Series of Postage Stamps "Great Emigration – 30 Years" by the Underground Post of Ukraine, 1969

In 1969, the Underground Post of Ukraine released a stamp series to honor the 30th anniversary of the mass emigration of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homeland to escape the horrors of both Soviet and Nazi occupations. During those turbulent years, the Soviet Union seized most of Western Ukraine after invading Poland in September 1939, followed by Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union and Ukraine in 1941. Countless Ukrainians lost their homes, loved ones, and were left with no choice but to seek safety abroad.

This series includes two stamps with denominations of 60 and 70 shahs. Each stamp is distinguished by a unique color scheme:

• 60 shah stamp – light green with orange.
• 70 shah stamp – yellow-brown with bright green.

The design, inspired by the 1959 and 1960 releases, symbolizes the journey "from prison to freedom." At the forefront is a woman behind bars, representing the painful experience of repression, loss of freedom, and hope for a better future. Her image is a powerful reminder of the suffering and resilience of emigrants. To her left, a globe emphasizes the global scale of the Ukrainian diaspora, which, due to tragic circumstances, became a part of the world beyond Ukraine's borders. Above the globe, the Ukrainian coat of arms stands proudly, symbolizing the unbreakable spirit and cultural identity preserved even in exile.

The stamps bear the words "Underground Post of Ukraine," capturing the clandestine nature of this movement and the memory of underground support for Ukrainian emigrants. The date 1939 is noted, marking the year this emigration began—a year that opened a challenging new chapter in Ukrainian history