Amur

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Batum

Byelorussia

Far East

Georgia

Russia

PO Levant

PO China

Army Post

R.S.F.S.R

Siberia

South Russia

Transcaucasia

Ukraine

Wenden

Western Ukraine

Zemstvos

Finland

This republic issued one set of stamps in 1920.

With Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia made up the Transcaucasian Federation of Soviet Republics.

Stamps of Armenia were replaced in 1923 by those of the Transcaucasian Federated Republics. With the break-up of the Soviet Union on December 26 1991, Armenia and ten former Soviet republics established the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Typical overprints used on Russian stamps

Southernmost part of Russia in Eastern Europe, bounded by Georgia, Dagestan, The Caspian Sea, Iran and Armenia.

Issued stamps as an independent republic from 1919 and from April 1921, when it became a Soviet Republic. From the 15 September 1923, it used the stamps of the Transcaucasian Federation.

The example shown is probably a forgery.

Batum is the capital of Adzhar, a territory that, in 1921, became an autonomous republic of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. Stamps of Batum were issued under the administration of British forces which occupied Batum and the environs between December 1918 and July 1920, following the treaty of Versailles.

The example shown is the 1919 issue, the first stamp of Batum.

The Gibbons catalogue lists this set under Byelorussia. Michel calls them a private issue of South Russia. The left hand stamp is a blatant forgery!

A short-lived independent government was established in 1920, under General Semenov, based in Vladivostok. In 1921, stamps were issued by a Republic based in Tschita. This was succeeded in 1922 by the establishment of a Soviet Republic.

The example is the highest value 1920 issue.

Georgia was formerly a province of the Russian Empire and later part of the Transcaucasian Federation of the Soviet Republics. Stamps of Georgia were issued under a number of different governments. From 1919 to 1921 as an independent republic, 1922 issues as a Soviet Republic, to be replaced in 1923 by those of Transcaucasian Federated Republics.

An example from 1919 is shown.

Russian stamps are beautiful. They have a style that was not uncommon in Europe in the 19th century, but they are distinguished from those of Bulgaria or Poland by the design heights that they reached. During the 60 years of issue under the Tsars, they retained an integrity and consistency of design that was unparalleled. The key features were the use of the double-headed Russian eagle, framed by an oval design, often with heraldic embellishment, above the posthorn. Denominations were either located at the corners, or in a tablet below the eagle and the posthorns. The tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty was celebrated with a series (highest value shown right) which fell far short of the "arms types" in both design and taste.

From 1863 until 1913, special stamps were issued for postage use in the Turkish empire. These were often marked "Eastern Correspondence"

The two examples shown are both unusual. At the top is an early issue from 1866, with the initals of the Postal Agency, ROPIT.

The second stamp was issued to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ship's postal service in 1907. The central design has been replaced by an image of a ship. However, the stamp is overprinted with 70 piastres, the highest value stamp in the local currency.

A similar service to the Turkish Empire postal service was established in China in 1899. Standard Russian stamps were used (almost exclusively). They were denoted by two forms of overprint, KHTAH, the Russian for China (or Cathay) or local currency overprints, at that time, cents and dollars.

Baron Wrangel, who led the White campaigns in the Crimea. (left) General Denikin (right) the "leader" of the White forces in South Russia between 1918 and 1920.

The Bolshevik Revolution was not a nationwide revolution, occurring simultaneously all over Russia. Thousands fleeing from the riots in St. Petersburg and Moscow flooded the southern provinces. Tsarist Generals returned from the German front, monarchist troops and Nationalist rebels thronged the streets of Kiev and the cities of the Crimea. Out of this chaos, anti-Bolshevik armies were established. With a sense of priorities which baffles us today, considerable energy was devoted to establishing a working postal service.

The stamps featured here are the General Denikin issue from 1919. The overstamps shown above, were produced by Baron Wrangel, for use amongst his refugee army after its evacuation from Russia in 1920.

The first stamps of the U.S.S.R. were not issued until August 1923, following a conference held a month earlier, which united the postal services of the Far East Republic, the Transcaucasian Federation and the "autonomous" republics of the Soviet Union. The Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic took over from the Provisional Government on the 25 October (7 November) 1917. The two dates are a function of the use in Russia until 1918 of the Julian calendar. This was 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar in 1917.

The first true R.S.F.S.R. stamp was issued on 7 November 1918, called Cutting the Fetters, or Chainbreakers. This stamp established the tradition of political symbolism in Russian stamps. (see example on the right)

Admiral Koltschak established an army postal service in Siberia, and issued stamps from 1919 to 1920. The 5 rouble stamp shown was the highest value stamp. In 1920, the Ataman General Semenov assumed control in Tschita. These stamps are not to be confused with those of the Republic of the Far East in Tschita, which also issued stamps in 1921.

A provisional government set up and maintained by General Denikin in opposition to the Bolshevik forces in Russia following the downfall of the Empire. The stamps were used in the field postal service established for carrying on communication between the various armies united in the revolt. These armies included the Don Cossacks, the Kuban Cossacks, and also the neighbouring southern Russian people in favour of the counter-revolution against the Bolsheviks.

Typically, these were arms type stamps overprinted at a higher value. The lower example has an inverted overprint.

(Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan)

The Transcaucasian Federation was made up the former autonomies of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. These stamps were discontinued and Soviet issues were adopted, although as in many parts of the USSR, older stamps, even those from the Tsarist period, remained in common usage.

Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, a national assembly met at Kiev and formed the Ukrainian National Republic. After Ukraine proclaimed its independence in January 1918; Postal authorities issued an order to overprint all existing Russian stamps with the national emblem - the trident. To comply with the directive, each Postal District ( Kyiv, Poltava, Katernoslav, Kharkiv, Odessa and Podilia ) prepared several overprinting styles. By July 1918, each District had its own distinct size, colour and form of trident-overprint. Over 60 different varieties are known to exist. On July 6, 1923, the Ukraine joined the Soviet Union and thereafter the postage stamps of the Soviet Union were used.

Currency stamps were used, having a value equivalent to coin and paper money. These were printed on paper so thick it was almost cardboard. An example is shown (right).

With the break-up of the Soviet Union on December 26 1991, Ukraine has resumed the issue its’ own stamps.

Wenden was a region in Latvia but under German control, and it was necessary to use a local stamp as well as a Russian stamp. The Wenden stamps are in German and are difficult to find.

After seceding from the Austro-Hungarian Empire (November 1st, 1918), the Western Ukrainian National Republic (ZUNR) issued overprinted Austrian stamps. The first stamp ( an octagonal overprint showing the Halychynan lion emblem and the full name of ZUNR ) appeared in Lviv on November 20th, 1918. Subsequent stamps were produced in Kolomyia and a series of four issues was released in Stanyslaviv (Ivano-Frankivsk).

In 1864, a major reform saw the establishment of local assemblies of self-government, called the zemstvos, in most Russian provinces. To preserve the domination of the landed nobles, zemstvos were only established at the provincial and district level. At the volost and village level, the peasants were largely left to look after themselves.

In the chaos of 1919 and 1920, when hyper inflation and the collapse of effective central government co-incided, many zemstvos surcharged or even issued their own stamps. These issues are one of the more arcane areas of Russian philately. An exceptional example is shown (right).

Although Finland issued its own stamos, the Grand Duchy went through a brief period of Russification. Stamps of Russian design were adopted, distinguished from Russian stamps in two ways. Where roubles and kopeks were used, a series of small circles differentiated them from domestic Russian issues. Others were identical, but denominated in Finnish currency.