On May 8, five stamps dedicated to the 100th Birth Anniversaries of frontline writers Viktor Astafiev, Vladimir Bogomolov, Yuri Bondarev, Boris Vasilyev and Yulia Drunina were put into postal circulation

The Great Patriotic War has become one of the most highlighted subjects of Russian literature. Many frontline authors of literary writings knew about the War firsthand. Frontline writers are a whole generation of true patriots of the country, who rely in their books on real events and their own frontline experience

The key themes in books about the War are the soldier's friendship, frontline comradeship, the hardship of camp life, desertion and heroism.

A great contribution to the development of Soviet prose and poetry was made by frontline writers who entered the great literature in the late 1950s – early 1960s. Among them, there were V. Astafiev, V. Bogomolov, Yu. Bondarev, B. Vasiliev and Yu. Drunina. This year, each of them would celebrate the 100th Birth Anniversary.


Viktor Astafiev (1924-2001) was a Soviet and Russian writer, an essayist, a playwright and a screenwriter. On the outbreak of the war, he went to the front as a volunteer, fought as a private. Astafiev is the author of the Shepherd and His Wife, The Will to be Alive, The Cursed and Killed and others.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Viktor Astafiev against the background of an open book illustrating the writer's novel The Cursed and Killed.


Vladimir Bogomolov (1924-2003) was a writer. He fought in the North Caucasus, participated in the liberation of Taman, Zhitomir, and in the Kirovograd offensive operation. In September of 1944, he began to serve in the military counterintelligence. Bogomolov is the author of stories Ivan, Zosya, novels The Moment of Truth, In the Rail Car, The First Love, and others.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Vladimir Bogomolov against the background of an illustration for the writer's novel The Moment of Truth.


Yury Bondarev (1924-2020) was a writer and a scriptwriter. As an artillery officer, he fought in 1942-1944 at Stalingrad, on the Dnieper, and in the Carpathians. Bondarev is the author of novels The Battalions Request Fire, Silence, The Hot Snow, Non-Resistance, and others.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Yury Bondarev against the background of a winter scene with a tank illustrating the writer's novel The Hot Snow.


Boris Vasiliev (1924-2013) was a writer and a screenwriter. He went to the front as a volunteer in the composition of a Komsomol fighter battalion; later on, he served in the 8th Guards Airborne Regiment of the 3rd Guards Airborne Division. In autumn of 1943, he was commissioned to study at the Military Academy of Armored and Mechanized Forces named after J.V. Stalin. He is the author of writings The Dawns Here are Quiet, The Ivan's Boat, Not Listed in the Lists, Tomorrow Was the War, The Head-On Battle and others.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Boris Vasiliev against the background of an open book illustrating the writer's novel The Dawns Here are Quiet.


Yulia Drunina (1924-1991) was a poet. From the beginning of the war until the end of 1944 she served as a combat medic in a rifle and then in an artillery regiment. She is the author of poems I Love as Poets Love..., There is no Such Thing as Unhappy Love, We are Faithful to Our Vows, In a Soldier's Coat and others. Many of Drunina’s poems formed the basis of songs by famous composers.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Yulia Drunina against the background of a scene with marching women illustrating the poet's poem The Rye Uncropped is Wavering.


In addition to the issue of the postage stamps, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow, Belgorod, Volgograd, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk, Orenburg, Rostov-on-Don and Smolensk.


Design Artist: M. Podobed.
Face value: 80 rubles.
Stamp size: 35×35 mm, sheet size: 129×95 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins (3×2) with 5 stamps and a coupon.
Quantity: 18 thousand sheets.

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