Ukraine UKR-SWE Union FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Ukrainian - Swedish Military and Political Unions of XVII - XVIII Centuries
Date of Issue: 01 October 2008

Alliance with Bohdan Khmelnytsky
An alliance between Sweden and Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky against Poland was negotiated several times between 1651 and 1657. After the 1656 peace in Vilnius between Muscovy and Poland Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky was furiated and wrote to the tsar Alexis I of Russia: The Swedes are an honest people; when they pledge friendship and alliance, they honour their word. However, the Tsar, in establishing an armistice with the Poles and in wishing to return us into their hands, has behaved most heartlessly with us. Even after the Treaty of Pereyaslav in 1654 Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky continued to negotiate with the Swedes and in late 1655 his ambassador made proposals to the Swedish king Charles X Gustav to accept Ukraine as a Swedish vassal state and promised him the faithful service of the entire Zaporozhian Host.

Finally an agreement was signed between Sweden and three Ukrainian commanders (Ivan Bohun, the leader of the Ukrainian protestants Jerzy Niemirycz and Ivan Kovalyvsky) on October 6, 1657 in Korsun where Sweden acknowledged the Ukrainian borders all the way to Wisła in the west and Prussia in the north. But by then Bohdan Khmelnytsky had died one month earlier and after the Swedes had left Poland for military campaigns in Denmark the proposed alliance died.

Alliance with Ivan Mazepa
During the Great Northern War Sweden and Hetman Ivan Mazepa formed an alliance in 1708 against Peter I of Russia. But after the defeat at Poltava on June 28, 1709 parts of the Swedish army under king Charles XII and Hetman Ivan Mazepa together with his loyal cossacks had to flee to Bender in Ottoman Turkey where Mazepa soon died. Pylyp Orlyk was then chosen as a Hetman in exile by the cossacks and the Swedish king Charles XII. While in Bender Pylyp Orlyk wrote one of the first state constitutions in Europe. This constitutions was confirmed by Charles XII and it also names him as the protector of Ukraine. More...

Comment: If you have seen the fullsheet of this set, You will realize the background of this set more clearly, because there are 4 coupons in this fullsheet and depicts 4 important person and text. oh, but you should know Ukrainian at first, lol!

Ukraine Songs FDCs

Ukraine FDCs
Name: Ukrainian Songs
Date of Issue: 05 September 2008

Carols
Spring SongsCossack SongsChumak Songs

Comment: It hasn't any backgroud information on "Marka Ukrainy" website, so it's hard to understanding this set.

Ukraine Monastery FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: The 900th Anniversary of the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery
Date of Issue: 11 July 2008

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery (Ukrainian: Михайлівський золотоверхий монастир; translit.: Mykhaylivs’kyi zolotoverkhyi monastyr; Russian: Михайловский златоверхий монастырь; translit.: Mikhaylovsky zlatoverkhy monastyr) is a functioning monastery in Kiev, Ukraine. The monastery is located on the Western side of the Dnieper River on the edge of a bluff northeast of the St. Sophia Cathedral. The site is located in the historic and administrative Uppertown and overlooks the city's historical commercial and merchant quarter, the Podil neighbourhood.

Originally built in the Middle Ages by Sviatopolk II Iziaslavych, the monastery comprises the Cathedral itself (Mykhaylivs’kyi zolotoverkhyi sobor), the refectory of St. John the Divine, built in 1713, the Economic Gates (Ekonomichna vrata), constructed in 1760 and the monastery's bell tower, which was added circa 1716–1719. The exterior of the structure was rebuilt in the Ukrainian Baroque style in the 18th century while the interior remained in its original Byzantine style.[3] The cathedral was demolished by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s, but was recently reconstructed after Ukraine gained its independence. More...

Comment: I was so sad when I received this FDC. My friend didn't send it by registered mail, so it was damaged.

Ukraine 1st Stamps FDCs

Ukraine FDCs
Name: The 90th Anniversary of the First Postage Stamps of Ukrainian State
Date of Issue: 04 July 2008

The first stamps of independent Ukraine with the word Ukraine on them were issued in 1918. Altogether in the times of the Ukrainian People's Republic five postage stamps were issued — two of them were designed by Sereda, an artist of whom little is known, and the other three by Heorhiy Narbut, a graphic artist of a remarkable talent. His contribution to the development of the art of postage stamps in Ukraine decades later was commemorated with the establishment of a special Narbut prize, which is annually awarded to the best designers of postage stamps in Ukraine. More...
Denominations:
2.47: 10 shahs
3.33: 20 shahs
Coupon: Anton Sereda (1890-1961)
Denominations:
1.00: 40 shahs
2.47: 50 shahs
3.33: 30 shahs
Coupon: Heorhiy Narbut (1886-1920)

Comment: Ukrainian Stamps' design are always beautiful and reasonable. They issued 2 M/S for this set because the 1st Ukrainian Stamps were designed by two designers, Anton Sereda and Heorhiy Narbut. For this reason, Sereda's portrait and his designs on one M/S, and Narbut's portrait and his designs on the other M/S.

Ukraine Crimea FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Crimean Nature Reserve
Date of Issue: 18 June 2008

Designs:
1.00: Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus)
1.00: Swan Islands
1.00: Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
1.00: Silene jailensis N. Rubtz.

Crimea is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea and on the western coast of the Sea of Azov, bordering Kherson Oblast from the North. Although located in southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, the city of Sevastopol has a special but separate municipality status within Ukraine. Crimea's total land area is 26,100 km² (10,038 sq mi).

Crimea is connected to the mainland by the 5–7 kilometre (3–4 mile) wide Isthmus of Perekop. At the eastern tip is the Kerch Peninsula, which is directly opposite the Taman Peninsula on the Russian mainland. Between the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, lies the 3–13 km (2–9 mi) wide Strait of Kerch, which connects the waters of the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov. More...

Comment: I don't know whether the Ukraine Post had reduced their postal rating. the registered postage of this FDC is cheaper than before. Who knows?

Ukraine Dogs FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Dogs
Date of Issue: 16 May 2008

Designs:
1.00: Dachshund
The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. The breed's name is German and literally means "badger dog," from (der) Dachs, badger, and (der) Hund, dog. The standard size was developed to scent, chase, and flush badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature was to hunt rabbits. Due to the long, narrow build, they are sometimes referred to as a wiener dog. Not withstanding the German origin of the dachshund's name, within German-speaking countries the breed is known—both formally and informally—as the Dackel or Teckel. More...

1.00: American Bulldog
The American Bulldog is a breed of working dog developed for catching livestock and for protecting property.. Though larger in size, they are the closest surviving relative of the Old English Bulldog because they were not altered to as great an extent while in Colonial America as their European cousins. There are generally considered to be two types of American Bulldog, the Johnson type and the Scott type, named after the breeders who were influential in developing them, John D. Johnson and Allen Scott. These are more commonly known as Classic or Bully type and Standard or Performance type. More...

1.00: Rottweiler
A Rottweiler is a large dog breed originating in Germany as herding dogs. The early Rottweilers also worked as beasts of burden, carrying wood and other products to market. In addition, they were used as draft animals to pull carts filled with various products for their owners. During the first and second World Wars, Rottweilers were put into service as war time guard dogs. Currently they are frequently used as guard and police dogs. More...

1.00: Chow Chow
Chow Chow, or Chow, is a breed of dog that originated in China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan (Chinese: 松狮犬), which literally means "puffy-lion dog." It is believed that the Chow Chow is one of the native dogs used as the model for the Foo dog, the traditional stone guardians found in front of Buddhist temples and palaces. More...

1.00: Standard Schnauzer
The Standard Schnauzer is the original breed of the three breeds of Schnauzer, and despite its wiry coat and general appearance, is not related to the British terriers. Rather, its origins are in old herding and guard breeds of Europe. The breed is a robust, squarely built, medium-sized dog with aristocratic bearing, making it a popular subject of painters Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt. More...

1.00: German Shepherd
The German Shepherd Dog (GSD), is a breed of dog originally bred for herding sheep. There are various other names for this dog such as Alsatian (which originated out of Anti-German sentiment during WWI) and simply German Shepherd. Today, based on 2006 Kennel Club figures, German Shepherd Dogs are one of the most popular breeds in the UK, with 12,857 registrations and also one of the most popular breeds in the United States with 43,575 registrations. They can be found working as guide dogs for the blind or disabled, police work, guarding, search and rescue, therapy and in the military. Despite their suitability for such work, German Shepherds can also make loyal and loving pets inside the home. They enjoy being around people and other animals, although socialization is critical for young puppies in order to prevent aggressive and dangerous behavior as an adult. German Shepherds are well-suited to obedience, with advanced and prestigious titles available to test both the handler and dog in various Schutzhund trials. More...

2008 Ukraine Dogs FDC
2007 Ukraine Dogs FDC

Ukraine Cats FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Cats
Date of Issue: 16 May 2008

Designs:
1.00: Persian
Persians are believed to have originated from central Asia, probably Iran (Persia). Longhair cats were brought to Europe from that region during the seventeenth century. Their popularity increased during the nineteenth century, and they became famous during the first cat show held in London in 1871. More...

1.00: Selkirk Rex
The Selkirk Rex is a breed of cat with highly curled hair, including the whiskers (vibrissae). It is distinct from all other Rex breeds. Unlike the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, the hair is of normal length and not partly missing, and there are longhair and shorthair varieties. It differs from the LaPerm in that its coat is more plush and thick and although both have dominant Rex genes they behave in different ways. While the LaPerm gene is a simple dominant, the Selkirk gene (Se) acts as an incomplete dominant; incompletely dominant allele pairs produce three possible genotypes and phenotypes: heterozygous cats (Sese) may have a fuller coat that is preferred in the show ring, while homozygous cats (SeSe) may have a tighter curl and less coat volume. More...

1.00: Exotic Shorthair
Breeders crossed the American Shorthair with the Persian in the United States around 1960. Thus were born shorthaired Persians, called Exotic Shorthairs and recognized by the C.F.A in 1966. During the breeding program, crosses were also made with the Russian Blue and the Burmese. Since 1987, the only allowable outcross breed is the Persian. The F.I.Fe. recognized the Exotic Shorthair in 1986. They have nearly the same body as the Persian, but a thick, dense short coat. They appeal to people who like the personality of a Persian but do not want the hassle of grooming a long-haired cat. They are also known as "The Lazy Man's Persian." More...

1.00: Burmese
The Burmese (Thai: ศุภลักษณ์ subh-bha-lak meaning fortunate, beautiful, and splendid appearance) is a breed of domesticated cats split into two subgroups: the American Burmese and the British Burmese. Most cat registries do not recognise a split between the two groups, but those that do formally refer to the type developed by British cat breeders as the European Burmese.

Originally, Burmese cats were exclusively brown (sable), but years of selective breeding have produced a wide variety of colours. Different associations have different rules about which of these count as Burmese. Burmese cats are known for being sociable and friendly with humans, as well as intelligent. They are very vocal, and often call to their owners. More...

1.00: Siamese
The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of Oriental cat. The exact origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Southeast Asia, and is said to be descended from the sacred temple cats of Siam (now Thailand). In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichien-maat (วิเชียรมาศ, a name meaning "Moon diamond"). In the twentieth century the Siamese cats became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America. More...

1.00: Kurile Island Bobtail
Both this breed and its homeland are of uncertain ownership. The Kurile Island chain, running from the easternmost point of Russia to the tip of Japan's Hokkaido Island, is disputed between the two nations. The Kurile Island Bobtail is of quite a different type from the Japanese Bobtail, although it has the same short tail.

Its coat, conditioned by the harsh winters of its northern home, is longer and thicker than that of its more southerly relative, and its build is sturdier. A relatively small range of colors is recognized by the breed standard. A friendly breed, it nonetheless retains its independence. More...

2008 Ukraine Cats FDC
2007 Ukraine Cats FDC

Ukraine Gogol FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: 200th Birth Anniversary of Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852)
Date of Issue: 21 March 2008

Designs:
1.52: Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852)
2.47: Taras Bulba

Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol (Russian: Никола́й Васи́льевич Го́голь, Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol; Ukrainian: Микола Васильович Гоголь, Mykola Vasylovych Hohol) (April 1, 1809 – March 4, 1852) was a Russian writer of Ukrainian ethnicity. Although his early works were heavily influenced by his Ukrainian upbringing and identity, he wrote in Russian and his works belong to the tradition of Russian literature; often called the "father of modern Russian realism," he was one of the first Russian authors to criticize his country's way of life. The novels Taras Bulba (1835; 1842 [revised edition]), Dead Souls (1842), the play The Inspector-General (1836, 1842), and the short story The Overcoat (1842) are among his masterpieces. More...

Ukraine EUROPA FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: EUROPA 2008 - Letter
Date of Issue: 12 March 2008

Designs:
2.47: Writing Letter
3.33: Typing Letter

Comment: I like this design very much, the designer used very good design to annotate "Letter". You could see traditional handwriting letter(left) and Modern E-letter(right). aha. Only one faulty stroke in this set - The woman on the right stamp who looks like a mediaeval woman. How about your opinion?

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

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

Ukraine Paintings FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Paintings of Taras Shevchenko
Issue date: 23 February 2008

Designs:
1.00: Gypsy-Fortuneteller (1841)
1.52: Katerina (1842)
2.47: Self-Portrait (1840)

Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: Тарáс Григóрович Шевчéнко) (March 9 [O.S. February 25] 1814 – March 10 [O.S. February 26] 1861) was a Ukrainian poet, artist and humanist. His literary heritage is regarded to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and, to a large extent, the modern Ukrainian language. Shevchenko also wrote in Russian and left many masterpieces as a painter and an illustrator. More...

Ukraine Smoking Pipe FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Smoking Pipe (Definitive Issue)
Issue date: 15 February 2008

A pipe is a tool used for smoking. The designs of pipes vary considerably, but for the most part they are reusable and consist of a chamber, or bowl, in which the substance to be smoked is placed, a stem of some sort and a mouthpiece through which the smoke is sucked or inhaled. More...

Ukraine Olympic Games FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: XXIX Olympic Games. Beijing-2008
Date of Issue: 26 January 2008

Designs:
1,00: Archery
1,30: Fencing
2,47: Cycling
3,33: Rowing

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.

Ukraine Zodiac FDCs

Ukraine FDCs
Name: Signs of the Zodiac
Issue date: 2008 January 18th
Designs: from left to right
I am Taurus...
And I am Capricorn
I am real Virgo
Designs: from left to right
I am the most exact Libra
I am well-aimed Sagittarius
I am little Aries
Designs: from left to right
We are Gemini
I am Aquarius...
I am real Leo rrrr…
Designs: from left to right
I am golden Pisces
I don't know why, but I am simply Scorpio
I am little Cancer

Ukraine Costumes M/S FDC

Ukraine Minisheet FDC
Name: Traditional Costumes
Issue date: 2007 December 22nd

Designs:
70 K.: Traditional costumes of Khmelnitsky.
70 K.: Traditional costumes of Khmelnitsky.
70 K.: Traditional costumes of Bukovina region.
70 K.: Traditional costumes of Bukovina region.
70 K.: Traditional costumes of Zakarpatie region.
70 K.: Traditional costumes of Zakarpatie region.

Ukraine Euro 2012 FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Towards EURO 2012
Issue date: 2007 December 22nd

Neighbours Poland and Ukraine will stage UEFA EURO 2012™ following a decision taken by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in Cardiff, Wales in April 2007.

The tournament will be played at four venues in Poland (Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw) and four in Ukraine (Dneprpetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev and Lvov).

Ukraine Christmas FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!
Date of Issue: 16 November 2007

2009 Christmas FDCs:
Estonia, Israel, Lithuania.

2008 Christmas FDCs:
Canada: The Nativity, Canada: Winter Fun, Estonia, Italy, Lithuania.

2007 Christmas FDCs:
Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Ukraine, Vatican.

Ukraine First Space Satellite FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: 50 Years of First Space Satellite Launch
Issue date: 2007 October 4th

Design:
"Sputnik 1" Artificial Satellite
The S/S selvages bear the image of satellite creator, designer of spacecrafts Serhii Korolyov(left) and designer of rocket engine Valentyn Hlushko(right).

Sputnik 1 (Russian: "Спутник-1", "Satellite-1", or literally "Co-traveler-1" byname ПС-1 (PS-1, i.e. "Простейший Спутник-1", or Elementary Satellite-1)) was the first artificial satellite to be put into geocentric orbit. Launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, it was the first satellite of the Sputnik program.

The satellite helped to identify the density of high atmospheric layers by its orbit change and provided data on radio-signal distribution in the ionosphere. Because the satellite's body was filled with pressurized nitrogen, Sputnik 1 also provided the first opportunity for meteorite detection, as losses in internal pressure due to meteoroid penetration of the outer surface would have been evident in the temperature data. The unanticipated announcement of Sputnik 1's success precipitated the Sputnik crisis in the United States and ignited the so-called Space Race within the Cold War.

Sputnik-1 was set in motion during the International Geophysical Year from the Site No.1 at the 5th Tyuratam range in Kazakh SSR (now at the Baikonur Cosmodrome). The satellite travelled at 29,000 kilometers (18,000 mi) per hour and emitted radio signals at around 20.005 and 40.002 MHz which were monitored by amateur radio operators throughout the world. The signals continued for 22 days until the transmitter batteries ran out on October 26, 1957. Sputnik 1 burned as it fell from orbit upon reentering Earth's atmosphere, after traveling about 60 million km (37 million miles) and spending 6 months in orbit. More...

Ukraine WWF Bird FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Great White Pelican - WWF
Issue date: 2007 September 20th

The White Pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus also known as the Eastern White Pelican or Great White Pelican is a bird in the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia and in Africa in swamps and shallow lakes. The tree nest is a crude heap of vegetation.

This is a large pelican, at a mass of 10 kg (22 lbs), 160 cm (63 in) long and with a 280 cm (110 inch) wingspan. It differs from the Dalmatian Pelican, the only larger species of pelican, by its pure white, rather than greyish-white, plumage, a bare pink facial patch around the eye and pinkish legs. Immature birds are grey and have dark flight feathers.

More than 50% of White Pelicans breed in the Danube Delta. This pelican migrates short distances, wintering in northeast Africa. In flight, it is an elegant soaring bird, with the head held close to and aligned with the body by a downward bend in the neck.

Pelicans catch fish in their huge bill pouches, most, like this species, while swimming at the surface.

Like the Dalmatian Pelican, this species has declined greatly through habitat loss and persecution.

The White Pelican is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Ukraine Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: 1100th Anniversary of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi
Issue date: 2007 September 16th

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi (Ukrainian: Переяслав-Хмельницький, translit. Pereyaslav-Khmel′nyts′kyi; also referred to as Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyy) is a city located there Alta River flows into Trubizh River in the Kiev Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi Raion (district), the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast. Resting some 95 km south of the nation's capital, Kiev, Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi can sometimes be confused with the Khmelnytskyi, a city on the Southern Buh River, also in Ukraine.

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi played a significant role in the history of Ukraine. It was mentioned for the first time in the text of the Rus' treaty with the Byzantine Empire (911) as Pereyaslav-Russki, to distinguish it from Pereyaslavets in Bulgaria. Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev built here in 992 the large fortress to protect the southern limits of Kievan Rus' from raids of nomads from steppes of currently Southern Ukraine. It was a capital of the Principality of Pereyaslav from the middle of the 11th century until its demolition by Tatars in 1239, during the Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'.

In the second half of the 16th century it became a center of the Ukrainian Cossacks. Bohdan Khmelnytsky called here the "Council of Pereyaslav", where the Ukrainian Cossacks had voted for a military alliance with Muscovy and accepted the Treaty of Pereyaslav. This event led finally to the unification of the Left-Bank Ukraine with Russia. The town known as Pereiaslav as that time, and later as Pereiaslav-Poltavskyi was renamed to Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi in 1943 to honour this event.

The current estimated population is around 25,000.

Ukraine Fishes FDC

Ukraine FDC
Name: Fishes (Ukraine - Moldova Joint Issue)
Issue date: 2007 September 6th

Design:
Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii): Left
Russian sturgeon is one of the most valuable species of the rivers of Russia, where it is known under the name Osétr (Осётр) or Ossetra; it is said to inhabit the Siberian rivers also, and to range eastwards as far as Lake Baikal. It was so abundant in the rivers of the Black and Caspian seas that more than one-fourth of the caviares and isinglass manufactured in Iran and Russia was derived from this species. However, due to poaching and overfishing it is now a threatened species.

Zingel (Zingel zingel): Right
Occurs in shallow water of the Danube, Prut, and Dnestr river systems. Mainly nocturnal. Feeds on benthic animals and fish eggs and larvae. Spawns March to April between gravel at places with strong current.