The book 100 Postal Stops issued on the centenary of Latvijas Pasts in collaboration with photographer Jānis Deinats

20.09.2018

On the centenary of the Latvian State and Latvijas Pasts the company issued the book 100 Postal Stops in collaboration with Jānis Deinats, one of the most famous Latvian photographers. The book is a visual story of the traces left by the postal industry in the landscape of Latvia over the hundred years – the letter-boxes that have linked every farmstead with the possibility of receiving items from around the world. The book launching ceremony simultaneously with the opening of J.Deinats’ photo exhibition will be held in the art gallery MuseumLV at 2 A.Pumpura Street, Riga at 11 AM on the 27^th of September 2018. The event is planned to be attended by the Minister for Transport Uldis Augulis, managers of Latvijas Pasts and authors of the book.  

2018 marks the 100^th anniversary not only of the Latvian State, but also of the Latvian postal sector and the postal company established in independent Latvia, which is known today as the State Joint Stock Company Latvijas Pasts. To celebrate this anniversary, Latvijas Pasts has partnered with J.Deinats, one of the most talented photographers in Latvia, and published the book 100 Postal Stops, including 100 photographs taken all over Latvia. They feature an essential part of the postal sector: letter-boxes that have created a link between the most remote farmsteads in Latvia and any place in the world from which it is possible for the addressees to receive their items.

Changes in the postal industry also bring about changes in the significance and appearance of letter-boxes, so the book is considered as a figurative narrative, documenting the letter-boxes as both a kind of the history pages of the sector and the reality of today.

“Just like the Latvian State, the postal sector of independent Latvia started 100 years ago. The company, which is now known as Latvijas Pasts, has undergone transformation over time and changed its name, delivery vehicles and speed, but all in all it still forms a centenary. Because the essential remains – the post connects each of us with the whole world. This is not a book about contemporary achievements, postal growth and long-term development projects. This is a visual story told through the prism of the photographer about those stop points that may soon disappear not only out of sight, but also out of memory,” Mārcis Vilcāns, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Pasts, says.

In turn, J.Deinats, the author of the photos, points out: “The idea of immortalising letter-boxes occurred to me as an impetus when travelling around Latvia and observing them in the context of relations, because I take photos of relations rather than capture facts. I see letter-boxes as signs of the era – some of them are still available, and so can still be photographed, while others are unavailable, just like the owners or the houses for which they serve”. 

The first stamp of the Latvian State was released on the 19^th December 1918, but the postal, telegraph and telephone communications were taken over by the Latvian Provisional Government on the 27^th of December 1918. 

The print run of the book 100 Postal Stops issued in collaboration with the publishing house Jumava is 700 copies, and part of it is also available for purchase in the Latvijas Pasts e-store https://veikals.pasts.lv/.

Some J.Deinats’ photos from the book 100 Postal Stops can be seen here.

About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with around 4,000 employees. The quality measurements of Latvijas Pasts domestic mail deliveries are regularly conducted by Kantar TNS, one of the leading market, social and media research agencies in Latvia. In turn, the quality measurements of the cross-border deliveries are provided within the framework of the International Post Corporation through the intermediary of the research companies Kantar TNS, Ipsos and Quotas.

Additional information:
Gundega Vārpa | Head of External Communications
Phone: +371 67608505
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv; gundega.varpa@pasts.lv
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