamps
Quantity: 216 thousand stamps (27 thousand sheets).
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