KARABAKH IN STAMPS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
28 Sept 04

At the end of the previous year one of the world’s most popular
journals in the sphere of philately German “MICHEL” published an
article headlined “A Letter from Nagorni Karabakh” on the stamps of
Nagorni Karabakh. For the author of the article Gerdt Bundesman the
core problem is that MICHEL refuses to include the stamps of Karabakh
in the catalogue; the reason is that the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh
has not been recognized, and according to the catalogue, the stamps
are not legal in world postal services. The article also informs that
the German post had recognized the stamps of Karabakh equally with
those of other countries and they are in fact used for sending mail to
other countries. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union we also used
the postal stamps of the USSR. But after the collapse of the Soviet
country, in the years of the Artsakh movement the necessity of issuing
the stamps of Nagorni Karabakh occurred. The issuing was undertaken by
the head of the information-analytical agency of the Supreme Soviet of
Nagorni Karabakh, advisor to president Sergey Kalantarian. During the
talk with him he told that in mid-1992 when he still worked at the
Supreme Soviet, he suggested issuing the stamps of the republic. The
suggestion was approved and on October 7, 1992 the decision on issuing
of Karabakh stamps was adopted. Sergey Kalantarian was responsible for
issuing and received a corresponding status. S. Kalantarian said that
the first stamps of the republic were used on June 11, 1993. The series
included the stamps “The National Flag”, “Artur Mkrtichian”, “The
National Monument”, “Church Gandzasar”. “In 1994 I sent information to
the catalogue MICHEL hoping that the stamps would be included in the
same catalogue. I was not refused at the beginning, they even promised
to publish the stamps. But in several months they refused saying
that the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh had not been recognized. Then,
in 1998 the publisher of the English catalogue “Stanley Gibbons”
got interested in our stamps to which I again sent the stamps and
information. This time they published the stamps but in the section
of Azerbaijan. I suggested the editor to place the stamps in the
catalogue separately in order for us to continue cooperation, as we
have no relations to Azerbaijan. Due to disagreement the relationships
were stopped,” said Kalantarian. According to him, owing to Gerdt
Bundesman recently the stamps of Nagorni Karabakh have been included
in the same journal “MICHEL” and later they will be included in the
catalogue as well. The Karabakh stamps were also placed in the French
catalogue “Yvert & Teller – 2003”. Sergey Kalantarian also informed
that in 1996 new stamps were issued dedicated to the fifth anniversary
of the independence of Karabakh on the funding of the German company
“Edition 2002” (M. Mittelstrass). According to S. Kalantarian, this
company wished to continue issuing our stamps. There is already an
arrangement and after signing the contract with “Artsakhpost” works
will hopefully begin. By the way, in 1997 on the means of the same
company stamps devoted to the New Year and Christmas, and in 1998
(with delay) stamps devoted to the fifth anniversary of liberation
of Shushi were issued. In the latter coloured pictures of Shoushi
of the beginning of the previous century were used. On February 20,
1998 together with Armenia stamps devoted to the 10th anniversary
of the Karabakh movement were issued and printed in Netherlands. On
2001 a series devoted to the 1700 years of adoption of Christianity
in Armenia was issued again on state funding. Besides the thematic
stamps there were also reprinted stamps on the basis of the previous
ones. According to Sergey Kalantarian, presently in the Republic of
Lithuania they are interested in issuing of our stamps. In Karabakh
there are people ready to issue new stamps at certain conditions and
provide them free of charge to “Artsakhpost”. Presently the joint NKR
and RA stamp “Karabakh Horse” is printed. While new stamps are issued
in our republic, different complaints are made by the neighbouring
country connected with the appearance of our stamps in the catalogue
“MICHEL” and in acceptance of our stamps in other country posts at
all. The NKR stamps are issued officially, they bear the national
symbols which provide collectors with certain information about
Nagorni Karabakh.

ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
28-09-2004