Bicycles, Ukraine

So, one more card for today...ok, that is actually one more post, with two card :)

...and it is bicycles again, sorry :)))
These come from Ukraine, and on the first one we can see a number of people on old bicycles...I really really wish I could at least once take a ride on such a bike...they are real classic!

This card came as part of the Choose a Country RR, two years ago, thanks to Kristine

She also used a number of nice stamps on it...first we have a cool monkey stamp from a set of 12 stamps issued in 2013, representing the Lunar Calendar, and each stamp represents one of the animals...as if Kristine knew why she should send me the monkey one :) and on each stamp you can also see the actual years for that particular sign.
Next to it is another stamp issued in 2013, representing the History of National Communication, while the one below it is a flora stamp, issued in 2012, showing the Fraxinus excelsior.

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This other bicycle card arrived as an official recently and it says "I love Ukraine very very much"...

I dont know why the bicycle in the picture...I never would have related Ukraine to bicycles, but I certainly don't mind...it makes one beautiful postcard! 

the stamp is a definitive issued in 2013.

So, that would be all for today...hope you didn't mind the bicycle over-dose :)

stay well and enjoy your week ahead!!

Lviv, Ukraine

I just realized that for today I've picked another country with political unrests and all...not to mention that story about the Malaysian plane crash in Ukraine not so long ago..but my choices were surely not intentional with the idea to talk about politics and solve disputes and blah blah...you know I hate that...

here I have two cards related to the Railway Station in Lviv...and, hmm, now before I say a few words about the cards and the stamps, I wanted to mention something else which this card reminded me of...and that is somewhat related to Ukraine and Lviv, and in a few sentences, this train station (no, I haven't been there yet :))

Anyways, there is this book I read recently and really loved it, so just wanted to tell you about it...and its plot is set mainly in Lviv, so this post seemed really appropriate to mention the book as well..even though it is still in Macedonian only, hopefully in the near future it will be translated in a few other languages and will be available to the wider audiences...I highly recommend that you read it...cos come on, how many books can you say you have read by a Macedonian author? hm? =)

the book's name in English is "Gargle", as its equivalent Macedonian translation...you find out why..written by the young and aspiring Macedonian author Igor Stanojoski.
For me it was one of the books that kept my attention throughout its entirety, gave me emotional turmoils, and once I finished it I was in the 'what am I supposed to do with myself now' kind of mood..reminded me of Murakami at times...
Feel free to browse through the website dedicated solely to the book..besides in Macedonian, you can read some sections in English, Polish and Russian....hoping that I've intrigued you somewhat by now, just click on the link below ;-)

http://www.gargara.mk/english/index.html


aaaand now down to the postcards

First comes a card from Vita, showing the exterior of the Railway Station in Lviv.
Built in the Art Nouveau style,  its construction had started in 1899 and has been into service since 1904, handling over 1 million passengers per month! Such numbers always bring to mind OUR railway station..I think it would take a number of years to actually handle that many passengers...the commodity and the reliability of the service is a different story...

and how lovely when someone sending me a train/railway card, attaches some matching stamps...and at least Ukraine isn't short of fantastic train stamps! These two are from the 2010 set of 4 locomotives.


The following card - I received it TWICE! Within a month's distance! (back in 2011)
Yeah, receiving your favourite cards works in a funny way sometimes...you just wait for sooo long to receive some, and then eventually at least two or three people send it to you...but I don't mind it, cos it is just soo beautiful...the stamp-image just gives some additional charm to this one.

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One copy arrived from Viktoria as part of  a swap, and another one from Olya as an official....and here you can actually see the interior of the Lviv Railway Station...just so beautiful! And I cant help but wonder where these two trains are going to...

yesss..two train stamps again from the 2010 set...plus one more coming from a set of 8 definitives issued in 2008 - this one is showing a spinning wheel

the other card came with three copies of this definitive, also issued in 2007, showing a kumanet

PS. I still can't possibly pronounce Lviv properly...I just CAN'T!

Kak Kazaki, Ukraine

well, my last post for today may be unusual to some, but when some time ago I discovered that these cards existed, I was thrilled to no end!!!
I absolutely LOVE those old cartoons I used to watch as a child, coming from the former USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia etc...there is simply something magical about them that no modern cartoon of today can come close to it.
And one of those cartoons was this one coming from Ukraine, or back then, the USSR, about the three guys called Kak Kazaki, or Cossacks, showing the adventures in their every day life.
Regarding the word Cossacks, it refers to a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military and semi-naval communities in Ukraine and Southern Russia.

Here in the cartoon we have 3 guys, called, Грай, Око and Тур. All the cartoon series are short, and last no longer than 20 minutes, each with its own title...and so the postcards seem to be issued according to the cartoons...and here comes a card from on of my favourite Cossacks cartoons called, Как Казаки Невест Выручали, or As the Cossacks rescued the brides.
This one dates back from 1973, with Vladimir Dahno as its director. The cartoon has won an award at the VI International Festival of Documentary and Short Films in Nyon ( Switzerland )

You dont really need to understand the language to be able to understand the plot (there is barely any talking either way)...but do turn on your speakers or put on your headphones, i highly recommend listening to the beautiful traditional accompanying songs, music and sound effects. These are the cartoons I can keep watching over and over again and never get bored, with the music always creating beautiful emotions.



I hope you liked it at least a bit :)
And lets not forget the stamps of course :)

The first card here came with the following stamps:

the first stamp, top left was issued in a set of stamps in 2011, under the title Generous Ukraine - Spring. The one below it is a definitive from 2012, from a set of 13 stamps showing trees and fruits (here you see an Acacia). While the stamp at the right is also from 2012, from a set of two, commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Birth of Taras.

the second card came with two stamps from the above mentioned Generous Ukraine-Spring series

I love it that both cards have a print of the card-image on the back as well...and that both senders were really thoughtful and hadn't placed a stamp over it :)

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Ukrainian cards are often really beautiful...and often cause me trouble with what's on the picture...as now...

so, if im not mistaken, this is the wooden church at the ethnographic museum in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi. it looks interesting, and actually i keep seeing it as caped with snow and not that actually the 'roof' is white..

if you can see it, there is also a black circle in the middle...I dont know if they stamped the card on the front side too, or this is a mark from the card or letter below/in front of this one...

funny though, while browsing the net, I learned that this city is a sister city to the Macedonian town of Коčani....small world, isn't it? :)

a few nice stamps...the first one is a definitive from a set of 18 flowers  issued in 2006 ....the one in the middle is another definitive from a set of 13 issued in 2008, while the last one is from 2009 set of two stamps commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Birth of Mykola Hohol (1809-1852)....behind this actually hides Nikolai Gogol, and this stamp portrays the Night Before Christmas, the first story in the second volume of the collection Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka. Simply an AWESOME stamp!

Crimea, Ukraine

My last card for today is an official one from Ukraine.

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On this card you can see the Dragons and Satyrs in front of the western side of the Massandra palace in Crimea, situated in Upper Yalta and is one of the best architectural monuments of the Southern coast of Crimea. It e was the residence of the Russian Emperor Alexander III. The palace was built in 1881 in the style of Louis XIII, under the French architect Bouchard, so the palace is often called the "Lesser of Versailles". At the palace’s and park’s balconies and terraces there are established decorative vases and sculptures depicting Greek gods, sphinxes, chimeras, satyrs, vases, tall columns, statues and fountains.

three stamps were used on this card...the left one is a definitive issued in 2008 representing a tobacco pipe...the middle one is from a set of 3 definitive stamps issued in 2007, representing a crock, while the one on the right is from a set of 18 stamps from the Fifth & Sixth issues of Definitive postage stamps of Ukraine 2001-2006...this one represents a Sweet Brier.

thanks for dropping by and have a lovely week ahead!    

Kharkiv, Ukraine

A lovely train card sent to me by Olia.

The card shows the railway station in Kharkiv at the beginning of the 20th century.
Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine (something Ive learned just now, I must admit), located in the northeast part of the country.
The first railway connection of Kharkiv was opened in 1869. The first train to arrive in Kharkiv came from the north on 22 May 1869, and on 6 June 1869, traffic was opened on the Kursk–Kharkiv–Azov line. Kharkiv's passenger railway station was reconstructed and expanded in 1901, to be later destroyed in the Second World War. A new railway station was built in 1952.

So this is that reconstructed and expanded version I guess, before being destroyed in the war.

and just look at this fantastic stamps!!! a lighthouse and a train!! The lighthouse stamp is from a set of 6 lighthouse stamps issued in 2010 and it portrays the Illichivskyi lighthouse. While the train stamp is also from 2010 from a set of 4 called 50 Years of Kyiv Metro - Modern Metro Train. The other two stamps are definitives issued in 2008 in a set of 13 stamps representing handicrafts.
 Thank you again Olia!!! 

Odessa, Ukraine

Ukraine, as with the majority of former USSR countries, makes it hard for me to grasp that they have lighthouses...but they do.

This is the Vorontsov lighthouse in Odessa, which is a famous red and white 27.2 meters high landmark in the Black Sea. It is named after Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov, one of the governor-generals of the Odessa region.
The current lighthouse is the third lighthouse to stand on the same spot. The first one was built in 1862 and was made of wood.
The lighthouse was built with iron tubing and lead gaskets. It has a one-million watt signal light, and its signal can be received up to twelve nautical miles (22 km) away. The Morse code call signal of three dashes the first letter is "O" which stands for Odessa. When there is a severe storm or fog, the lighthouse also sounds a foghorn.
The lighthouse is connected with the port's shoreline by a long stone causeway and jetty. The jetties protect the port from the southern high seas.
The port is protected on the east by huge concrete breakwaters (ramparts), built on rocks, rising above the water.

you should be rather familiar with the stamps by now....the left one is a definitive issued in 2007, while the other one is a definitive issued in 2009.

Kyiv, Ukraine

After two clumsy confusions and by mistake putting cards from Russia and Belarus, third luck charm and I get the intended Ukrainian postcard here....

As the back of the card says, here you can see the Nunnery of St. Mary the Protectress and the Monasterial Hospital. I am really not sure about the word 'hospital here, coz it doesnt occur in the German explanation on the card nor in the Russian and Ukrainian ones....in all the other explanations i see the word 'church' not 'hospital'...I am starting to wonder when did the explanations on the cards become so confusing and not so reliable...grrr....this is getting frustrating :@

the flower stamp is a definitive from a set of 18 issued in 2006

Kherson, Ukraine

A nice card from Ukraine, showing a bridge over the Dnieper river in Kherson.

Kherson is a city in southern Ukraine and considered to be an important port on the Black Sea and the Dnieper river, as well as the home of a major ship-building industry.

Well, when it comes to Ukraine in particular, i have some videos to share with you, which i think are more than worth the sharing....there are all sorts of Idols and Talent contests around the world whose popularity is enormous....i dont really watch those and probably am missing some good stuff....as is the Ukrainian winner of the Talent show for 2009....i was honestly left speechless....and moved..the music used does its own part of contributing to the effects and impact it has on you..esp. if you can relate to the music and DO feel it....such perfect conveying of a message....
no words are needed...just click and watch....

and of course, stamps mustnt be forgotten....the big stamp on the right is the EUROPA one issued in 2009 on the Astronomy subject...while the small one is from 2008 from a set of 4 stamps depicting Handicrafts

Kiev, Ukraine

My last card for today comes from Ukraine...

From the back of the card: This is the House with Chimeras, a very special house, built in 1902-1903 by Gorodeckiy. The building was open as Masterpieces of Ukrainian Art in November 2004. Since May 2005 it has been an official presidential residence used for official ceremonies.

Thanks a lot to Marina for sending me this one.

the stamp on the right is from a set of 6 issued in 2008, representing Ukrainian Folk Costumes - The Crimea -  Holiday of the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The other one is from a set of 3 issued in 2007, representing a candlestick

Chernihiv, Ukraine

a great surprising card from my dear Ksenia, who has started her studies in Ukraine this semester, so unfortunately, i cant keep much track of her and what is she up to...but i hope she is ok

this card shows the Saint Assumption cathedral of Yieletsk Monastery from the 12 century.
Its a beautiful cathedral, and ive noticed that all Ukrainian sacred places are actually. And they al have some similar shapes in nice colours...here it is green for example...reminds me of the St. Sofia cathedral in Kyiv for example...

did i tell you that i am the Winner of The Month for October??!! yeahhh...after a week really scarce on mail, yesterday i found 5 great cards in my mailbox due to this win...in case you know what im talking about :)
i dont usually win things, so i was more than surprised to see that out of 20+ people, i was th chosen one...so yeah, yesterday was a great mail, thanks to this and a few other people who surprised me with their cards...they know who they are :P

 

the stamp is from the set of 7 definitives, issued in 2007, featuring art and antique objects.

Kyiv, Ukraine

I have received some great mail today (and in a huge amount) so i really feel that i owe you an update...again :) Problem is, the reciprocity of cards i receive totally outnumbers the ones i upload here, so im just getting more and more behind with it all....and i had got my 101st country as well...but i wont tell you yet which one is it coz i simply havent been able to scan anything...and i dont wanna leave it until tonight or tomorrow or etc...so i guess you just have to stay tuned and patient until the next update to see it ;)

This magnificent card came as a lovely surprise from dear Ksenia. These Ukrainian cathedrals just have something special in them..i dont know if its coz of their colours but they certainly dont resemble a typical cathedral...this one is more like a castle that had come from a Disney Fairytale...i just cant decide if it belongs to Snow White, Cinderella,  Mulan or the Sleeping Beauty...though from the entire tranquil atmosphere around it, i would go for the Sleeping Beauty :)
This is the St. Sofia Cathedral, dating back from the XI century, and it is a UNESCO whs as well!! And no, i still havent updated my UNESCO list...i will, i promise.
The St. Sofia cathedral is an outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus'. Today, it is one of the city's best known landmarks and the first Ukrainian patrimony to be inscribed on the UNESCO whs list. The cathedral's name comes from the 6th-century Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constantinopole.
I havent come across the "Kievan Rus'" term before, and i was surprised to find out that it was a medieval state which existed from approximately 880 to the middle of the 12th century and was founded by the Scandinavian traders called Rus. Rus' polity is considered an early predecessor of three modern East Slavic nations, Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians. 
Is this another history lesson i hadnt paid attention to? 

From what i could gather, the stamp belongs to a set of 7 definitives, issued in 2007, featuring art and antique objects...i still need to get used to this 'definitives' word...

And Ksenia...dzięki! :)))))))

Chervonohorod, Ukraine

This card is from another dear lady called Ksenia, who i wholeheartedly think deserves to have a space dedicated on PFF. She travels rather often, and she always remembers to surprise my mailbox from the places she goes to...and im extremely thankful coz of that!

This card shows Chervonohord, which is a small town in the Ternopil region in Ukraine.
Two defensive towers rise in the picturesque place in the tract of Chervone. There used to be a small town in the early Middle Ages. From the 14th century it became the princes Korijatowiczes' residence. In 1448 the town was given Magdeburg right. In 1672 it was ruined by thetroops of Sultan Mahomet IV. In 1820 Karol Ponicski built a palace (designed by Makiowski, the architect) from which just towers have left. (from the back of the card)

Thank you Ksenia for this card, and for every other single card you have enriched my collection with.

Happy PFF day to all of you...and dont forget to appreciate those small things your friends do for you...they can make you happy at an instant!
Till the next update...and till the next PFF...take care!

Thernopil, Ukraine

Next on the list comes Ukraine...and of course, the thank you here goes to whom else if not Ksenia :)

Ksenia says that there arent really Thernopil postcards, but that they mainly sell ones from Kyiv and L'viv.
What you can see on the card is the Thernopil Regional Academic Musical Dramatic Theatre named after T. Shevchenko, built in 1957.
Thernopil is quite an old city, founded in 1540, but it was completely destroyed during the World War II.

Well, unfortunately, i couldnt really find much information about it, so if anyone else can pop in and contribute with something, you know that as always you are more than welcome to do so :)
Thank you in advance!

Kyiv, Ukraine

Thanks to Ksenia, I can finally say that my collection of a one single Ukrainian card, has increased to 4 now :)))  And that feels really great for the sake of the versatility and enrichment!!

I was struck by the beauty of the colours of the card...im a blue-against-white addict...but apart from the blue, the green and the goldish colour just feel so perfect...i dont know if its due to the sun-ray reflection or something else, but it certainly feels lovely!

What you can see is the Kyievo-Pecherska Lavra, among the chestnuts' candles (if it wasnt written on the back, i would have never figured its chestnuts),
This Orthodox monastery (also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the caves)  was founded by Saint Anthony of the Caves in the mid-11th century near the village of Berestove in a cave that the future metropolitan of Kyiv, Ilarion, had excavated and lived in until 1051. The first monks excavated more caves and built a church above them.
Since its foundation, as the cave monastery in 1015, the Lavra has been a preeminent center of the Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. It is also inscribed as a UNESCO whs.

here's one of my favoruite 'language-issues'
the word 'pechera' means 'cave' (in Macedonian, the word for a cave is 'пештера' (peshtera)). The word 'lavra' is used to describe high-ranking monasteries for (male) monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Therefore the name of the monastery is also translated as the Kyiv Caves Monastery.

Thanks a LOT Ksenia for the absolutely great card! :)

Lviv, Ukraine