Slovakia EUROPA FDC

Slovakia FDC
Name: EUROPA 2009 - Astronomy
Date of Issue: 28 May 2009

On 20 December 2007, the United Nations 62nd General Assembly proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. The Resolution was submitted by Italy, Galileo Galilei’s home country. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) is an initiative of the International Astronomical Union, UNESCO, and is also supported by Slovakia. IYA2009 celebrates the first astronomical use of the telescope by Galileo in 1609 - an event which had global implications. Now hundreds of telescopes both land- and space-based explore the universe 24 hours a day. Under the central theme ‘The Universe, Yours to Discover’ IYA2009 gives all nations the chance to participate in scientific discoveries and grandiose technical solutions. This year will highlight global cooperation for peaceful purposes - the search for our cosmic origin and the common heritage which connects all citizens of Earth. The coordinating body for the IYA2009 events in Slovakia will be is the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Tatranská Lomnica. Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences on the Earth. It originated in the ancient Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations, which used cardinal points basic orientation and time measurement techniques as early as the 5th millennium BC. As a branch of science it has developed from the 16th century thanks to the works of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, and Newton. The subject of study - celestial objects - is accessible to all, so astronomy may be regarded as an international science typical of close cooperation and effective specialisation by individual countries. Thanks to concentrated efforts in three specific fields - solar and Earth-Sun relations research; the exploration of comets, meteors and asteroids; and stellar and stellar systems research - Slovakia has a firm place in the international astronomical research community. Astronomical organisations in Slovakia can be divided into three categories: (1) Basic research – the Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences; (2) Education – the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics of Comenius University in Bratislava and the Faculty of Science of P. J. Šafárik University in Košice; and (3) Popularisation – the Slovak Central Observatory in Hurbanovo and other observatories and planetaria of self-governing regions, cities, and municipalities. Astronomy fans are associated in the Slovak Astronomical Society under the Slovak Academy of Science and Slovak Association of Amateur Astronomers.

Comment: This FDC has 2 different currencies, Slovakia Koruna and Euro. it's very interesting because Slovakia adopted the common European currency Euro but the Koruna still can be used in Slovakia, I don't know what date is the last date for Koruna stamps.?

EUROPA Series FDCs:
2009 Astronomy:
Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia.

2008 Letter:
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Vatican.

Slovakia Martial Arts FDC

Slovakia FDC
Name: Sports - Martial Arts
Date of Issue: 13 March 2009

Martial art represents an extensive system of techniques which determine its character - depending on style, school, tradition, and other specific elements. Judo, iaido, kendo, aikido and other martial arts today comprise at least two different forms. This also applies to karate, which is the graphic motif for the stamp as well as the entire Martial Arts issue. Contemporary karate, mostly a sport today, developed from the traditional Okinawean tode. We ought to bear in mind however that this traditional way of fighting also has its historical predecessors: the Greek "pancration", the Indian "vajramushti", and the Chinese "chuan fa" all have something in common with the Okinawian tode. Historical and political circumstances, the occupation of the Rjukju islands in 1609, and the subsequent ban on bearing/owning weapons in 1629 led to the uniting of chuan fa and tode into a single fighting system called "te" – i.e. hands. "Te" was trained in absolute secrecy at that time and its sole purpose was to kill an opponent with a single blow. Three hundred years later, when Okinawa became a prefecture of Japan and karate became accessible to the public - the sports form of karate developed. The merger of the three cultural elements of the Chinese kara, and the Okinawean and Japanese jitsu - formed karate-jitsu, meaning the art of the Chinese hand. The apprentices of the Okinawean masters Azato and Higaonni later opened their own schools. G. Funakoshi developed the Shotokan style. Mabuni changed the Shito-style and Ghogjun Hijagi named his karate-jitsu Godju. The founder of modern karate, Gichin Funakoshi (1867-1955), changed the Chinese sign kara (meaning China) to another Chinese kara-sign (with the same pronunciation), but this time with the meaning "empty", suggesting the Zen-meaning "become empty", i.e. being in the condition of highest readiness, with the will free of selfishness and decadence in our striving for an appropriate reaction to everything we may encounter in life. In 1934 G. Funakoshi officially changed the name karate into karate-do, adding the dimension of systemic techniques and mental attitudes leading to man's improvement and quality enhancement on his path to all-round development. By adding the word "do" and the formation of karate-do, this martial art became closer to budo-arts such as "kendo" – the way of the sword, "kjudo" – the way of the bow, and "judo" – the fine-way. "Do" means 'the way' – i.e. the way of life we all should lead to become aware of our inner-most essence, i.e. karate-do. This means that also other budo-arts are principally ways of becoming a true human being.

Comment: Very interesting, 2 additional stamps were not cancelled! But, if these addditional stamps were cancelled, this FDC might be damaged.

Slovakia Plicka FDC

Slovakia FDC
Name: Karol Plicka (Czech Republic - Slovakia Joint Issue)
Date of Issue: 12 September 2008

Karol Plicka was the key Slovak cultural personality of the first half of the twentieth century. The founder of cinematography and a pioneer of photography, he was among the first Slovak photographers to base his work on a clearly formulated conception.

Born in 1894 to Czech parents in Vienna, he became a professional musician. In 1927 – 1931 he studied musical folkloristics and ethnology at the Faculty of Philosophy of Comenius University in Bratislava. Following the formation of the independent Czechoslovakia, he joined Matica Slovenská [the leading Slovak national and cultural institution – translator's note] to collect and record the notes and lyrics of traditional Slovak folksongs in the period 1924 – 1939. Plicka was well aware of the complexity and inter-relational nature of folk art and expression. But he attempted to capture the environment residing at the root of Slovak folksong – either through drawing or, more often, photography. This concept led him to make his first collection of photographs of people, countryside, traditional architecture, interior elements, tools, work, observances, and customs of Slovak folk. Selected photographs from this collection were used in artistic postcards published by Matica Slovenská between 1924 –1926.

Plicka anticipated the imminent dissipation of the spiritual and aesthetical values of traditional folk culture. This prompted him to put immense and consistent effort into their recording, not only by writing and photographing, but also – in so far as the technology of his day allowed through gramophone recording and film-making. The result was his synthetic opus Zem spieva (The Earth Sings, 1932 – 1933), the first sound-film in the history of Slovakia and modern film poem that aspired to become an 'ode to life in the Slovak countryside from spring thru winter'.

It seems that, at least initially, Plicka's experience with the almost 'pre-historic' religiosity and poverty of Slovak people moved him to take a strictly and purely documentaristic approach to his work. However, it was later in the 1930s that the monumental nature of his photographs - somewhat similar to the paintings of Martin Benka - prevailed and Plicka managed to enhance his works further by a strong poetical setting. These are the photographs that were later used in the photo-book Slovensko (Slovakia, 1937) – the first ever Slovak photographic publication with numerous popular re-editions. In later years, Plicka published several other photographic projects and worked at the newly-founded Film School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He passed away in 1987 in Prague.

Comment: This is a special FDC for me. 1. This is my first FDC that the stamp and FDC's illustration are all engraving; 2. This is my first Joint Issue FDC which has only issued one stamp in both countries.

Slovakia Paralympic Games FDC

Slovakia FDC
Name: Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games
Date of Issue: 06 June 2008

The XIII Paralympic Games will be held 6 – 17 September 2008 in Beijing. The sailing and equestrian competitions will be hosted by Qingdao and Hong Kong, respectively. A record number of competitors – more than 4,000 sportsmen and sportswomen from 150 countries – will compete in a record number of 18 sports, with the assistance of 2,500 trainers and support team members. A total of 471 gold medals will be distributed. Media coverage will involve 4,000 people, and 30,000 volunteers from all over the world will facilitate the smooth course of the Games. The competitions will take place in the Olympic sports facilities with the paralympic slogan 'Spirit in Motion'. The Paralympic movement was inspired by Sir Ludwig Guttman (1899 – 1980), a great physician, the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and the father of the idea of sport as a method of therapy for the disabled. He is also the founder of the British Sports Association of the Disabled, as well as the Summer (1960) and Winter Paralympic Games (1976). He was awarded the Fearnley Cup (1956) – an award for outstanding contribution to the spreading of the Olympic ideal - and inspired many devoted successors. As evident from the increasing number of participants at the Paralympics Games, the paralympic movement is flourishing. The first PG was organised in Rome in 1960 and attended by 400 competitors from 23 countries. The fifth PG in Toronto 1976 was attended by 1,600 competitors from 42 countries. As many as 3,195 sportsmen and sportswomen from 103 countries competed at the X Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, including Slovak competitors who won 11 medals. The Slovak Paralympic Committee was founded on 31 January 1995 as a body associating disabled competitors with physical, sensory (sight and hearing), and mental impairments. It is a member of the International Paralympic Committee associating 161 countries. Let's hope that the track record of 10 gold, 7 silver, and 14 bronze medals from the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Sydney, and Athens, in athletics, cycling, archery, swimming, table tennis, and volleyball, will inspire these outstanding sportsmen and sportswomen in the run-up to the Olympic challenge.

Comment: This is the first real posted FDC of 2008 Paralympic Games in my collection. I know many countries had issued or will issue 2008 Olympic Games stamps, but only few country had issued or will issue 2008 Paralympic Games stamps.

Estonia 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Gold Medalist Autographed FDC
Estonia 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Silver Medalists Autographed Postal Stationery

2008 Beijing Olympic Games FDCs:
Algeria, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Estonia Sheetlet, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hong Kong M/S, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Portugal M/S, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Ukraine.

2008 Beijing Paralympic Games FDCs:
Czech Republic, Slovakia.

Slovakia Olympic Games FDC

Slovakia FDC
Name: Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
Date of Issue: 04 June 2008

The XXIX Olympic Games will be held 8 – 24 August 2008 in Beijing, with the slogan 'One World One Dream'. The Olympic Football Tournament will be played in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Quinhuangdao, while Qingdao and Hong Kong will host the sailing and equestrian competitions, respectively. About 10,500 sportsmen and sportswomen will compete in 302 disciplines (thereof 165 men's, 127 women's, and 10 mixed competitions) covering 28 sports. At the 112th IOC Session, which took place in 2001 in Moscow, Beijing was elected the Host City for the Games, beating candidates such as Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Today, the official symbol 'Dancing Beijing' invites the world to experience Chinese culture. The modern architecture of sports facilities and the impressive flower decoration of Tiananmen Square - otherwise having very different connotations - should make the impression that the country of over a thousand years' of traditions is ready to make another leap. This time, it's a leap into the 21st century. Controversies on questions such as human rights violations, the situation in Tibet, Myanmar, and Sudan's Darfur, will not lead to the boycotts which hampered the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980 or Los Angeles 1984 – but not the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Honorary President of the IOC, team up with main sponsors like Adidas, Volkswagen, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's in the hope that the Games will be successful. About 50 Slovak competitors will expect difficult climatic conditions and tough global competition. The organisers are planning an Olympic torch relay to the top of Mt. Everest. In view of the recent 15th anniversary of the Slovak Olympic Committee (December 19, 1992), each member of the Slovak Olympic family surely hopes to climb his or her personal 'Mt. Everest' and enrich the Slovak collection of 15 Olympic medals.

Comment: Because it has a woman long jump athlete on the stamp. I guess whether her prototype is Galina Dmitriyevna Chistyakova (Russian: Галина Дмитриевна Чистякова, Slovak: Galina Čisťaková; born July 26, 1962). She is a Slovakian and the Women's Long Jump World Record Holder.

Estonia 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Gold Medalist Autographed FDC
Estonia 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Silver Medalists Autographed Postal Stationery

2008 Beijing Olympic Games FDCs:
Algeria, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Estonia Sheetlet, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Hong Kong M/S, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Portugal M/S, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Ukraine.

2008 Beijing Paralympic Games FDCs:
Czech Republic, Slovakia.

Slovakia Easter FDC

Slovakia FDC
Name: Easter 2008
Issue date: 28 February 2008

Easter, or the Feast of Easter (also referred to as Pascha in Latin and Pessah in Hebrew), is the principal Christian feast which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ as observed by Christians globally. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was resurrected on the third day after crucifixion, some time between 27 and 33 AD.

In the Catholic liturgical calendar, the Easter cycle begins on the eve of Easter Sunday and lasts fifty days until Whitsunday, i.e. the Descent of the Holy Ghost. Interestingly enough, it is a 'movable' Christian feast, this means that the Church annually determines its exact date by means of the lunar rather than the solar calendar. Thus, in the Western tradition, Easter falls somewhere between 22 March and 25 April (inclusive). This being was based on the rule of the first Sunday after the first full moon which follows the spring equinox (21 March).

The first written record of the celebration of Christ's resurrection dates to the 2nd century AD. The meaning of this Christian feast is associated with the original Jewish feast of Pessah, which commemorates the Old Testament story of the passing of Israel from Egypt across the Red Sea under the guidance of Moses.
The principal symbol of Easter is the lamb. In Christian tradition, this symbolises Jesus Christ - the Lamb of God - who by His act of sacrifice "takes away the sins of the world". Other Easter symbols include the Cross (commemorating the crucifixion), fire (symbolising victory over darkness and death), and a candle (symbol of resurrection).

In the Slavic milieu, many archaic traditions associated with the feast of spring and fertility remain in the symbolism of Easter. Folk customs observed in Slovakia include feasting, painting eggs, and braiding wicker whips. The Easter Monday tradition of 'bathing' is prevalent in Eastern Slovakia, whilst in Central and Western Slovakia, 'whipping' is commonly practised (i.e. the symbolic and light-hearted whipping of girls and women with Easter whips). Current issue of stamp Easter 2008 presents in folk customs mentioned above.

2008 Poland Easter FDC
2008 Slovakia Easter FDC