Freedom!!

Hello!! Back to the Russian stamps.. The year is 1961...

NEW ENTRIES

1961 "22nd Communist Party Congress (1st issue)" (5) [Perf 12.5 x 12]  [Des (V. Zavyalov)(V. Pimenov)] Sc(2524) [Litho]

The congress of the Communist Party is always an excuse for making beautiful stamps... the mentors of the Revolution appear always in these stamps .. some days ago, I read an article ( don't know where...)  saying that Dr. Sun Yat Sen was the prominent figure that appears in a larger number of stamps... I really think that it is Vladimir Lenin.. although the Sun Yat Sen Series are larger ( or much larger.. ) , the Chinese President appears only in Chinese stamps ( and in a few others ... in a very small number..), but Lenin appears many times in several countries ( for many years..) , because of the direct influence of Soviet Union or because of the Communist Power in the beginning of the 70's... We see it in African , South and Central America and many times in Asia and East Europe stamps..

Did someone count them ?? No..!! Ok! this is a "Non Issue".. let's return to our stamps..

1961 "Scenes from Russian Fairy Tales" (5) [Perf 12.5]  [Des (E. Komarov 1k,4k) (R. Zhitkov 6k)] Sc(2468,2470,2471) [Litho]

If I were a Topic collector , this would be one of my favorite's... In these 3 stamps , 3 fairy tales are represented : 1) The Geese Swans 2) Koneck Gorbunek (The Little Humpbacked Horse) 3) The muzhik and the Bear

Beautiful stamps..

Personalities  stamps are sometimes seen as boring or repetitive.. I don't think so .. I have lot's of them ( in fact, the last large lot of stamps I bought in 2013 was full of Personalities stamps..) .. Stamps from Russia and Czechoslovakia are for me the high point of these stamps.. In the 40's and 50's Russian stamps were simply fantastic, with beautiful colorful frames surrounding no less beautiful paintings.. 

Here we have two good examples of Personalities stamps..

[Left] 1961 "125th Birth Anniv of N. Y. Sklifosovsky (surgeon)" (1) [Perf 11.5 x 12] [Des (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2454) [Photo]

[Right] 1961 "Birth Centenary of RabindranathTagore (Indian writer)" (1) [Perf 11.5 x 12] [Des (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2467) [Photo][Recess]

This is clearly a great and beautiful stamp.. it has a great printing work..

Here are two complete series , with the emphasis in Freedom and Equality ..

Africa breaking the chains and achieving equality (represented by the "shake of hands"..) , and the University that unites different races seeking a common Culture..

[Left] 1961 "Africa Freedom Day" (2) [Perf 12.5] [Des (I. Levin)] Sc(2460,2461) [Litho]

[Right] 1961 "Surcharge on «Friendship University 1960»" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des ( V. Pimenov)] Sc(2462) [Photo]

One of the Moscow University's  was named Friendship University in homage to Patrice Lumumba, first Prime Minister of Congo , in 1960.(it is written in the Center Red Overprint..)  ; surcharge of 4k over 40k.

A variety of this stamp exists because of one small difference in this Central Overprint..

We have now a group of 4 complete series...

1st) 1961 "150th Birth Anniv of Vissarion Grigorievich Belinsky (literary critic and journalist)" (1) [Perf 11.5 x 12] [Des (A. Zavyalov)] Sc(2493) [Photo][Recess] 

2nd) 1961 "Centenary of "Kalevipoeg" (Estonian Saga)" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] {Des (E. Okas)(A. Koemets)] Sc(2507) [Litho]

The figure represented is the Knight Kalevipoeg.

3rd) 1961 "Birth Centenary of N. D. Zelinsky (chemist)" (1) [Perf 12.5 x 12] [Des (A. Zavyalov)] Sc(2433) [Photo]

4th) 1961 "600th Birth Anniv of Rublev (painter)" (1) [Perf 12.5] [Des  (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2453) [Litho]

1961 "Young Builders of Seven Year Plan" (1) [Perf 12.5] [Des (A. Zavyalov] Sc(2552,2553,2554) [Litho]

The series is designed by A. Zavyalov, as you can see.. Zavyalov is a name that appears a great number of times as designer .. A. Zavyalov is son of V. Zavyalov, that was designing stamps since the 30's , I think .. ( I didn't find any biography of this Artist, but he deserves a place of honor in Russia Philately , because he must have designed hundreds of stamps..!!)

This series is dedicated to the effort of the Russian Youth in the implementation of the 7 Year Plan..

4 more complete series..

1st) 1961 "10th Anniv of International Federation of Resistance Fighters" (1) [Perf 12.5 x 12] [Des ( L. Zavaylov)] Sc(2529) [Photo]

2nd) 1961 "7th Soviet Trade Union Sports" (1) ]Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des (N. Kruglov)] Sc(2500) [Photo]

3rd) 1961 " 50th Anniv of Russian National Choir" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des (E. Komarov)] Sc(2459) [Litho]

4th) 1961 "Tercentenary of Irkutsk, Siberia" (1) [Perf 12 x 12.5] [Des (N. Kruglov)]  Sc(2523) [Litho]

I have these stamps already in my collection, but only ' single ' ones .. not block's of 4.. So , they are officially in the collection ... Now!!.

1961 "Definitive 1961 Series" (12) [Perf 12 x 11.5] [Des (V. Zavyalov)] Sc(2441) [Litho]

Before Finishing  , I like to present the "Jewel of the Crown" of this post...

This stamp was running from me for several years.. it is not a difficult stamp , but for me it was hard (if I want to buy it  it was simple , but I preferred to wait until it appear's in my World...)

Now , in this magnificent series there are only two stamps missing.. the 1k and 4k engraved stamps..

These pictures reminds me a lot , the Adventures of Blake & Mortimer by Edgar Pierre Jacobs.. they are very futuristic designs..

SeeYou

Correction: in the last lines of the post I said that are "missing the 1k and 4k engraved stamps"; well , it is not 4k but 3k , of course...( the same stamp presented , but engraved..) [correction made 16/07/14 at 07:00H]