17.08.2011

Latvijas Paststo present stamp series and special envelopes dedicated to restored Riga Stock Exchange building

Latvijas Pastshas issued a series of personalized stamps and special envelopes to celebrate the restoration of the historical building of Riga Stock Exchange, which from now on will be managed by the Latvian National Museum of Art. The presentation of the stamps and envelopes, as well as the first day cancellation event, will be held on Monday, August 22, during the opening of the new museum Riga Bourse, at 10 AM in the Stock Exchange building, 6 Doma Square.

Three stamps selected by the experts of the art museum Riga Bourse have been included in the personalized stamp series released by LatvijasPasts, each with a different denomination.

The stamp with a face value of LVL 0.60 features the painting The Rifleman (1898) by the Finnish artist Väino Alfred Blomstedt (1871-1947); it is stylistically similar to the works of Latvian old masters Vilhelms Purvītis and Janis Rozentāls and forms a symbolical link with the art of Latvia and the world. Stamps with this face value can be used to mail a regular letter to any country in the world.

The stamp with a face value of LVL 0.55 displays the historical view of the Riga Stock Exchange building, as envisioned by Harald von Bosse (1812-1894), the Saint Petersburg architect with German origins. The historical image rendered in the stamp was published in the 1861 issue of the Rigascher Almanach. Stamps with this face value can be used to mail a regular letter to a European Union member state.

The face value of the third stamp is LVL 0.35, and it depicts the floor tiles of the Stock Exchange building, which are a copy of the tiles laid in the beginning of the 20^th century. The flooring is among the most interesting aspects of the building's interior. Stamps of this denomination can be used to mail a regular letter within the territory of the Republic of Latvia.

LatvijasPasts has also released three different envelopes dedicated to the opening of the restored Riga Stock Exchange building. They depict the logo of the art museum Riga Stock Exchange and the most important figure in the façade of the building - Mercury, created in 1885 by the sculptor David Jensen (1816-1902).

The first day cancellation event for the stamps and envelopes will take place in the vestibule of Riga Stock Exchange from 10 AM to 6 PM. The print run of the new series consists of 30,000 stamps, while the number of envelopes released will be 1200.

The Riga Stock Exchange building was built from 1852 to 1855 and today is an architectural monument of national significance. The building's architecture is characterized by the Palazzo style of the Italian Renaissance, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. The new art museum Riga Stock Exchange, which will be open to the public in the historical building from August 22, will be a new type of museum in Latvia with modern exhibition halls on six floors, different exhibitions, a library of art publications, premises for seminars and conferences, cafes, an art gift shop, etc.

View images of the stamps and envelopeshere.

The next new stamp issue is planned for August 25.

About VAS Latvijas Pasts

Latvijas Pastsensures 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 philately, transport and express mail, financial intermediation, payment, press subscription and retail services. Latvijas Pasts is a fully state-owned company with approximately 5000 employees.

Additional information:

Agija Tērauda,
VAS Latvijas Pasts
Public relations specialist
Phone: +371 67608504
E-mail:agija.terauda@pasts.lv
www.pasts.lv