You can collect Ukraine stamps from as far back as the year 1866. This is a surprising fact for people who thought that Ukrainian stamp history began with its 1992 independence from the Soviet Union. But the history of Ukraine stamps is a lot more complicated than you might think. Which means a lot more enjoyable and compelling for philatelists.
Types of Ukraine Stamps Throughout History
It’s true that for much of the twentieth century Ukraine did not issue its own stamps. For these decades it used stamps of the Soviet Union. But Ukraine’s postal history actually predates this era by quite a bit.
The earliest stamps Ukraine stamps were zemstvo stamps. This was a type of local issue made in dozens of areas throughout the Russian Empire. In Ukraine, zemstvo stamps were made in various towns from 1866 until 1917. Pursuing a collection of these is a great way to learn about Ukrainian history and geography, and to have real pieces of rare postal history in your hands.
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Temporary Issues Towards End of World War I
In 1918, the Ukrainian People’s Republic was declared and a few stamps were issued. These short-lived issues are now quite collectible as true national Ukraine stamps.
Also in 1918, Russian stamps were used in Ukraine, overprinted with a trident. There are many varieties of these trident stamps and collectors continue to be drawn to them.
Further complicating (in a good way) the world of Ukraine stamps in this period, a small chunk of western Ukraine called Galicia declared itself the West Ukraine National Republic. It then used overprinted Austrian and Bosnian stamps throughout 1918 and 1919. Working towards a complete set of all these subdivisions of Ukrainian stamps can be done by keeping an eye on good deals from trusted online stamp sellers.
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Ukraine Stamps From the Rest of the 20th Century
From 1923 Ukraine was a Soviet Socialist Republic like several other areas, and used regular Soviet stamps. This lasted until 1992 but there are some postal collectibles specific to Ukraine from these years. Notably, there was a brief period during World War II when Germany occupied part of Ukraine. Germany used their own Third Reich stamps with overprints reading UKRAINE. These were used from 1941 until 1943.
Ukraine Stamps Since Independence: 1992-now
In 1992, Ukraine became independent, as did many other former Soviet republics, and has issued its own stamps since. Modern Ukrainian stamps are usually inscribed ПОШТА УКРАЇНИ (poshta ukrayini, i.e. Ukraine Post). Some stamps are also inscribed with the Roman alphabet transliteration UKRAINA. Collectors of different inscriptions should be on the lookout for both varieties.
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There’s an entire fascinating world to be discovered and explored in the area of Ukraine stamp collecting. Choose how you want to design your own collection and watch the ever-changing sales listings in online marketplaces!
