Ukraine 2021 "Amber" (from collection of the Amber Museum in Rivne)
| << previous | back to index | next >> |
| Issue Date | 15.11.2021 |
| ID | Michel: 2019, Scott: 1330, UPU: Category: Ot |
| Design | Mrs. Alexandra Kalmykova |
| Stamps in set | 1 |
| Value | V (tariff of non-priority ordinary,
domestic letter with weight up to 50gr.) Amber from collection of the Amber Museum in Rivne |
| Size (width x height) | 40.6mm x 26.0mm |
| Layout | Mini-Sheets of 9 stamps |
| Products | FDCx1, MSx1 |
| Paper | |
| Perforation | |
| Print Technique | Offset, multicolor |
| Printed by | SE Integrated Printing Plant “Ukraina” for Production of Securities |
| Quantity | 130.000 stamps, 9.720 of them printed in uncut sheets (120 sheets of 9 M/S of 9 stamps each) with coat of arm of Rivne city and Ukraine on the margins between the Mini-Sheets. |
| Issuing Authority | SC "Ukrposhta" |
On December 15th 2021, Post Authority of Ukraine issued new stamps from the multi-year set "Beauty and Greatness of Ukraine".
A Mini-Sheet with 4 stamps "Rivne region", shows some sightseeing locations of the region and a single stamp - "Amber from collection of the Amber Museum in Rivne".
This amber stamp was issued in mini-sheets of 9. Nine mini-sheets make up one uncut sheet.
120 uncut sheets were issued with the coat of arms of Ukraine and Rivne region on the margins between the Mini-Sheets.
It seems that the design of the stamp was changed at the last minute, as the stamp depicted in the ”Philately of Ukraine: Magazine” (28/2021) used a different image of amber.
The original design showed a piece of amber encasing a fossil insect.
 |
| The original design of the Ukraine 2021 Amber stamp depicted a piece of amber with embedded fossil insect. Image credit: “Philately of Ukraine” Magazine 28/2021 |
 |
| Rivne region on the map of Ukraine. Stamp of Ukraine 2004, MiNr.: 656, Scott: 554. |
 |
| The building of the Amber Museum in Rivne, Ukraine Image credit: itinery.com.ua. |
Rivne is a city in western Ukraine.
Historically known as Rovno, the city is the administrative centre of Rivne Oblast (province),
as well as the surrounding Rivne Raion (district created in USSR) within the oblast.
Administratively, Rivne is incorporated as a city of oblast significance and does not belong to the raion.
Population of the city is about 250,000.
Between World War I and World War II, the city was located in Poland as a district-level (county) seat in Wolyn Voivodeship.
At the start of World War II in 1939, Rivne was occupied by the Soviet Red Army and received its current status by becoming
a seat of regional government of the Rivne Oblast which was created out of the eastern portion of the voivodeship.
One of the largest sources for amber in Ukraine is the north of Rivne Oblast, that`s why this area is called the Amber Capital of the Ukraine.
Amber pieces were discovered in the Rivne region since prehistoric times. Some jewel and art objects were discovered at Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites. Many of them are roughly fashioned into triangular and circular shapes.
Others are more complicated. A small female statuette of carved amber was found near Dobranichevka, while a 12 cm (4.72 in) disc with a central hole and a hunting scene carved on one side was found in a Globular Amphora culture tomb in the Dubno district of Ukraine.
The main use of amber until the 20th century was for burning, and rarely was it shaped for crafts.
Following an increase in the use of amber to produce jewelry in the 1970s, exploration was done to find new sources of amber. Eventually the Pugach Quarry in Klesov was started in 1991.
In 1993 the Ukrainian government first started overseeing mining, under the auspices of Ukrburshtyn and at the same time making other major amber mining illegal.
Since 2014 and the breakdown of law and order following the Euromaidan, 90% of Ukrainian amber is extracted illegally and the trade is controlled by armed organised crime groups.
Amber is a fossilized resin of the ancients conifers growing in the area of Rivne region.
The amber is dated between Late Eocene and Early Miocene (about 37-50 million years ago) and suggested to be contemporaneous to Baltic amber.
Based on the differences in ant fauna between Baltic amber and Rivne amber, it has been suggested that the two were different areas of a large forest that covered Late Eocene to early Oligocene Europe.
Rivne amber hosts 31 of the 56 species that are not known from Baltic amber.
Rivne amber exhibits a large variety of colors. It is primarily yellow, yellow-brown, orange, red or brown. Rare pieces have been found in light greenish-yellow or extremely rare green coloration. Its clarity differs from clear to totally opaque.
The Amber Museum was founded in 2010 on the basis of state enterprise "Amber of Ukraine"
and is located in an old house of 1903 (pity that it is not shown on the cachet of the FDC).
The collection consists of pieces of Amber collected at different times in the Rivne region.
Ambers with inclusions (insects or plants) are the highlight of the museum.
 |
 |
 |
| Some insects in the Rivne amber Image credit: Wikipedia. | ||
| FDC (reverse side is here) | Mini Sheets | A piece of uncut Sheet with Rivne and Ukraine coat of arms |
 |
 |
 |
| FDC with stamps from the uncut sheet | Example of Postally Used cover | |
 |
 |
References:
- [R1] Technical details: ”Philately of Ukraine: Magazine” (28/2021), Philatelic Bulletin of Ukrposhta from 15.12.2021, website of Ukrposhta
- [R2] Rivne amber: Wikipedia, Rivne travel, Gentarzs.
- [R3] Rivne: Wikipedia.
Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for the draft page review and his very valuable comments.
| << previous | back to index | next >> |