On April 18, an overprinted stamp dedicated to the 225th Anniversary of the capture of the fortress of Corfu by the Russian squadron under the command of F. Ushakov was put into postal circulation

Fyodor Ushakov (1745−1817) was a Russian naval commander, an admiral, the Black Sea Fleet commander in 1790-1798. Fyodor Ushakov participated in 43 naval battles and gained victory in each of them; he lost not a single ship in the fights, and none of his subordinates was taken prisoner.

The French Revolutionary Wars at the end of the 18th century led to the capture of many key points in the Mediterranean, including the Ionian Islands, by the French whose control over the islands allowed them to extend their influence to the Balkans. The Black Sea squadron of Fyodor Ushakov with the support of a small Turkish flotilla led by Kadirbey was assigned a task to take control of the Ionian Islands, which were seized as early as by the beginning of November of 1798. On March 3 of 1799, the fortress of Corfu surrendered the position.

Liner ship Leander, frigate Brunet, a bombardier ship, two galleys, four half-galleys, three merchant ships and several other ships were seized in the port of Corfu. The capture of Corfu put an end to French claims to Mediterranean supremacy, and the Republic of Ionian Islands was established on the Ionian Islands, which for some time was the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

For this assault, Emperor Paul I promoted F. Ushakov to admiral and endowed the diamond signs of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky; the Neapolitan king granted him the Order of St. Januarius I degree; and the Ottoman Sultan conferred the Chelengk, the highest award of the Ottoman Empire, on Ushakov.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Fyodor Ushakov, images of the St. Andrew’s colors, St. Paul capital ship, a map of the island of Corfu and surrounding areas, as well as a surcharge of the new denomination and inscription “225 years of the capture of the fortress of Corfu by the squadron under the command of F.F. Ushakov”.


Design Artist: V. Khablovsky; Design: M. Miloradova (overprint).
Face value: 51 rubles.
Stamp size: 50×37 mm, sheet size: 170×174 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins with 12 (3×4) stamps.
Quantity: 42 thousand stamps (3.5 thousand sheets*).
* To be on sale as part of an illustrated cover.

« back