18.10.2013

Latvijas Pasts to mark 425^th anniversary of printing works in Latvia with special stamp

On Tuesday, 22 October 2013, Latvijas Pasts will hold the first day cancellation event and ceremony for the stamp dedicated to the 425th anniversary of the beginning of printing works in the territory of Latvia. The cancellation event will take place in the Misiņš Library, 10 Rūpniecības Street, Riga, from 10 AM to 6 PM. The presentation ceremony, which will begin at 10 AM, will see the participation of representatives of Latvijas Pasts,the National Library of Latvia, the Academic Library of the University of Latvia, and the Latvian Association of Printing Companies.

The denomination of the stamp Beginning of Printing Works in the Territory of Latvia - 425 is LVL 0.60 and EUR 0.85, making it suitable for mailing a regular Class A letter to any country in the world. The author of the new stamp is artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja, who has depicted in the stamp the autograph of the founder of Riga's first printing house Niclas Mollyn and the oldest surviving printing press in the world from the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp. The print run of the stamp is 50,000.

Book printing in Riga began in 1588, when Dutchman Niclas Mollyn established the first printing and publishing company in the territory of Latvia. Mollyn arrived in the territory of Latvia from Antwerp to open a printing house in Riga, Krāmu Street. Two works were printed already in the first year of operation, one of which - the Carmen Gratulatorium of Riga resident Anselms Bocija - has survived to the present day. Mollyn printed more than 180 books in Riga, which were published mainly in German and Latin. Three books were printed in Latvian, among them the handbook of the Lutheran Church.

Click here to see the new stamp Beginning of Printing Works in the Territory of Latvia - 425, the first day cover and cancellation

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 more than 4,200 employees.

Additional information:
Zane Plone
Public Relations Specialist
Phone: +371 67608504
twitter.com/latvijas_pasts; facebook.com/latvijas.pasts