On September 6, three stamps dedicated to hydrofoil vessels of the new generation Valdai, Meteor and Kometa were put into postal circulation

A hydrofoil vessel is a means of transport, which, while moving above the water surface, is supported by hydrodynamic forces that partially or completely lift the hull upwards.

At present, JSC Alekseev Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau produces vessels of a new generation that combine the best traditions of the Soviet design school and innovative engineering and technical solutions.

Valdai-45R is designed for high-speed river transportations during daylight hours. It seats up to 45 passengers and 2 crew members and is capable of covering up to 550 km at speeds of up to 75 km/h.

Meteor-120R is designed for high-speed river transportations, it accommodates up to 120 passengers and 4 crew members. The vessel can cover up to 600 km at a time.

Kometa-120M is designed for high-speed sea transportations; its maximum speed is 35 knots (about 65 km/h). A total of 120 passengers can be transported in two dayrooms: 95 persons in the main dayroom and 25 people in the comfort cabin. The crew consists of five persons.

Hydrofoil vessels Valdai-45R and Meteor-120R operate on routes in various regions of the country: St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Samara Regions, the Republic of Sakha, Tatarstan, Chuvashia, and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. The Kometa-120M hydrofoil vessels operate on the Black Sea on routes from Sevastopol to Yalta and from Novorossiysk to Gelendzhik and Sochi.

The postage stamps provide images of hydrofoil vessel Valdai-45R against the background of the embankment in Nizhny Novgorod, Kometa-120M in Sevastopol and Meteor-120R in St. Petersburg.

In addition to the issue of the postage stamps, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Rybinsk in the Yaroslavl region, Sevastopol and Khanty-Mansiysk as well as maxi-cards and an illustrated cover with postage stamps, a label and First Day Covers with a cancel for Nizhny Novgorod inside.


Design Artist: R. Komsa.
Face value: 30 rubles.
Stamp size: 50×37 mm; sheet size: 170×143 mm.
Emission form: sheets with formatted margins (3×3) with 8 stamps and a coupon; small sheet: 9 (3×3) stamps.
Quantity: 104 thousand each stamp (13 thousand each sheet); 15 thousand small sheets.

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