Belgium 2023

Belgium

Date of Issue: 12th June 2023

one stamp (Europe 1st class value)

This stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 5 stamps

Ukraine 2022

Ukraine

Date of Issue: 22nd November 2022

two stamps (2x A value = 1.- USD)

 both stamps are issued in a mini sheet of 6 stamps

 

Svarog – God is the creator of the Universe - Svarog is a Slavic god of fire and blacksmithing, who was once interpreted as a sky god on the basis of an etymology rejected by modern scholarship. He is mentioned in only one source, the Primary Chronicle, which is problematic in interpretation. He is presented there as the Slavic equivalent of the Greek god Hephaestus. The meaning of his name is associated with fire. Source Wikipedia

Lada – Goddess of motherhood - Lada was first mentioned around 1405-1412 in the sermons of Lucas of Wielki Koźmin, which warned against worshipping Lada and other gods during spring ceremonies and folk performances. They owe their popularity to Długosz, who in one of his sources recognized Lada as a goddess and in another as a god of war, the Polish equivalent of the Roman god Mars, to Aleksandr Faminstyn, who recognized the word Lada in Russian songs as the goddess of marriage, and to scholar Boris Rybakov, who insisted on recognizing her historicity. However, the vast majority of religious scholars and Slavists reject the historicity of these deities, believing that they owe their divine status to a misunderstanding of the song refrains by medieval scribes. Source Wikipedia

 

Åland 2023

Åland

Date of Issue: 9th May 2023

two stamps (2x Europa value = 2x 2.40 €)

Italy 2022

Italy

Date of Issue: 25th October 2022

two stamps (B50g & B zona 3 values = 2.70 & 3.10 €) - NOTE both stamps are self-adhesive

 

Colapesce - Colapesce holding up one of the three columns on which Sicily rests, consumed by the fire of Mount Etna, to prevent the island from sinking.

In a version from Palermo, edited by Italo Calvino, Colapesce spends all of his time swimming, until his frustrated mother curses him to turn into a fish. He instantly becomes half fish, with duck feet and a frog's throat. He appears to fishermen and warns them of upcoming storms, and also informs them of the marvels found at the bottom of the sea. A king hears of him and summons him, then gives him orders to swim around the island and explore the bottom of the ocean. The king sends him down on numerous dives around Italy. Nick Fish discovers that Messina rests on three columns, some of which are broken, and brings back hot and fresh water from springs in the ocean around Naples. Finally the king urges Nick Fish to explore a bottomless ocean chasm, despite his resistance. He throws his crown into the chasm and orders him to fetch it. Nick Fish reluctantly dives in. Some lentils he was carrying float to the surface, but he but never returns. Source Wikipedia

Romeo and Juliet - Grieving Juliet in the presence of lifeless Romeo.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about two young Italian star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately reconcile their feuding families.
The play is set in the Italian city of Verona.

Finland 2023

Finland

Date of Issue: 9th May 2023

one stamp (national value = 2.30 €) - NOTE this tamp is self-adhesive

this stamp is issued in a mini-sheet of 10 stamp 

 

Europa 2023 - Common design competition

Europe


PostEurop announced during their General Assembly in Dublin on 5 October 2022 the common design who will be used on all 2023 Europa stamps on the theme 

“PEACE – the highest value of humanity”

29 entries were submitted for the design competition, 44 postal companies participating in the voting. 

The winning motif is the one submitted by Luxembourg : “The New Peace Symbol”.

Designers : Linda Bos and Runa Egilsdottir from A Designers' Collective.

PostEurop writes in their press release this about the story of the design: 

The world needs a new Peace symbol, uniting all nations. Cultural differences perchance a barrier for a state of Peace. If only mankind could respect each other's differences by understanding their significance and responding to them with consideration, the world would be a better place. This design shows a visual metaphor for a peacefully integrated, cooperative society in which people embrace each other’s culture. It was inspired by the Celtic Love Knot symbol, with interlocking hearts. The colour palette illustrates all the nations in the world. By adding hands with intertwined fingers, it conveys the message of mutual respect.

I find this logo not very original. You can see a quite similar design already used on the UPU 2016 World Post Day campaign. The design was made by Swiss designers Büro Sequenz. The meaning of this one was explained like this :

The emblem's design represents the two remaining pillars, integration and inclusion. The crisscrossed arms and layered colours act to show the integration of knowledge and processes, enabling seamless and affordable services for all. The intertwined design was inspired by the Celtic knot, which itself has Persian roots. Finally, the clasped hands represent how the Post connects and includes people around the world.

 

On this date, we know only one design proposed by another country in this selection. The design of Ukraine, more about in this post.

Best Europa stamp 2022

Luxembourg

The 2022 Best Europa stamp has been announced by PostEurop in this press release.

Luxembourg (stamp 2/2) is the winner of the 2022 Best Europa stamp contest organized by PostEurop. Finland (stamp 1/2) finished second and Liechtenstein (stamp 2/2) is third.

1. LUXEMBOURG
2. FINLAND
3. LIECHTENSTEIN

As written earlier on this blog, PostEurop changed the rules for this contest. 3 voting panels (public, jury and operators) are selecting the best Europa stamp. The results of these three panels are compiled and gives an overall winner.

Luxembourg wins the overall contest in a deserved way by winning 2 of the 3 voting panels :

Public voting :

1. Finland
2. Georgia
3. Turkey

Jury voting :

1. Luxembourg
2. Liechtenstein
3. Switzerland

Postal operators voting :

1. Luxembourg
2. Finland
3. Åland

Consolidated result of all three panels - top 10 :

1. Luxembourg
2. Finland
3. Liechtenstein
4. Croatia
= Georgia
= Åland
7. Azerbaijan
= Germany
9. Switzerland
= Turkey

Note that Belarus and Russia were excluded of this contest due to their aggression of Ukraine.
Armenia withdrew for "technical" reasons.