SINGAPORE 2013

GREETINGS - SIGN LANGUAGE

Greetings is part of our everyday life. Everyone greets whenever they meet a stranger or when expressing their friendliness. Even the deaf have their own forms of greetings for each other. In this stamp issue there are 5 different greetings in sign language that are used among the deaf community in Singapore - Hi, Welcome, Thanks, I Love You and Good Bye.

RUSSIA 2013

Full Cavalier of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland V.S. Chernomyrdin (1938-2010) Moscow

 

Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin is an outstanding statesman, public figure and diplomat. He was the Minister of Gas Industry and the first Chairman of the Board of the State Gas Concern "Gazprom". He was also Minister of Russia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. He was a Presidential Advisor of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of the President on economic cooperation with the CIS member states.

V.S. Chernomyrdin was awarded the Orders of Merit for the Fatherland of I, II, III and IV degrees.

The postage stamp depicts a portrait of V.S. Chernomyrdin, a sing and Star of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of I degree.

RUSSIA 2013

Heroes of the Russian Federation

  

 

Yuri Aleksandrovich Dmitriev (1978-2002) was a military engineer, a captain. In October 2002 at making engineer reconnaissance in October district of Grozny was blown up on the radio-controlled land mine, then the group was undergone a massive fire from automatic weapons. Yu.A. Dmitriev was awarded (posthumously) the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation for courage and bravery showed during carrying out of the military duty in North Caucasus region. 

 

Oleg Gennadievich Ilyin (1967-2004) is an officer of Department “B” (“Vympel”) of the FSB Centre of special purpose of the Russian Federation, a colonel. He took part in the fights with the terrorist groups. He was sent several times to the North Caucasus, took part in difficult combat and special operations against terrorists. He died during the releasing of hostages in a terrorist act in Beslan. He was awarded (posthumously) the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation (2004).

 

Nilolay Sainovich Maidanov (1956-2000) was a flyer, a Hero of the Soviet Union, a Hero of the Russian Federation, a commandant of the 325th separate military transport helicopter regiment, a colonel. On the 29th of January 2000, helicopters flight of MI-8, consisting of the helicopter of regiment’s commandant Maidanov, flew in the district of the Argun Gorge (Chechnya). The troop of raiders were ambushed. Maidanov got a mortal hurt. He was awarded (posthumously) the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation (2000).

 

Chernychev Evgeny Nikolaevich (1963-2010) was a head of Service of fire fighting of the Federal fire fighting service of the operation centre in the crisis situations of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations of the city of Moscow, a colonel of internal service. He served as chief of guard, deputy company commander, assistant of the chief of Moscow fire staff. He died during evacuation of people from the fire building in Moscow. On the 24th of March 2012, he was awarded (posthumously) the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation

 

Valery Ivanovich Shkurny (1959-2000) was a captain, a deputy chief of SOBR special police of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime at Department of Internal Affairs of Bryansk region. He took part three times in Chechen companies. V.I. Shkurny died in the village Komsomolskoe, covered a grenade with his body, saving wounded soldiers. On the 4th of July 2000 he was awarded (posthumously) the title of the Hero of the Russian Federation.

 

RUSSIA 2013

The 135th anniversary of the end of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878

 

 

The war between Russia and Turkey begun as the result of the rise of the national liberation movement against Turkish domination in the Balkans and the aggravation of the international contradictions in the Middle East. Turkey tried to suppress the struggle for the independence of the Balkan nations, to maintain its military-feudal domination. The Russian government supported the liberation movement of these nations and also planned to restore the prestige and influence in the Balkans, undermined from the Crimean War, and to decide positively the issue on the freedom navigation through the Bosporus Strait.

In summer of 1877 the most heroic episode of the Russian-Turkish war began – the defense of the Shipka Pass during which the Russian military leader M.D. Skobelev distinguished himself. With a decisive attack he battered the forces of the Turkish army. In February 1878 Skobelev’s detachment occupied San Stefano where on February 20, 1878 the Treaty of San Stefano was signed on favorable terms for Russia This treaty also brought the liberation of Bulgaria from the 500 years of Ottoman yoke. Due to his successful actions Skobelev won great popularity in Bulgaria and Russia.

The souvenir sheet depicts a fragment of the picture of N.D. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky "The General M.D. Skobelev on a horse" (1883) from the collection of the Irkutsk Regional Art Museum named after V.P. Sukachev.

RUSSIA 2013

The 500th anniversary of the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda

 

 

 

 

The Alexandrovskaya Sloboda is the oldest residence of Moscow monarchs. By the order of the Grand Prince of Moscow Vasily III the best Russian and Italian artists have built a magnificent palace in Alexandrovskaya Sloboda. Since December 11, 1513 Sloboda became the residence of the Monarch, his family and court. The Embassies from many European countries were received and the most important political and trade agreements were concluded in the chambers of the Alexandrov Kremlin.

Tsar Ivan the Terrible made the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda the actual capital of the country, from where he completed consolidation of the country. There the oprichnina was established and from where the campaign against free Novgorod started. By the will of Tsar Sloboda became the largest cultural center of the Russian State. The best architects, icon painters, musicians lived and worked there.

The souvenir sheet depicts the ensemble of the Alexandrovsky Kremlin of the XVI century.

 

RUSSIA 2013

The 1150th anniversary of the mission Saints equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius to the Slavic countries

 

 

Saints equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius are the first Apostles of the Slavs, apostles of the Christianity, the creators of the Slavic written language, the authors of the first translations of the Holy Scripture into Slavic language.

In 859 Cyril began his work on the development of the Slavic alphabet and the translation of Greek service books. In 862 the Great Moravian Duke Rostislav applied to Byzantian Emperor Mikhail III with a request to send missionaries who could be able to preach Christianity in the Slavic language.  The brothers Cyril and Methodius have been put at the head of the mission who finished the translations of New Testament, Apostle, Books of Psalms and other service books together with flocks (pupils). The language of translation of Cyril and Methodius reflecting the dialect of Thessalonica Slavs and which came down to us in the lists of X-XI centuries became the first literary language of all the Slavs. It is customary to call this language as Old Slavic or Old Church Slavonic.     

The souvenir sheet depicts Saints equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius with a roll of alphabet and Glagolitsa surrounded by the religious people.