The series of postage stamps "Hetmans", known as the Kirovohrad issue of 1995, is one of the most valuable and rare sets in the history of Ukrainian philately. Issued during the difficult period of formation of independent Ukraine, these stamps became a true symbol of national pride and historical memory.

Release history

In the early 1990s, when the country was going through transformational processes, philately, like many other industries, relied on the initiative of individual enthusiasts. Due to the lack of official stamps, the so-called provisional ones - stamps issued by local postal offices - became widely distributed. One such example was the Kirovohrad issue of the "Hetmans" series.

The issue was initiated by the Kirovohrad post office (now Kropyvnytskyi), which attracted sponsors from Europe to finance development and printing. Sketches of the stamps were created by the famous illustrator Volodymyr Kiryanov. It was planned to print a large series of 16 stamps, each of which depicted one of the prominent Ukrainian hetmans.

The stamps were printed in two versions. With applied denomination and without denomination.

Description of stamps

The series includes the following brands:

Bogdan Khmelnitsky

Daniel the Apostle

Demyan Mnogogrishnyi

Ivan Bryukhovetskyi

Ivan Vyhovskyi

Ivan Mazepa

Ivan Samoilovych

Ivan Skoropadskyi

Kyrylo Razumovsky

Mykhailo Doroshenko

Mykhailo Khanenko

Pavlo Polubotok

Pavlo Teterya

Petro Doroshenko

Petro Sahaidachnyi

Yury Khmelnytskyi

The stamps were printed at the Kyiv Polygraphic Plant "Ukraine" using offset multi-color printing. During printing, fluorescent ink was used, which is visible only in ultraviolet rays, which makes these stamps even more unique.

Value for collectors

The Hetman series is extremely valuable to collectors due to its rarity and historical significance. It is known that part of the circulation was destroyed due to financial and legal difficulties, and the other part ended up in private collections. Stamps with perforations are extremely rare, and stamps without perforations are even rarer. According to unconfirmed reports, only a few sheets of stamps without perforations were printed.

The 1995 "Hetmany" series of postage stamps is a real treasure for collectors. Its rarity, uniqueness and historical significance make these stamps one of the most valuable assets of Ukrainian philately. They not only reflect the rich historical heritage of Ukraine, but also symbolize the first steps of the new state on the way to independence.

The issue of stamps was quite professionally prepared. In addition to stamps, thematic envelopes and special redemption stamps were prepared for philatelists.