On June 20, a postal block dedicated to the 165th Anniversary of the introduction of the first Russian postage stamps was put into postal circulation

The first postage stamps were issued in the Russian Empire in 1857; their official application for letter post payment throughout the country began on January 1, 1858. The author of the drawing of the first Russian stamp was Franz Michael Kepler; the miniature was made in two colors (brown and blue) and featured the coat of arms of the Post Office and the mantle.

Postage stamps of the RSFSR were issued from 1917 to 1923. The first standard stamp of that period, made according to the drawing by artist R. Zarrinsh, was put into circulation on November 7, 1918.

Postage stamps of the USSR were issued from 1923 to 1991. The first series of four plots was dedicated to the opening of the first All-Russian agricultural and artisan-industrial exhibition; sketches were prepared by G. Pashkov.

In January of 1992, the first postage stamps of the Russian Federation came out. In February of 1992, the first issue of standard postage stamps, made by artist V. Koval, was prepared. The two miniatures provide the images of St. George the Victorious and the Millennium of Russia Monument in Veliky Novgorod.

Postage stamps mirror the multinational state structure of the country, the natural and cultural heritage of Russia, the diversity of the animal and plant kingdoms.

The postage block features the first postage stamp and a modern postage stamp, styled as the Seventh issue of the Eagles standard postage stamps, a page of a stockbook with publications devoted to landmark events in the history of our country.

In addition to the issue of the postal block, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as an illustrated envelope with the postal block, a label and a First Day Cover with a special cancel for St. Petersburg inside.


Design Artist: S. Kapranov.
Face value: 165 rubles.
Block size: 100×105 mm; stamp size in the block: 42×30 mm.
Quantity: 21 thousand blocks (first emission type); 4.2 thousand blocks (second emission type*).
* To be on sale as part of an illustrated cover.

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