Scythians postal block in a souvenir booklet

Philately is not just a collection of postal payment marks. Stamp editions are closely intertwined with the past, interesting facts and significant events for the country and society. Whole epochs and historical periods are recreated through a small miniature.

Ancient epochs on Ukrainian stamps

The ancient history of Ukraine is depicted on stamps not for the first time. The "Scythian Gold" series, issued in 1999, was the first to recall the cultural era of the people who lived between Danube and Don. The release included a clutch of 4 stamps, which depicted the discovered jewelry and elements of everyday life: a pectoral, an overlay to a gorith, a calf, a boar. 100 thousand copies of the stamps were sold.

The next mention was Scythian warriors on 4 stamps of the 2002 coupling "History of the Ukrainian army", which were issued in 200 thousand copies. This series was continued until 2004 with annual issues of warriors of different eras of the history of Ukrainian lands.

The Scythian pectoral was depicted again on the 2013 issue of the postal block, with the image of the entire jewelry on 4 stamps. This was the first postal block issue presented in a souvenir booklet.

The next rather large issue was the "Cultural Epochs of Ukraine", which was launched in 2017. Over the next 3 years, with a circulation of no more than 40 thousand copies, the following epochs were covered: the Paleolithic and Trypillia epochs, the Cimmerians, the Scythians. In 2022, the last postal block "Sarmatians" was published.

Postal block "Cultural epochs of Ukraine. Scythians"

Twin brothers Serhii and Oleksandr Haruks have been working on the series "Cultural Epochs of Ukraine" from the very beginning. In general, the artists have developed quite a lot of different sketches for Ukrainian postage stamps. The purpose of the issue is a visual reproduction of life and everyday life, craft activities of the peoples of ancient Ukraine.

·         Date of putting into circulation: 11.09.2020

·         Circulation of the block - 20 thousand copies

·         Circulation of the booklet - 3 thousand copies

·         Block format - 114x105 mm

·         Stamp format - 30.7x50 mm

·         Number of stamps per sheet - 2 pcs.

·         Face value - 9.00 UAH and 27 UAH

·         Authors - Serhiy Haruk, Oleksandr Haruk

Special feature of the issue is a souvenir booklet, issued in a small edition. It is also stylized as a postal block and is an appropriate addition to it. The purchase of the set will be a good gift for philatelic collectors and connoisseurs of history and culture of Ukraine.

The presentation and special cancellation of stamps took place in Kharkiv at the XVIII National Philatelic Exhibition "Ukrfilex-2020". Within the framework of the exhibition, 400 copies of the block from the total circulation are presented unperforated and numbered for participants and activists of the philatelic movement of Ukraine.

Description of the postal block in the souvenir booklet

The postal block has an expressive artistic design, similar to the previous series. The block includes two stamps, which are located in the center of the block on the left and right sides. The lower part of the block has a stylized inscription "Scythians" and the name of the series "Cultural Epochs of Ukraine". They are executed with foil stamping. Under the title there is brief information about the time period of the Scythian period. The left and right sides, as well as the top of the inscription depict the attributes of everyday life made of gold found by archaeologists. The calf on the top was already depicted on the 1999 stamp of the "Scythian Gold" series.

The central and upper part of the block contains two archers standing side by side. Each of them holds a weapon in a combat position with a stretched bowstring. Depicted to the viewer in profile, each of them aims in the opposite direction to each other. At the top left of the block there is the logo " Ukrfilex-2020".

The stamps located in the block also seem to be mirrored. Both are presented in a vertical orientation. The upper part of the stamps is made in sand color, it contains the inscription in white "Scythians" and the name of the series. Along with this, there is a coat of arms, the inscription "Ukraine" in Ukrainian and English, as well as the year.

As for the main part of the stamp, the sketch is made in black and white. At the edge there is a vertical inscription with the name of the stamp. At the bottom there is the denomination of the stamp in national currency. Both stamps depict a battle:

·         left stamp "Battle of the Scythians with the Macedonian army. 39 BC", with a face value of 9.00 UAH;

·         on the right stamp "Battle of the Scythians against the army of Zopyrion - the commander of O. Macedonian. 331 BC", with a face value of 27.00 UAH.

 The souvenir booklet is made in the style of the block. But it is distinguished by a brighter design with the red and gold colors. The booklet contains the name "Scythians" in two languages in a stylized font. Among the attributes used there are elements of Scythian jewelry made of gold.