FOCUS ON PHILATELY: Recent stamps recall Ukraine's Kozak heritage (09/12/99)

FOCUS ON PHILATELY

by Ingert Kuzych

Recent stamps recall Ukraine's Kozak heritage

Since Ukraine began once more to issue stamps, a popular new collecting topic has emerged for philatelists - that of Kozakdom (Kozatstvo). Under the Soviet postal system, few stamps depicted Kozak themes, but the situation has changed markedly since independence. This month's article will survey Ukraine's Kozak-related output of the past seven years; next month's will deal with the earlier Soviet-era releases.

Appropriately enough, when Ukraine established its own postal system in early 1992 (independent of what was left of the old Soviet system) its very first stamp honored the 500th anniversary of Kozakdom. This colorful issue was the first of exactly a dozen releases that appeared through 1998 depicting the Kozaks. Most of these stamps commemorate specific hetmans (Kozak leaders), but some show Kozaks in general. This article will highlight all these issues (listed in chronological order according to release dates), several of which have won the Narbut Prize for best-designed stamp.

Figure 1. 500th Anniversary of Kozakdom (March 1992). The design depicts three figures in front of the traditional Kozak emblem-seal. The central figure is based on a portrait of Hetman Dmytro Vyshnevetsky-Baida (died 1563), founder of the Zaporozhian Sich. He is flanked by a Kozak carrying a "bunchuk" (a horsetail emblem of authority) and another playing the kobza (forerunner to today's national Ukrainian instrument, the bandura).

Figure 2. 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Artist Ilya Repin (December 1994). In the left foreground, in front of a portrait of the artist, is a study painting of a figure leaning on a cannon. The work is titled "Hetman."

Figure 3. Ivan Kotliarevsky (July 1995). During 1995 a new stamp series was launched honoring luminaries of Ukrainian literature. Included was the "Father of Modern Ukrainian Literature," Ivan Kotliarevsky, whose comic opus "Eneida" parodies the famous "Aeneid" by Virgil. In the Ukrainian version the wandering Trojans of the original become itinerant Kozaks, some of whom are depicted on the stamp.

Figure 4. Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny (July 1995). Another stamp series began just a few weeks after the one mentioned above, this one, however, was dedicated to the Hetmans of Ukraine. In all, three stamps of the series would appear in 1995, each of the colorful issues in this series (which is ongoing) have been designed by the renowned Ukrainian artist Yuriy Lohvyn. In addition to portraits of the hetmans, the stamps show their coats of arms and scenes associated with them. For Konashevych-Sahaidachny (1570-1622), the view presented is of the Kozak storming of Kaffa (present-day Feodosia) in Crimea.

Figure 5. Bohdan Khmelnytsky (September 1995). Released several months later, the next stamp in the series showed the Kozak leader who managed to free Ukraine from foreign occupation (at least for a little while) and establish the hetman state. Shown on the left is St. Elias Church in Subotiv, final resting place of Khmelnytsky (1596-1657); the right shows a battle scene meant to symbolize the struggle for liberation.

Figure 6. Ivan Mazepa (December 1995). A great patron of the arts who did much to revive Ukrainian culture during his tenure, Mazepa (1639-1709) is flanked by a view of St. Michael's Church in Kyiv, whose construction he sponsored.

The three hetmans of Ukraine stamps won the Narbut Prize for best stamp designs of 1995.

Figure 7. Dmytro Vyshnevetsky-Baida (September 1997). The hetman series did not start up again until 1997, when two new stamps were issued. One of these showed Vyshnevetsky, who had already appeared on Ukraine's first stamp of 1992 (see No. 1 above). Shown to the left of the portrait is the first wooden Zaporozhian Kozak fortress (completed circa 1552) on the island of Mala Khortytsia in the Dnipro River. Kozak boats (chaiky) sail in front of the structure. On the right is Vyshnevytsky's cruel execution by the Turks in Istanbul.

Figure 8. Pylyp Orlyk (September 1997). After Ivan Mazepa's ill-fated attempt to free Ukraine from the Russian Empire (the loss at the Battle of Poltava) and his death shortly afterwards, he was succeeded by his close aide, Pylyp Orlyk (1672-1742). In exile, Orlyk drafted Ukraine's first constitution and sought to create an anti-Russian coalition in his many travels to various European countries. Shown on the left and right, respectively, are 18th century scenes of Stockholm and Salonika (Greece), cities where Orlyk lived and wrote. He is shown in discussions with officials in front of the St. Demetrius Cathedral in the Greek city.

Figure 9. Ukrainian Coins, Past and Present, a special souvenir sheet issued for the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (held in Kyiv in May 1998). The lower left segment shows a coin from 1996 depicting the famous Bohdan Khmelnytsky statue in Kyiv (erected in 1888).

Interestingly, three of the 12 other coins on the left and right undenominated sheet margins also contain Kozaks in their design. The second coin from the top on the left commemorates Severyn Nalyvaiko (circa 1560-1597), the hetman who led a Kozak and peasant uprising against the Poles in the late 16th century. The fourth coin down on the left shows the popular Kozak Mamai figure, while the second coin from the top on the right again presents the Bohdan Khmelnytsky statue, but his time much reduced as part of a Kyiv montage.

The 10th stamp in this survey (Figure D on the next page) is 350 Years Since the Outbreak of the Ukrainian Liberation Struggle Under the Leadership of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (July 1998). Khmelnytsky appeared once again on another six-segment souvenir sheet. Surrounding a central portrait of the Hetman are what might be termed inner and outer framing elements. The former (in a lighter ochre color) consist of various dramatic battle scenes between Kozaks and Polish soldiers; the latter (in dark green) show articles of Kozak paraphernalia: a bunchuk, spears, bow and quiver with arrows on the left; and swords, pistols and a hetman's mace (bulava) on the right.

This souvenir sheet has been awarded the 1999 Narbut Prize in balloting for Ukraine's best philatelic release of last year. (See related article on adjoining page).

Figure 11. Petro Doroshenko (1627-1698). The sixth stamp of the hetman series came out last November. Doroshenko originally served as an officer under Khmelnytsky; he strove valiantly, but ultimately unsuccessfully, to reunite the hetman state on both sides of the Dnipro River. The left panel shows a scene from the relief of Chyhyryn, where Doroshenko was beseiged; the right panel depicts a grieving and disillusioned Kozak at Volokolamsk, Russia, where Doroshenko was exiled.

Figure 12. Christmas (December 1998). This final stamp in our survey shows carolers dressed as Kozaks preceded by an angel.

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Ukraine has gotten off to a good start in honoring its Kozak tradition. It's certain many more appropriate philatelic issues dealing with this unique aspect of Ukraine's past will be forthcoming in the not-too-distant future.

Dr. Ingert Kuzych may be contacted at: P.O. Box 3, Springfield, VA, 22150; or by e-mail, [email protected]

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