Ukraine’s Wartime Stamps Incorporate Humor, Patriotism, and Profanity

Postage stamps rarely feature rude gestures, yet Ukraine’s most recognized stamp includes one. It depicts a soldier making a middle-finger gesture towards a Russian warship, referencing a confrontation at Snake Island that occurred on the initial day of the full-scale invasion nearly three years ago. During this incident, the Russians demanded surrender, which the Ukrainians rejected with unprintable language. The cruiser Moskva, the warship in question, was sunk by Ukrainian forces two days after the stamp’s release, and it sold out within a week of becoming available. Such was the stamp’s significance that any remaining copies were distributed to government delegations representing Ukraine on the world stage. Ihor Smilyansky, the head of Ukraine’s postal company Ukrposhta, acknowledged that this was a risqué step. He told the BBC, “It was my decision. I said – I don’t care whatever everyone else thinks. I just believe it’s the right thing to do.” He added, “I know it’s breaking all the philatelic [study of stamps] rules and all the rules. But we’re about breaking the rules.” Ukrposhta frequently tests its designs on the public, and the results of these online polls often reflect strong political sentiments. This process led to the creation of Ukraine’s best-selling stamp, which illustrates a Ukrainian tractor towing a captured Russian tank and features the popular wartime greeting: “Good evening, we’re from Ukraine.” Ukrposhta has sold approximately eight million of these stamps. Stamps depicting Patron, Ukraine’s famous mine-sniffing dog, generated about $500,000 (£400,000) for Ukrposhta. Of this sum, 80% was allocated to mine-clearing equipment, with the remainder supporting animal shelters. Additionally, a stamp featuring a mural by renowned graffiti artist Banksy on a building devastated by shelling outside Kyiv helped fund 10 bomb shelters. This particular stamp includes another popular, yet unprintable, Ukrainian slogan, this time directed against Vladimir Putin. Ihor Smilyansky states that a dose of humor is incorporated into Ukrposhta’s stamps to maintain Ukrainian morale during the war with Russia. He informed the BBC, “Humour has become a fighting force for Ukrainians in this war.” He continued, “Even in the most difficult circumstances you have to take it with a sense of humour. And that’s what our stamps are sometimes about.” Oscar Young from UK-based stamp dealers and auctioneers Stanley Gibbons noted that Ukraine’s approach to stamps, by focusing them on the war, is highly unusual. He conveyed to the BBC, “Generally stamps are artistic and polite, but to go out your way and be quite rude, placing profanity and being very gesturous on stamps – that is quite unique to these particular issues.” He attributes the stamp’s widespread fame and the significant stir it caused upon its release to the frank image used on the warship stamp. The distinctive character of Ukrainian stamps has garnered them popularity among collectors worldwide. Laura Bullivant from Gloucester, in the UK, believes that other stamps appear bland by comparison. She remarked, “I think they’re like the Ukrainian thought process, they’re just strong, and they’re just not bowing down to whatever’s coming into their country.” She added, “At a time of huge worry and awfulness, they are bringing something to the game that no other country could.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.