On September 18, a postage stamp dedicated to the 250th Anniversary of the Zaporozhian Host abolition by Catherine the Great was put into postal circulation

On August 14 of 1775, by order of Empress Catherine the Great, the Zaporozhian Host was utterly eliminated. After the reunification of a significant part of Little Russia with the Russian State in 1654, the privileges enjoyed by other Russian Cossack troops were extended to the Zaporozhian Host. Zaporozhian Cossacks played an important role defending the southern borders of Russia, participating in wars with the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, the Zaporozhian Cossacks retained a certain autonomy from the central government. However, the Cossacks sheltered fugitives hiding from the persecution of the tsarist authorities. In addition, there was a danger of rebellion against the center and an alliance with external enemies of Russia.

The fate of the Zaporozhian Cossacks was entrusted to the Empress's favorite, Prince G. Potemkin-Tavrichesky. Cossack officers were given equal rights with the nobles. Everyone else was invited to join the ranks of cavalry - hussars or dragoons. On June 5 of 1775, by order of the Prince, troops under the command of General P. Tekeli surrounded the Zaporozhian Host at night. As a result, part of the Cossacks joined the ranks of Hussars and Dragoons, and then, under the leadership of great Russian commander A. Suvorov, as part of the Army of the Faithful Zaporozhian Cossacks, created exactly on his initiative, participated in many battles of the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1791.

The postage stamp provides a portrait of Empress Catherine the Great, the text of her decree on the abolition of the Zaporozhian Host, a fragment of the Host map and plunged weapons.

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


Design Artist: V. Khablovsky.
Face value: 50 rubles.
Stamp size: 42×30 mm, sheet size: 146×114 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins with 9 (3×3) stamps.
Quantity: 72 thousand stamps (8 thousand sheets).

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