Albania: Butrinti

This is my first postcard from Albania! Buthrotum (Albanian: Butrinti) was an ancient Greek and later Roman city and bishopric in Epirus. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Buthrotum was a city of the Greek tribe of the Chaonians, later a Roman colony and a bishopric. It entered into decline in Late Antiquity, before being abandoned during the Middle Ages after a major earthquake flooded most of the city. In modern times it is an archeological site in Vlorë County, Albania, some 14 kilometres south of Sarandë and close to the Greek border. It is located on a hill overlooking the Vivari Channel and is part of the Butrint National Park. Butrint is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Stamps:
UEFA European Football Championship 2016 - France, issued on 10.06.2016.
Albanian Flora: Campanula comosiformis, issued on 27.07.2016.


Thank you Indrit!

Poland: Kościuszko Mound in Kraków

Kościuszko Mound in Kraków, Poland, erected by Cracovians in commemoration of the Polish national leader Tadeusz Kościuszko, is an artificial mound modeled after Kraków's prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. A serpentine path leads to the top, approx. 326 metres above sea level, with a panoramic view of the Vistula River and the city. It was completed in November 1823.

A lot of nice stamps:

Polish Alphabet, issued on 07.11.2006.
Polish Cities - Sieradz , issued on 29.07.2005.
Economy stamp, issued on 08.03.2013.
Sunflower, issued on 26.06.2015.
Cornflower, issued in 2015.


Thank you Natalia!

Two postcards from Russia

I have received two cute postcards from Russia. First one is from famous series Owls by Inga Paltser.

This stamp with very nice and clean postmark is Tourism - Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort, issued on 26.05.2016.

Second postcard is illustration by Nadezhda Balandina.

Stamp is again Tourism - Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort, issued on 26.05.2016.


Thank you Katya!

Cover from Ukraine

I have received another nice cover from Ukraine. Stamps used on cover:
Chinese New Year 2017 - Year of the Rooster, issued on 11.11.2016.
EUROPA Stamps - Musical Instruments (from set of two), issued on 25.07.2014.
Comics - Еney was a Motor Guy..., issued on 02.04.2016.
Definitive stamp Robinia pseudoacacia - Acacia, 2016. edition

 Inside was this postcard from famous blue cat collection, ans some used stamps for my collection.

Thank you Lis!

Georgia: Mamadaviti Church

This 7th century holy place is one of the holiest sights in a country full of holiest sights and is also the source of the mountain's name - Mtatsminda, which means "Holy Mountain". This was considered the Mt. Athos of Georgia, though it has suffered from invasion after invasion. The current church dates to the 19th century. The terrace around the Mamadaviti church has officially been announced as a pantheon of writers and public figures since 1929.

A lot of nice stamps:
Treasures of National Museums, issued on 11.10.1993.
Ancient Art: Apostle Simon issued on 11.10.1993.
Europa (C.E.P.T.) 2012 - Visit Georgia, issued on 15.04.2013.


Thank you  Khatuna!

Ukraine: Oriental Lunar Calendar

Fantastic set Oriental Lunar Calendar on two beautiful mini sheets from Ukraine.
The origin of the eastern horoscope tells the ancient legend. Buddha invited to celebrate the New Year all animals, but only 12 responded to the invitation: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. And then Buddha decided to reward the animals, giving each of them a year.

Date of issue is 25.12.2013, print run 105 000. Design by Іван Кравець.

I have received  mini sheets inside this cover with four different stamps:

Solanum lycopersicum L. and Solanum melongena L. (from set Vegetables) issued on 27.09.2016.
European Rowan - Sorbus aucuparia (from set Eighth Definitive Issue) issued on 03.02.2012.
White maple (from set Eighth Definitive Issue) issued on 25.07.2012.

Thank you Sergey!

Russia: FDC Artek International Children Center in Crimea

Artek is an international children center on the Black Sea in the town of Hurzuf located on the Crimean peninsula, near Ayu-Dag. It was established on June 16, 1925. Artek was considered to be a privilege for Soviet children during its existence, as well as for children from other communist countries. During its heyday, 27,000 children a year vacationed at Artek. Between 1925 and 1969 the camp hosted 300,000 children including more than 13,000 children from 70 foreign countries. After the breaking up of the Young Pioneers in 1991 its prestige declined, though it remained a popular vacation destination. This FDC is issued on 16.06.2015.

There is one more embossed stamp, Defense of the Brest Fortress - Joint Issue with Belarus, issued on 22.06.2016.

Inside was two nice postcards from series Weapon of victory. Sevastopol was the first ship completed of the Gangut-class battleships of the Imperial Russian Navy, built before World War I. . Her role was to defend the mouth of the Gulf of Finland against the Germans, who never tried to enter, so she spent her time training and providing cover for minelaying operations.

She was comprehensively reconstructed in two stages during the 1930s that replaced her boilers, upgraded her guns, augmented her anti-aircraft armament, modernized her fire-control systems and gave her anti-torpedo bulges. During World War II she provided gunfire support during the Siege of Sevastopol and related operations until she was withdrawn from combat in April 1942 when the risk from German aerial attack became too great. She was retained on active duty after the war until she became a training ship in 1954. She was broken up in 1956–57.

The Polikarpov I-153 Chaika (Seagull) was a late 1930s Soviet biplane fighter. Developed as an advanced version of the I-15 with a retractable undercarriage, the I-153 fought in the Soviet-Japanese combats in Mongolia and was one of the Soviets' major fighter types in the early years of the Second World War. Several I-153s are still flying.


Thank you very much Victoria!

Christmas postcard from Finland

Another Christmas postcard, but this time from Finland.

Beautiful stamps:

Birch, issued on 24.01.2011.
Christmas - Run My Reindeer, issued on 10.11.2016.


Thank you very much Nina!

Christmas postcard from Germany

Another fine Christmas postcard in collection :)

Stamp is Daffodil, issued on 02.01.2006.

Thank you Julka!

Serbia: Chinese Year of the Rooster

This will be first Serbian stamps in this year -  Chinese Year of the Rooster!

Both stamps will be issued on separate sheets of 25 stamps.

Of course, there will be nice FDC as always.

Date of issue is 27.01.2017.

Christmas postcard from Russia

I have received very nice Christmas postcard from Russia, designed by famous Vladimir Zarubin!

Stamps are definitives: Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) and Moose (Alces alces), issued on 29.08.2008.


Thank you Semen!

Cover and postcard from Ukraine

I have received cover from Ukraine with a lot of nice stamps.

Gymnocalycium anisitsii (from set Cactuses), issued on 15.08.2014.
Jewish tailor (from set National minorities: Jews), issued on 27.08.2016.
Pmg-3 (1948) (from set Fire vehicles), issued on 12.10.2016.
Magirus (1921) (from set Fire vehicles), issued on 12.10.2016.
Moskvich-400, 1953 (from set EUROPA - Postal Vehicles ), issued on 29.05.2013.

Inside was this postcard from series Autosmile, by Viktor Zinchenko. You can see cargo trolleybus, with huge Kyiv cake at the back, very nice!


Thank you Marina!

Belarus: Niasvizh Castle

Niasvizh Castle is a residential castle of the Radziwiłł family in Nesvizh, Belarus. The estate was owned by the Radziwiłł magnate family from 1533. In 1706, during the Great Northern War, Charles XII's army sacked the castle and destroyed its fortifications.  Several decades later, the Radziwiłłs invited some German and Italian architects to substantially renovate and enlarge the castle.In 1772, following the third and last partition of Poland, the castle was seized by Russian forces and the Radziwiłł family was expelled. Abandoned both by the original owners and by the Russian army, the palace gradually fell into disrepair. However, it was restored by the Radziwiłłs and between 1881 and 1886 the castle's interiors were renovated by Prince Antoni Radziwiłł and his French wife, Marie de Castellane. After the Polish–Bolshevik War of 1920 the surrounding area and the castle complex became part of the newly established Second Polish Republic.During the invasion of Poland in 1939, the Radziwiłł family was expelled from the castle by the Red Army. In Soviet times, the castle was used a sanatorium, while the park gradually fell into neglect. In 2005 the castle complex was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Stamp is Snow White and Rose Red, from set Belarusian animated cartoons, issued on 01.11.2013.


Thank you Veronika!

Cover from Russia

I have received cover from Russia. Stamp on cover is The 500th Anniversary of the Nizhny Novgorod Stone Kremlin, issued on 09.09.2015.

Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is a unique military and engineering installation of the beginning of the 16th century. Built in 1515, it was considered one of the most complete constructions of Russian military architecture. Nowadays Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin is a historical and cultural center of Nizhny Novgorod. It houses the Plenipotentiary of the President in the Volga Federal District, regional and city administrations, Art Museum and a Modern Art Center. Since 1958 the Kremlin has been a part of Nizhny Novgorod Historical and Architectural Museum Preserve.

Inside cover was this Christmas postcard and four CTO stamps Soviet Union.

Two stamps from set The 60th Anniversary of USSR, issued on 25.10.1982.
The 71st Anniversary of October Revolution, issued on 05.10.1988.   
International Year of the Child, issued on 07.09.1979.


Thank you Nadezhda!

Registered cover from Serbia

This is registered cover from Serbia with newest Serbian stamp – 150th Anniversary of the birth of Dr Vojislav M.Subotić, issued on 09.12.2016. Dr Subotić was founder of forensic psychiatry in Serbia, and he was president of Serbian Medical Society (building of Serbian Medical Society is in the background of this stamp). Designer of this stamp was Anamari Banjac, print run is 25.000.

Cover from Thailand

I've received nice cover from Thailand with many beautiful stamps. All stamps on this cover are designed in different style, but they are all likeable. Used stamps for this cover are:

The 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with China (complete set), issued on 01.07.2005.
Lunar Year - Year of the Horse, issued on 01.01.2014.
Definitives - Flag of Thailand (from set of two), issued on 12.09.2013.
Lunar Year - Year of the Monkey, issued on 01.01.2016.


Thank you very much Josef!

Weapons of Victory: The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)

I've received another postcard from Weapons of Victory series of postcards, maxi cards, FDC's and stamps. This is ZiS-3, the 76-mm divisional gun M1942. This was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ZiS was a factory designation and stood for Zavod imeni Stalina ("factory named after Stalin"), the honorific title of Artillery Factory No. 92, which first constructed this gun.

Soviet soldiers liked the ZiS-3 for its extreme reliability, durability, and accuracy. The gun was easy to maintain and use by novice crews. The light carriage allowed the ZiS-3 to be towed by trucks, heavy jeeps or even hauled by the crew.

ZiS-3 had good anti-armour capabilities. Its armour-piercing round could knock out any German light and medium tank. The frontal armour of later tanks, like the Tiger I and later the Panther, were immune to the ZiS-3.

 

Stamps:

Astrakhan Kremlin, issued on 01.10.2009.
200 years of Tarkhankut lighthouse, issued on 29.06.2016.

Thank you Irina!