I Love Stamps

Including this one of a Common Cuckoo from Belarus, thanks to Yana :)

Actually I have started collecting stamps way before postcards, not sure about the age but def before my teens. Perhaps because they were more accessible to me...not in the 'right' philatelic way of course (I am still not a proper philatelist, and I suspect I'll never be!) but as my dad was working in Germany we'd sometimes visit, and I was able to buy  unassorted lots - oh the joy of going through it all discovering what I've gotten..! I still have 6-7 stamp albums on my shelf and love going through them from time to time. Of course these days I leave the stamps intact on postcards and covers...but as I was little I used to maul the letters I received, shame...Anyhoo, it's all very well, stuff that brought or bring joy :))

White Storks (And A Local Story)

Another one in the series of Fauna of Belarus, showing White Storks. As they are migratory birds, they would have arrived from the Sub-Saharan Africa by now, nesting and having chicks. Thank you Liudmila for this card and lovely stamp :)

This has reminded me of a popular story in my country, about a pair of storks called Klepetan and Malena. Malena is a madame stork who (for 24 years now) hasn't been able to fly south because of a broken wing. Beginning of a sad story? One may think... But she has found true love in Klepetan, who comes back to her every year to the same spot! With a great help from a kind Sir Stjepan Vokić (who happens to live in the same village in the north of Croatia where my mum comes from :)) Malena is able to survive the winter and take care of the young ones. Each year (for 14 years now) the whole country is waiting for Klepetan to return to his Malena - it is usually on the same date, but this year he was 6 days late. Everyone was worried..! But in the end he made it, tired but happy :) 

Wolf, Fauna Of Belarus

I have to admit I really like this postcard series from Belarus, representing much of European continental fauna. This must also be the cutest Belarus stamp I have ever received, and to round it all up there is a special cancellation addition celebrating capital Minsk's birthday. Many thanks to Tania :))

Lynx From Belarus

A fantastic portrait of a lynx comes from Belarus, a huge card with a lot of info written on the back - i can read the cyrillics (however slowly heh) but sadly not the language. The stamp is equally picturesque showing the fauna of Naliboki Pushcha (one of four). Thank you Irina :)

Elk, Fauna Of Belarus

To this day this remains to be the nicest mail I've ever received from Belarus - from the series of native fauna (all beautiful photos) comes this Eurasian elk (Alces alces) in autumn woods, completed with more of the fauna on stamps. Thank you dear Kate :)

I have been waiting for the opportunity to show these on Viridian's Sunday Stamps - last week was the perfect opportunity as the theme was mammals, but as I couldn't post them then I am using this chance with the  anything you wish theme. The stamps were issued back in 2007 in a set of 4 as definitives (and yet I've never received them on a postcard prior to this one, perhaps the value is meant for national usage only). The beauties/cuties here are as follows:

European polecat (Mustela putorius), Forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula)

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

In the middle not a stamp but a nice addition nevertheless, possibly of Red Deer.

A special cancellation being another bonus! xD

 

P.S. As I have learnt just now Belarus Post has a very nice and comprehensive web-site and philately corner, which helped me discern that the stamps are indeed meant for postcards (A) and letters (B) within Belarus.

 

More various themes here:

 

 

 

Officials - NL, CZ, BY

UNESCO - Architectural, Residential And Cultural Complex Of The Radziwill Family At Nesvizh, Belarus

The Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh is located in central Belarus. The Radziwill dynasty, who built and kept the ensemble from the 16th century until 1939, gave birth to some of the most important personalities in European history and culture. Due to their efforts, the town of Nesvizh came to exercise great influence in the sciences, arts, crafts and architecture.

A splendid panoramnic view of the castle, many thanks to Mish :)

UNESCO - Mir Castle Complex, Belarus

 

The construction of the Mirsky Castle began at the end of the 15th century, in the Gothic architecture style. Building of the castle was completed by Duke Ilinich in the early 16th century near village Mir, western Belarus. Around 1568 the Mir Castle passed into the hands of Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł, who finished building the castle in the Renaissance style.

The second postcard shows the burial vault of the last owners of Mir – the princes Svyatopolk-Mirskys, situated in the nearby picturesque park.

I have received these cards last year, but its good that I have them for posting today for the 116th edition of Viridian's Sunday Stamps :) The themes for this week are  Christian symbols, Easter symbols, or flowers, esp. cherry blossoms. Unfortunatelly I can only participate with flower stamps...and I like this set from Belarus, especially as I rarely receive more than a few definitives on postcards from there...

The four stamps are from a set of eight showing garden flowers, issued in June 2008. They are Narcissus, Lily, Peony and Petunia. I don't know much about flowers but I am getting more and more curious about nature, agriculture, botany...and wine-making ;)

You can check other entries, some really cute ones!

           

Osprey, Belarus

Osprey or Pandion Haliaetus is also known as sea hawk or fish eagle, and accordingly it is nesting near bodies of water that provide adequate food supplies. It is wide-spread, but still not in my country..! The stamp looks like its matching the image but is actually of a kestrel - still very beautiful, and its a joy to get a different stamp from Belarus (as opposed to cute but omnipresent definitives)! Thanks for that Lady Che :)

Double Dose Of Kirdiy, Belarus

Two wonderful new Kirdiy cards from Belarus - thank  you Katya for this swap, and for choosing different Belarus stamps! :))