Russian Breakup First Issues

The Breakup of the Soviet Union

1990s

In 1996, David Olson (the founder of FICC) wrote an article for the Journal (v5n4) summarising the breakup of the Soviet Union. The intention on this page is to publish an expanded version of that article. xxx

from Wikipedia

Prior to December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union (USSR) consisted of 15 Federated Soviet Socialistic Republics. This union came together between 1917 and the end of World War II. After the war, the entire area used stamps inscribed CCCP, all of which are listed in the Scott Catalogue under Russia. After the breakup of the USSR, 11 of the republics formed the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Georgia became the 12th member of the CIS on March 1, 1994. The Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia have not joined so far. Today all 15 republics issue their own stamps and all are listed in Scott under their individual country names. The breakup yielded six new Scott #1s and nine continuations of former country listings.

Stamps were issued for some of the new republics in the early formative stages. For whatever reason, Scott has not recognized some of those issues. Two examples are the two sets of Lithuania "angels" and the coat of arms set of Moldova. In addition, there are a number of locals, Cinderellas, propaganda labels, stamps issued by insurgent forces, and just plain bogus stamps which haven't gained Scott recognition. Included in this group are stamps from Chechnya, Batum, Tuva, Abkhazia, Tatarstan, and the issues of a philatelic club in Alma Ata. Time will tell whether any of these will be recognized by Scott.

The Baltic States, led by Lithuania, were the first to proclaim their independence, which was recognized by the old Soviet Union on September 6, 1991, three months before the official breakup. After the breakup, the new Russian republic was the first to issue stamps. These were inscribed Rossija instead of CCCP. All of the others, except Georgia, issued new stamps between January and May 1992. Georgia was the last country to issue its own stamps, on July 31, 1995.

The first stamp of Moldova was assigned #25 by Scott, possibly in an attempt to avoid confusion with the Moldavia and Moldavia-Walachia "Bulls" of 1885-1864, listed by Scott as Romania #1-21. The present-day Moldova and the Moldavia of old occupy approximately the same territory. Walachia is present-day Romania. The first stamp of Belarus was assigned #1. However, it had been preceded in 1920 by a set of five values issued for White Russia. Scott illustrates but does not number or value those stamps. Belarus and White Russia are about the same area.

At the time this page was created (May 2016), three of the ex-soviet states have joined the European Union and others have expressed an interest.

EU members	EU candidates	Non-applicants
Estonia (2004), Latvia (2004), Lithuania (2004)	Western Balkans (Croatia (now an EU member), Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and [Albania plus the former Yugoslavia minus Slovenia])	Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
	Ukraine has asked	and, of course, Russia

Post-Soviet states

1. Armenia	5. Georgia	9. Lithuania	13. Turkmenistan
2. Azerbaijan	6. Kazakhstan	10. Moldova	14. Ukraine
3. Belarus	7. Kyrgyzstan	11. Russia	15. Uzbekistan
4. Estonia	8. Latvia	12. Tajikistan
from Wikipedia

Country	Previous Listings	New Listings	Comments
BREAKER
Lithuania	1918 - 1940 Sc1 - 322 SG1 - 455	7th Oct 1990 Sc371 - 374 SG456 - 459	Scott initially ignored the first issues, but now notes that Sc371-399 were "issued before the Soviet Union recognised the independence of Lithuania".
Lithuania	1918 - 1940 Sc1 - 322 SG1 - 455	28th Sep 1991 Sc400 - 402 SG495 - 497	This is where Scott prefers to begin, the first issue after independence. Set of three marking the 650th anniversary of the death of the Grand Duke Gediminas.
Estonia	1918 - 1940 Sc1 - 153 SG1 - 160	1st Oct 1991 Sc200 - 208 SG161 - 169	Set of nine coats of arms.
Latvia	1918 - 1940 Sc1 - 229 SG1 - 319	19th Oct 1991 Sc300 - 307 SG320 - 327	Set of eight coats of arms.
Russia	1857 - 1991 Sc1 - 6055 SG1 - 6310	10th Jan 1992 Sc6056 - 6058 SG6311 - 6313	Set of three for the Albertville Olympics. Gibbons does not give this set any particular significance.
Kyrgzistan	none	4th Feb 1992 Sc1 SG1	15 kopeks, scene in the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve.
Moldova	none	23rd Jun 1991 Sc1-3 SG1-3	Two coats of arms and a flag.
Ukraine	1918 - 1919 Sc1 - 74 SG	1st Mar 1992 Sc100 - 101 SG20 - 21	Set of two: 15k Cossacks and 15k immigration to Canada.
Belarus	none	20th Mar 1992 Sc1 SG1	1r jewelled cross.
Kazakhstan	none	23rd Mar 1992 Sc1 SG1	50k "Golden Warrior" from 5th-century BC tomb.
Azerbaijan	1919 - 1924 Sc1 - 333 SG1 - 82	26th Mar 1992 Sc350 SG83	35k map and flag.
Turkmenistan	none	26th Apr 2002 Sc1 SG1	50k jewelled necklace.
Armenia	1919 - 1922 Sc1-130 SG1 - 245	28th Apr 1992 Sc430 SG246 - 248	Triptych showing a rainbow over Mount Ararat containing one each 20k, 2r and 5r stamps.
Uzbekistan	none	7th May 1992 Sc1 SG1	20k Princess Nadira.
Tajikistan	none	20th May 2002 Sc1 SG1	50k mounted warrior, gold relief.
Georgia	1919 - 1923 Sc12-55 SG1 - 57	31st Jul 1995 Sc75 SG58-60	Souvenir sheet of three, commemorating Georgia's admission to the UN.