You're reading: New post envelope designs honor war heroes

Ukraine’s state-owned post service Ukrposhta honored the soldiers killed in the separatist conflict in Ukraine’s east with a series of patriotic envelopes. They portray four servicemen who died in battle and were awarded Hero of Ukraine medal posthumously.

“The four soldiers we chose were the first ones who
received this medal,” says Yuliya Kurbaka, press secretary of Ukrposhta. “All
of them died in the battlefield defending their comrades”.

The soldiers also represent different military ranks. Envelopes
portray general-mayor Serhiy Kulchytskyi, colonel Taras Seniuk, lieutenant
colonel Kostyantyn Mohylko and lieutenant Yevhen Zelenskyi.

One of the four newly-released envelope designs that honor the killed Ukrainian officers.

The envelopes will be for sale at the post offices all
around Ukraine. Ukrposhta printed 400,000 envelopes with each hero. The
envelopes already have stamps and cost Hr 2,35.

Although it is common to wait at least 10 years after
the people’s deaths before using their portraits for mass production, Ukrposhta
decided to make an exception for the war heroes.

“We always try to react to the events in Ukraine in a
timely manner”, Kurbaka explains, “That was why we made the envelopes so fast”.

Kurbaka adds that the envelopes were released on Dec.
6, the Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day, as a way to glorify the country’s military.
Defense Ministry and National Guard supported the initiative and helped find
photographs for the envelopes while Ukrposhta funded the production.

Ukrposhta aims to portray more soldiers on the
envelopes in the near future.

“At the moment, we consider the heroes for the next
copies”, says Kurbaka.

Apart from the envelopes, Ukrposhta released 180,000
stamps with an image of Ukrainian soldier and statements like: “For Ukraine!
For the nation!” The price of a stamp is Hr 2. Both envelopes and stamps were
designed by artist Volodymyr Taran.

Also, in the end of November Ukrposhta released a
special “Maidan Post” to honor the first anniversary of EuroMaidan Revolution.
The stamp can be found at the main Post Office at Maidan Nezalezhnosti.

Ukrposhta also plans to release stamps with portraits
of the killed EuroMaidan protesters known as Heavenly Hundred. The stamps will
be released in February, on the one-year anniversary of the most deadly events
of EuroMaidan.