Steampunk insect: Aeshna juncea

Fantastic drawing of dragonfly Aeshna juncea in steampunk style by Maria Skorodumova. She used liner on cofee-toned paper. Aeshna juncea (The common hawker, moorland hawker or sedge darner) is one of the larger species of hawker dragonflies. It is native to Palearctic (from Ireland to Japan) and northern North America. The flight period is from June to early October.

Very nice Russian stamps:
The World Nature Heritage in Russia - West Caucasus (from set of four), issued on 22.09.2006.
Europa 2009. Astronomy, issued on 05.05.2009.
Fauna of Russia - Wild cats (from set of three): Amur leopard - Panthera pardus orientalis, issued on 07.11.2014.


Thank you very much Vlada!

Antonov An-2

The Antonov An-2 is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bureau since 1946.The An-2 is used as a light utility transport, parachute drop aircraft, agricultural work and many other tasks suited to this large slow-flying biplane. Its slow flight and good short field performance make it suited for short, unimproved fields, and some specialized variants have also been built for cold weather and other extreme environments.

Stamp is Wild Animals  (from set of five): Hare, issued on 10.12.2014.


Thank you Yana!

Croatia: Senj

Senj is an old town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains.

The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress which was completed in 1558. For a time this was the seat of the Uskoks, who were Christian refugees from Ottoman Bosnia resettled here to protect the Habsburg borderlands. The Republic of Venice accused the Uskoks of piracy and declared war on them which led to their expulsion following a truce in 1617.

Stamp is Croatian Ethnographic Heritage (from set of four): Posavina, issued on 15.03.2010.


Thank you Ivan!

Apolo XIII: Failure is not an option

What a beautiful postcard! I am big fan of space exploration :)

On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 lunar module launched into space on a routine mission; however, for the three astronauts on board, this mission would veer far from plan. While in flight, a explosion caused damage to the spacecraft and depleted the oxygen supply of the crew. Through the miraculous efforts of those at ground control and the strength and courage of the flight crew, all were safely returned to Earth. This bring them back alive attitude, as expressed in flight director Kranz's word to his staff, "Failure is not an option," is indicative spirit  of human achievement.

Stamp is Coastal Birds (from set of four): Frigatebird, issued on 01.06.2015.

Thank you Tina!

Turkey: Rumelian Castle, Troy and Pamukkale

This is postcard from Turkey with interesting mix in one picture.

Rumelian Castle is a fortress located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey, on a hill at the European side of the Bosphorus. It gives the name of the quarter around it. It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before his army's conquest of Constantinople.

Troy was a city situated in what is known from Classical sources as Asia Minor, now northwest Anatolia in modern Turkey, located south of the southwest end of the Dardanelles/Hellespont and northwest of Mount Ida at Hisarlık. It is the setting of the Trojan War described in the Greek Epic Cycle and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer.

Pamukkale is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.

Stamp is Definitive - Tapestries (from set of five), issued on 06.08.2015.


Thank you Katarina!

Cover from Czech Republic

I have received cover from Czech Republic with two maxicards.

First maxicard is from set of two stamps Historical vehicles 2016. This is Locomotive “Slovenská strela/Slovak arrow”, issued on 17.02.2016.

Slovenská strela is the name of an express train famous for its fast speed, first operated in July 1936 on the route between the Czech capital Prague and the Slovak capital Bratislava. It originally ran with unique mid-1930s motor units M 290.0 (Tatra 68), which cut the travel time by more than an hour as compared to the then fastest train pulled by a steam engine. The regular travel time of 4 hours and 18 minutes was not overcome until the 21st century. The motor units were so fast that they earned their nickname “Slovenská strela” (Slovak for “Slovak Arrow”).

This cute maxicard is Czech National Breeds of Dogs - Czech Spotted Dog, issued on 03.02.2016.

The Czech Spotted Dog (formerly Horák’s Laboratory Dog), commonly known as a spotted dog or “strakáč” in Czech, is a medium-sized breed of sociable dogs of Czech origin. The breed is not recognised by the World Canine Organization FCI. Although the dogs had nearly become extinct, careful breeding has been increasing their numbers.

Awesome stamps on cover! Bob and Bobek (from set of two), issued on 29.04.2015,  and Večerníček, issued on 18.02.2015.


Thank you very much Pavla!

Greta Garbo as Mata Hari

Espionage and contre espionage are dealt with effectively in "Mata Hari," a glamourous and romantic conception of the latter days of the life of the Dutch dancer and courtesan who was shot as a spy by the French in 1917. Commercially, Mata Hari was Garbo's most successful film and MGM's biggest hit of the year, netting a profit of nearly one million dollars.It was a sensation in the US, and overseas rentals, especially in Continental Europe, matched those in the US. These combined grosses amounted to $2,227,000 or $31,601,862, adjusted for inflation.

Stamps are Glücksburg Castle (built 1582-1587), issued on 02.01.2013.


Thank you Stefanie.

Netherlands: Heineken

Nice retro ad for Heineken. Heineken International is a Dutch brewing company, founded in 1864 by Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. As of 2015, Heineken owns over 165 breweries in more than 70 countries and employs approximately 76,000 people. Besides Heineken Lager Beer, it brews and sells more than 250 other international premium, regional, local and specialty beers.

This stamps are horrible! This is Business Stamp, Numeral 1, issued on 02.01.2014.


Thank you Romina.

Taiwan: Anping Fort - Fort Zeelandia

Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624 to 1634 by the Dutch East India Company, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa (present-day Taiwan), during their 38-year rule over the western part of that island. Although the site was previously named Orange City,  Anping City, and Taiwan City, the current name of the site in Chinese is Anping Fort.

This postcard from Taiwan sent me Taiwanese student from Moscow, and stamps are Russian Kremlins from 2009.


Thank you Chun-ya!

USA: Old Town Albuquerque

Old Town is a historic district in Albuquerque, New Mexico, dating back to the founding of the city by the Spanish in 1706. Today it is a popular shopping and tourist destination. Old Town comprises about ten blocks of historic adobe buildings grouped around a central plaza. Many of the buildings in Old Town are houses that have been converted into restaurants and small art and souvenir shops.

Stamps:
Quilled Paper Heart, issued on 12.01.2016.
Butterflies - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, issued on 01.06.2015.


Thank you Ruth!