THE BORDER POSTAGE OF 1½ PRUSSIAN GROSCHEN

In the period 1822-1844 this border postage is simple and well described in article VI in the 1821 postal convention between Russia and Prussia: “Until now only letters to and from the governments Courland, Livonia and Estonia have been charged – besides the normal foreign shares – by the Immersatt border postage of 1½ Prussian Groschen per Loth. From now on this border postage is charged on all letters to and from the Russian Empire. The amount is paid to the (Prussian) post office in Memel for speeding up the Russian Mails twice a week (by establishing new posts): One post from Memel to Berlin and one post from Berlin to Memel and further to Polangen. The Immersatt border postage is charged even on letters travelling the short distance between Memel and Polangen.”

POSTCARD MAIL IN THE YEARS OF REVOLUTION, CIVIL WAR, AND INFLATION IN RUSSIA

(1917 - 1923)

A rise of collectors’ interest to postcards as a kind of mail is observed nowadays. This is evidenced also by articles on this topic recently published. This paper dealing with a very complicated and stormy period of Russian history is considering this subject on examples of such mail assorted by the postal rates in effect in various regions of the former Empire under different administrations struggling against each other during the Civil War. Selecting the examples, I tried to show as much as possible the use of different basic postcards (stamped PS, official and other formula cards, also picture postcards but in a lesser degree) as well as peculiarities of their use. All these examples are from the present author’s collection if not otherwise stated.

MAIL OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN NORWAY IN WW I

In the spring of 1916 Denmark, Norway, and Sweden started negotiations about internment of sick and wounded Prisoners of War (so called semi-invalid POWs) from Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. This article will cover the Russian POWs in Norway. A total of 600 prisoners were interned in Norway. In general the postage for POW mail between Norway and their home country was free of charge, but it is unknown if the mail inside Norway or other countries was free. The Russian POWs were located in 10 places. These were Espen, Fossegården, Grytting, Heggerud, Holmgaard, Hunder, Konnerudkollen, Losnaos, Myre, and Ring Pensionat. Mail correspondence from all these camps is rare [1]. This article will present letters from Konnerudkollen, Ring Pension, and Espen and the typical signs of recognition.

This is our hotel - MAIL OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN NORWAY

 

Per-Christian Wallén (Drammen, Norway)

from DZRP Nr. 88, May 2008

   

 

 

RUSSIAN POSTAL CENSORSHIP

SUPPLEMENT NO. 4

 

(PdF-File 145 KB)

Antoine Speeckaert (Vilvoorde, Belgium)

from DZRP Nr. 88,  May 2008

    

Soviet censorship on international correspondence in the second half of the Great Patriotic War

 

This article is  trying to systemize some of the information the author has collected about soviet censorship used on international correspondence. Letters to and from the USSR have from July 1942 to the end of 1945 a special censorship cancel, the "double circle" cancel. For the first time the labels used at these control sites are shown.

 

This is an updated article that has been published in Post-Rider #60. New information included deals with the censor labels, whillsee some new finds are included for the censorship marks  and periods of use are extended. The usage period of the labels are only noted in the case were several items are described. For some labels only one example is known.

The Postal History of the Åland Islands

during the Russian period

 

The Postal History of the Åland Islands should be of interest to collectors of Russian postal history. From the war between Sweden and Russia in 1808-1809 until 1917 the Åland Islands were a part of The Grand Duchy of Finland, and consequently a part of the Russian Empire.

This article will put together information dealing with important aspects of the postal history of the Åland Islands.