Germany: Allianz Arena

The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in Munich, Bavaria, Germany with a 75,024 seating capacity. Widely known for its exterior of inflated ETFE plastic panels, it is the first stadium in the world with a full color-changing color exterior. The stadium is designed so that the main entrance to the stadium would be from an elevated esplanade separated from the parking space consisting of Europe’s biggest underground car park. The roof of the stadium has in-built roller blinds which may be drawn back and forth during games to provide protection from the sun.

Total concrete used during stadium construction: 120,000 m³
Total concrete used for the parking garage: 85,000 m³
Total steel used during stadium construction: 22,000 tonnes
Total steel used for the parking garage: 14,000 tonnes

Stamp is Drumstick primrose (Primula denticulata), released on 2014-12-04

Thank You Ivan!

Romania: Palace of the Parliament

My first postcard from Romania!

This is The Palace of the Parliament in Romainian capital Bucharest.  The Palace is the world's largest civilian building with an administrative function and the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon in the United States.

Size: 270 m by 240 m, 86 m high, 92 m underground, 1,100 rooms, 12 stories tall with four additional underground levels currently available and in use (another four in different stages of completion).

This nice stamp is The European hare, released on 2013-07-09

Thank  You very much Dragos!

Russia: German capitulation in WW II

This interesting historic postcard shows front page of Soviet daily newspaper Pravda, from May 9, 1945. You can see news of the German capitulation in World War II. These day is now celebrated as a Victory Day in many countries. My country, Serbia, also celebrate this day.

Stamps are Ryazan and Novgorod Kremlins, released on 2009-10-01

Thank You very much Olga for this interesting piece of history!

Russia: Statue of St. George, Manezh square

This is very nice postcard from Moscow. You can see Statue of St. George, patron of Moscow, on Manezh square.

As a highly celebrated saint in both the Western and Eastern Christian churches, Saint George is connected with a large number of patronages throughout the world, and his iconography can be found on the flags and coats of arms of a number of cities and countries. In Russia, the cult of Saint George arrived in the 11th century during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise (1010–19).The city's coat of arms originally displayed a mounted soldier slaying a dragon. However, it was not until 1730 that Saint George was officially adopted as Moscow's patron saint, and the mounted soldier would be interpreted as Saint George.

This postcard came in nice envelope depicting Bolshoi Theatre.

The Bolshoi Theatre  is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera.

Stamps on envelope:
Ryazan Kremlin, released on 2009-10-01
Fox, released on 2008-08-29

I have also received two mint stamps from Soviet era!

Soviet Moon Exploration, released on 1971-03-16
50th Anniversary of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, released on 1982-06-10

Thank You very much Evgenii!

Russia: Your Motherland needs you! 1941

Very nice propaganda poster from World War II: Your Motherland needs you! by Irakli Toidze.

With the launch of Operation Barbarossa by the Germans in June 1941, the Soviet Union entered World War II. Supposedly, the story behind this poster is that the wife of the artist, Irakli Toidze, ran into his studio screaming "War!" upon hearing the news on the radio. Irakli asked her to freeze her movement, and her posture is what is seen in the poster, though her great looks were allegedly toned down a lot for the poster. It was indeed published in the very early stages of the German attack and became iconic in Soviet imagery.

Stamps are also nice:

Bridge over Ob, Surgut, released on 2008-11-28
Headdresses of Tatarstan. Maiden kalfak, XIX c., released on 2010-07-30
Headdresses of Tatarstan. Kattashi, XIX-XX c., released on 2010-07-30

Thank You very much Yulia!

Breaking Bad

My first postcard from Turkey, and what a nice postcard!!! This is one of my favorite TV Shows!

Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. It tells the story of Walter White (Bryan Cranston - on postcard), a struggling high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, who, together with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), turns to a life of crime, producing and selling crystallized methamphetamine to secure his family's financial future before he dies.

Breaking Bad is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. By the time the series finale aired, the series was among the most-watched cable shows on American television. The show received numerous awards, including sixteen Primetime Emmy Awards, eight Satellite Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Peabody Awards and a People's Choice Award. For his leading performance, Cranston won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series four times. In 2013, Breaking Bad entered the Guinness World Records as the highest rated show of all time.

 

Stamps are also nice:

Flowers - Lilies, released on 2011-02-07
Tourism-Cities of Turkey (Konya), released on 2014-05-22

Thank You very much Baris!

Germany: Braunschweig

Braunschweig is a city of 250,556 people, located in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser. A powerful and influential centre of commerce in medieval Germany, Braunschweig was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th until the 17th century, and the capital of the state of Brunswick until its disestablishment in 1946.

I have also received a couple of fantastic mint stamps for my collection

Mercedes Benz 220 S and BMW 507, both released on 2015-04-02

And stamp on cover is Bruno Haus in Tel Aviv, released on 2015-05-07

Thank You very much Dustin!

 

Ukranian postage stamps art

Fantastic postcard with Ukranian postage stamps art. Stamps are from period 2005-2013.

And this is stamp used for postage: White Mulberry - Morus Alba, released on 2013-01-11.

Thank You very much Olga!

Jean Monet on his Hobby Horse by Claude Monet

Date: 1872

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 23 7/8 x 29 1/4 in. (60.6 x 74.3 cm)

When Monet painted this picture of his elder son, Jean, in the summer of 1872, the artist and his family had recently returned to France from their self-imposed exile during the Franco-Prussian War. Through the efforts of the dealer Paul Durand-Ruel, the artist's finances had begun to improve, enabling the once-impoverished Monets to rent a house in Argenteuil, an agreeable suburb northwest of Paris. For this portrait, Monet posed the five-year-old in the garden of their new home. Monet never exhibited the painting but kept it throughout his life.

This postcard came from China, and these are stamps from postcard.

Jingsheng Town, released on 2013-05-19
Exquisite Jade Rock, released on 2013-09-07
Juan-Yu Building, released on 2013-09-07
Podoces biddulphi, released on 2002-02-01

Thank You Helen!

Austria: Mozartkugel

A Mozartkugel , is a small, round confection made of marzipan, nougat and dark chocolate. It was originally known as the “Mozartbonbon”, and was created by Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst in 1890 and named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

In the winter of 2006, 80 oversized polyester Mozartkugeln, each with a diameter of 1.6 metres, were placed in the old town of Salzburg. They had been designed by artists. On the night of the 27th of March, vandals removed one of these Mozartkugeln from the Franziskanergasse, where it had been bolted to the ground. They then rolled the Mozartkugel onto the street, causing damages of 7000 euro.

Thank You Tajana!

Austria: The Three Ages of Woman, 1905 by Gustav Klimt

The Three Ages of Woman is a painting by Gustav Klimt that was completed in Austria in 1905.The painting is an example of Klimt's symbolic and allegorial works. He continued to paint such images right until his death in 1918.The painting show a little girl in the protecting arms of a young woman, while beside them an old woman stands with bowed head (cropped from postcard). The Painting is located in Rome at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna.

Thank You Tajana!

My Neighbor Totoro

I have received this nice postcard and FDC inside larger cover from China.

My Neighbor Totoro  is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of the two young daughters of a professor and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan. The film won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize and the Mainichi Film Award for Best Film in 1988.

This FDC is dedicated to 40 years of diplomatic relationships between China And Mexico. Stamp is Sunny Spring, released on 2011-10-09.

Stamps on cover:

Puning Temple - released on 1998-08-20
The 30th Anniversary of the First Chinese Antarctic Expedition (whole set) - released on 2014-11-20

Thank You very much Mo!

Russia: Matryoshka dolls

Photo by Olga Streikmane

Awesome stamps!

Stamp: World Championship "Formula 1". Grand Prix of Russia
Issued on: 2014-10-12

Stamp: Coat of Arms of the city of Sochi
Issued on: 2014-10-21

Thank You very much Olga!

Poland: Będzin

The Będzin Castle is a castle in Będzin in southern Poland. The stone castle dates to the 14th century, and is predated by a wooden fortification that was erected in the 11th century. It was an important fortification in the Kingdom of Poland and later, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Stamp: Easter egg opoczyńska
Issued on: 2014-03-26

Thank You  Karolina!

Toy Story 3 sketch art

Character Sketch by Tom Gately, pencil, 2007

Stamp: 150th Anniversary of Birth V.A.Serov (1865-1911), painter
Issued on: 2015-01-22

Thank You very much Alina!

Postcard and cover from Germany

Very nice stamps on cover :)

Stamp: Historic Motorsport
Issued on: 2009-08-13

Stamp: Sunflower
Issued on: 2005-01-03

Stamp: Narzisse
Issued on: 2006-01-02

Stamp: Flowers
Issued on: 2008-10-09

Thank You very much Ebianny!

Rabbit by Erni

This is very nice postcard from Russia, rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by Erni

The European rabbit or common rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a species of rabbit native to southwestern Europe (Spain and Portugal) and northwest Africa (Morocco and Algeria). It has been widely introduced elsewhere, often with devastating effects on local biodiversity. However, its decline in its native range (caused by the diseases myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus, as well as overhunting and habitat loss), has caused the decline of its highly dependent predators, the Iberian lynx and the Spanish imperial eagle

Stamps:

Stamp: Ryazan Kremlin
Series: 6th Definitive Issue
Issued on: 2009-10-01

Stamp: Novgorod Kremlin
Series: 6th Definitive Issue
Issued on: 2009-10-01

Thank You Marina!
 

Russia: 300th Anniversary of St.Petersburg Head Post Office

I have received very nice FDC inside bigger cover and nice postcard :)

A souvenir sheet was released by Russian post to celebrate 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg post office on 10th June 2014. First Petersburg Post Office was opened in 1714 near the pier on the Trinity River Neva. Souvenir sheet has the image of  antique postcard of the 19th century and the building of the St. Petersburg post office.

 Kirovsky Zavod is a station of the Saint Petersburg Metro. Opened on 15th November 1955.

The Saint Petersburg Metro is the underground railway system in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It has been open since November 15, 1955. Formerly known as the V.I. Lenin Order of Lenin Leningrad Metropoliten , the system exhibits many typical Soviet designs and features exquisite decorations and artwork making it one of the most attractive and elegant metros in the world. Due to the city's unique geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is one of the deepest metro systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. The system's deepest station, Admiralteyskaya, is 86 metres below ground. Serving 2.15 million passengers daily, it is also the 16th busiest metro system in the world.

Stamps on cover:

Stamp: Decorativ headdress "Marg’al", XIX c.
Series: Art
Issued on: 2008-12-18

Stamp: Moscow region. Girl armband
Series: Headdresses
Issued on: 2009-09-23

Stamp: Amo-f15
Series: The First Russian Lorries
Issued on: 2007-10-25

Stamp: Astrakhan Kremlin
Series: 6th Definitive Issue
Issued on: 2009-10-01

Thank You very much Genady!
 

Denmark: Hip, Hip, Hurrah!

My first postcard from Denmark!

Hip, Hip, Hurrah! is an oil-on-canvas painting from 1888 by Norwegian-Danish painter Peder Severin Krøyer. The work shows various members of what Krøyer referred to as the "guild" of Skagen Painters: a group of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish artists who formed a loose community in Skagen at the northern tip of Jutland in the 1880s and early 1890s.

Stamps:

Stamp: Hans J. Wegner's three-legged Shell Chair
Series: Danish designed furniture
Issued on: 2014-03-15

Stamp: Order of the Elephant
Series: Danish Decorations
Issued on: 2015-03-14

Stamp: Wavy Lines - Self Adhesive
Issued on: 2010-04-28

Thank You Rita!

Germany: Burgenland Pfalz

Nice German castles

Stamps on postcard:

Stamp: Elves Krokus
Series: Flowers Definitive
Issued on: 2005-08-11

Stamp: Pfälzerhütte and Buildings (Rätikon)
Themes: Buildings
Issued on: 2012-06-14

Thank You Sabine!

 

Smoke Screen by Gil Elvgren

Gil Elvgren (March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980), born Gillette Elvgren in Saint Paul, Minnesota, was an American painter of pin-up girls, advertising and illustration. Elvgren was one of the most important pin-up and glamour artists of the twentieth century. Today he is best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow.

Stamps:

Stamp: Tagetes
Series: Flowers Definitive
Issued on: 2005-07-07

Stamp: Elves Krokus
Series: Flowers Definitive
Issued on: 2005-08-11

Stamp: Tulip
Series: Flowers Definitive
Issued on: 2005-09-08

Stamp: Glücksburg Castle (built 1582-1587)
Series: Castles and Palaces
Issued on: 2013-01-02

Thank You Erik!

Finland: Coffee

Coffee plants are cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in the equatorial regions of the Americas, Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Coffee cultivation first took place in Southern Arabia. The earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking appears in the middle of the 15th century in the Sufi shrines of Yemen. In the Horn of Africa and Yemen, coffee was used in local religious ceremonies. As these ceremonies conflicted with the beliefs of the Christian church, the Ethiopian Church banned the secular consumption of coffee until the reign of Emperor Menelik II. The beverage was also banned in Ottoman Turkey during the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.

Stamp: Friends Together
Theme: Valentine's Day
Issued on: 2015-01-19

Thank You Varpu!

Bulgaria : Noctua tertia

Noctua tertia is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found in the Balkans (Greece and Bulgaria), Turkey and Iran. It has recently been recorded from forests in Upper Galilee (Nahal Keziv, Mount Meron) in Israel.

Adults are on wing in August. There is one generation per year.

Stamp: Noctua tertia
Series: Night butterflies
Issued on: 2004-01-15

Thank You Hristo!

France: Charlemagne - King of the Franks

 

Charlemagne (English: Charles the Great) was born on April 2, 742 in Northern Europe. Charles was the eldest son of Pippin III and Bertrada of Laon. ‘By the sword and the cross,’ Charlemagne became master of Western Europe.

In 768, when Charlemagne was 26, he and his younger brother Carloman inherited the kingdom of the Franks. In 771 Carloman died, and Charlemagne became sole ruler of the kingdom. At that time the Franks were falling back into barbarian ways, neglecting their education and religion. The Saxons of northern Europe were still pagans. In the south, the Roman Catholic church was asserting its power to recover land confiscated by the Lombard kingdom of Italy. Europe was in turmoil.

Charlemagne was determined to strengthen his realm and to bring order to Europe. In 772 he launched a 30-year military campaign to accomplish this objective. By 800 Charlemagne was the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. His vast realm encompassed what are now France, Switzerland, Belgium, and The Netherlands. It included half of present-day Italy and Germany, and parts of Austria and Spain. By establishing a central government over Western Europe, Charlemagne restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire and paved the way for the development of modern Europe.

Stamp: Charlemagne King of the Franks - Noyon 768
Series: The great moments of the history of France: Charlemagne
Issued on: 2015-04-10


Thank You very much Axel!

Milky Way Lines: Midnight Zephyr

Milky Way Lines: Midnight Zephyr by Steve Thomas

Stamps on postcard:

Stamp: Hummingbird (coil)
Issued on: 2014-02-07

Stamp: Barnum & Bailey with tiger
Series: Vintage Circus Posters
Issued on: 2014-05-05

Stamp: Water Lily
Series: Water Lillies
Issued on: 2015-03-20

Thank You Sarah!

Star Trek & Star Wars cover

I have received very nice cover from USA with bunch of awesome SF postcards!

Captain Kirk from original Star Trek show

Star Trek TOS, episode #19 - Arena, Stardate: 3045.6

Star Trek TOS, episode #16, Stardate: 3012.4

Star Wars: Jabba The Hutt #4, Dark Horse Comic, 1996

Star Wars Manga: Return of the Jedi #3, Dark Horse Comic, 1999

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #1, Dark Horse Comic, 1996

Star Wars #18, Marvel Comics, 1978

Star Wars: Jedi #5, Dark Horse Comic, 2004

 Star Wars: Tales #6, Dark Horse Comic, 2000

And here are some nice stamps for my collection

Stamps:  From Me to You
Issued on: 2015-04-01

And a lot of nice stamps on cover :)

Thank You very much Charlotte!