Latvia

Philatelic materials related to Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression

<< previous country back to index next country >>


Contents:
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, one of the three Baltic states. It is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, and Belarus to the southeast, as well as a maritime border to the west alongside Sweden.
Latvia has slightly more than 2 million inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2.
Latvia is a democratic parliamentary republic established in 1918. The capital city is Riga, the European Capital of Culture 2014. Latvian is the official language. Latvia is a unitary state, divided into 118 administrative divisions, of which 109 are municipalities and 9 are cities.
The Republic of Latvia was founded on 18 November 1918. However, its de facto independence was interrupted at the onset of World War II. In 1940, the country was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union, invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941, and re-occupied by the Soviets in 1944 to form the Latvian SSR for the next fifty years.
The peaceful Singing Revolution, starting in 1987, called for Baltic emancipation of Soviet rule. It ended with the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia on 4 May 1990, and restoring de facto independence on 21 August 1991. [R1]

The first stamps of modern Latvia were issued on October 19, 1991 with face value in Kopejka (still in Soviet currency). The first stamps with new, Latvian currency: Lat were introduced on October 3, 1992. The Latvian lats currency used in the country until it was replaced by the Euro on 1 January 2014. [R2]



Official Philatelic materials of Latvia related to Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression

10.03.2022, "We Are with You! and Glory to Ukraine!" MiNr.: 1154 (Bl.52), Scott: B153 [1]
Support for Ukraine stamps of Latvia 2022 Support for Ukraine commemoraive postmark of Latvia 2022 Support for Ukraine FDC of Latvia 2022

Notes:
[1] On the 10th of March 2022, Latvijas Pasts (Post of Latvia) issued a stamp block and a special cover in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The €1.44 stamp shows ribbons in the colors of the two nation’s flags: blue and yellow for Ukraine and red and white for Latvia.
Latvia’s postal administration, Latvijas Pasts, said in a March 8 announcement that the stamp is sold in a souvenir sheet of three stamps and a label for €9, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to the Ukrainian charity organization Ziedot.lv.

According to Ziedot.lv, the charity organization was “founded in 2003 with the mission to channel individual and business donations to people in need. Ziedot.lv is offering a safe, easy and transparent way to support carefully verified and selected charity projects, to follow-up their progress and be sure your donation has reached the goal.”

The face value of each of the stamps included in the block is €1.44, and it can be used to send an ordinary letter weighing up to 20 grams to the countries in Groups 2 and 4, which includes Ukraine.
The label in the souvenir sheet pictures the Independence Monument of Ukraine in Kyiv and the Monument of Freedom of Latvia in Riga. The words “We Are with You! and Glory to Ukraine!” are inscribed in Latvian and Ukrainian on the label and to the left and right of the stamps on the souvenir sheet. [R3]



References:



<< previous country back to index next country >>