Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952) was a People's Commissar of Public Welfare (Social Security), one of the world's first female diplomats. She was an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USSR. She was born on March 19 (31), 1872, in St. Petersburg. Aleksandra Kollontai took part in the Russian Revolution of 1905-1907; at the same time, she made acquaintance with Vladimir Lenin. After the defeat of the Revolution, she was in exile in Europe and the United States, and participated in the work of the Congresses of the Second International.
In 1915, Kollontai joined the Bolsheviks, whose attitude towards the war was closest to hers. After the victory of the February Revolution of 1917, she returned to Russia and was soon appointed one of the leaders of the Petrograd Soviet. Kollontai participated in the VII (April) Conference of the RSDLP(b) in 1917 on behalf of the Bolshevik military organization and was among the delegates who wholeheartedly supported the Lenin's April Theses. After the October Revolution of 1917, she was elected to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and received the post of People's Commissar of Public Welfare in the first composition of the Council of People's Commissars.
During the Civil War, Alexandra Kollontai took over the leadership of the Commissariat of Agitation and Propaganda of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, as well as the political department of the Crimean Army. At the end of the war she headed the Women's Department of the Central Committee of the RCP(b), which was aimed at the fight for equal rights for women and men, the fight against illiteracy among the female population, informing about new working conditions and family organization. She began working as a diplomat since 1923 and retired from her post only in 1945 due to illness.
The postage stamp features a portrait of Aleksandra Kollontai.
In addition to the issue of the postage stamp, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Artist: V. Zoteeva; Design: R. Komsa
Face value: 60 rubles.
Stamp size: 37×37 mm, sheet size: 130×104 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins with 6 (3×2) stamps.
Quantity: 66 thousand stamps (11 thousand sheets).
« back