Vladimir Lenin on a Soviet definitive stamp of 1961. Designed by Pyotr Vasilyev

Definitive stamps of the Soviet Union were the regular postage stamp issues produced in the USSR between 1923 and 1992.

First definitive issue

The inaugural release of the Soviet Union definitive stamps took place in October 1923, commonly referred to as the Gold Standard issue. These stamps prominently featured the busts of a worker, a Red Army man, and a peasant. Over the course of the years 1923 to 1926, the worker and soldier designs appeared on thirteen different stamps each, while the peasant design was featured on ten stamps.[1]

Other notable issues

In 1929, the Soviet Union released its third set of definitive stamps. This series featured updated images depicting male and female workers, male and female collective-farm workers, and a Red Army soldier. These designs reflected the significant societal transformations brought about by industrialization, collectivization, and the advancement of women's rights in the Soviet Union. Notably, the inclusion of the female worker and female collective-farm worker alongside their male counterparts marked the first appearance of women on Soviet stamps.[1]

With the progress of the socialistic economic programs, the representation of the major groups of Soviet society changed, moving from the more generic image of the earlier period. The worker was shown in the fifth issue of March 1939 as a steel foundryman and in the sixth issue of August 1939 as a miner.[1]

The last definitive series that begun in the Stalin period was the eighth issue (May 1948 to July 1957). It was remarkable by the fact that the scientist was for the first time portrayed on Soviet definitive stamps. In 1958, the engineer design appeared meaning that representatives of other Soviet labouring groups were also depicted on stamps. In 1961, a definitive stamp with the combine worker appeared.[1]

Summary of all issues

This table represents an outline of the overall USSR definitive issues produced in the Soviet and post-Soviet times (1923 – 1992).

Issue No. Dates CPA Catalogue No. Stamp
example
11 October 1923 – January 1928 99–194
251–270
275–280
2
 October 1927 – October 1928 281–295
3
 August 1929 – January 1941 314–346
4
 1936–1953 556–559
5
 March – August 1939 667–669
6
 August 1939 – December 1956 693–701
7
 22 May 1948 – September 1954 1247–1255
8
 16 October 1948 – 1959 1379–1388
18 August 1958 – March 1960 2217–2223
10
 1 January 1961 – August 1966 2510–2520
11
 25 October 1966 – April 1969 3414–3437
12
 10 August – 17 December 1976
8 September – November 1977
4 August 1978		 4599–4610
4733–4744
4853–4867
13
 1 December 1980
25 April 1982
12 December 1982
28 December 1982
20 May 1983
15 May 1984
5 September 1984
20 January 1986
25 June 1991
22 August 1991
19 November 1991
20 April 1992		 5136
5287
5340
5357
5392
5510
5548–5551
5699
6332
5549А
6375
5549.I
14
 22 December 1988
25 December 1989
13 March – 25 June 1991		 6013–6024
6145–6156
6298–6301

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Stamps of the 9th issue were in use till 1 April 1961.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Grant, J. (July 1995). "The socialist construction of philately in the early Soviet era". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 37 (3): 476–493. doi:10.1017/S0010417500019770. ISSN 0010-4175. JSTOR 179216.
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