On July 17, a postage stamp dedicate to the Potsdam Conference was put into postal circulation in the History of Russian Diplomacy series



The Potsdam Conference held in the suburbs of Berlin from July 17 to August 2 of 1945 was the last meeting of the heads of governments of the USSR, the USA, and the UK during the War years. The Soviet delegation was led by Joseph Stalin, the American delegation by President Harry Truman, and the British delegation by Prime Minister by Clement Attlee (from July 28 0f 1945). The Conference, which took place at the Cecilienhof Palace, was also attended by the heads of foreign ministries of major powers and military representatives.

The main focus of the Potsdam Conference was on the problem of Germany: the basic principles of joint policy were agreed upon, and the disarmament and demilitarization of the country were envisaged. The procedure for exercising control over its territory required complete denazification, demilitarization, demonopolization, and democratization (the four Ds). Emphasis was placed on the necessity to eliminate military and paramilitary formations and repeal Nazi laws. War criminals were brought to justice. The country's industry was to be converted exclusively to peaceful purposes. Discussions broke out concerning the issue of reparations. Ultimately, the area-by-area principle of collecting reparations by each country in its zone of occupation was approved. The American and British delegations also confirmed their agreement to transfer the city of Königsberg (presently Kaliningrad) and its surrounding territories to the USSR.

At the conference, the parties resolved a number of other issues related to the control commissions in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, the relocation of the German population from Hungary, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, and the withdrawal of Allied troops from Iran. The issue of the USSR participation in the war against Japan was also addressed. Additionally, the successful testing of the American atomic bomb introduced a new factor at the Potsdam Conference that fundamentally changed the perception of future security.

The postage stamp presents images of the leaders of the three powers: I. Stalin, the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, H. Truman, the President of the U.S.A., and K. Attlee, the Prime Minister of Great Britain - against the background of the Cecilienhof Palace.

In addition to the issue of the postage stamp, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.


Design Artist: S. Kapranov.
Face value: 80 rubles.
Stamp size: 50×50 mm, sheet size: 170×130 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins with 6 (3×2) stamps.
Quantity: 48 thousand stamps (8 thousand sheets).

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