On the 9th of June, Latvijas Pasts together with the choir Dziesmu pasts will present the stamps dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Song Festival

05.06.2023

To mark the 150^th anniversary of the Nationwide Latvian Song Festival, Latvijas Pasts releases a block of two stamps and two separate stamps, whose designs symbolise the history of the most important festival for our nation and its existence in the future. The first day cancellation of the philatelic releases is scheduled to take place in the art gallery MuseumLV at 2 A. Pumpura Street, Riga from 10 AM to 5 PM on the 9^th of June 2023. The official presentation of the stamp will be held in the same place at 2 PM. It will be opened by Dziesmu pasts (Song Post), the choir of Latvijas Pasts, and will see the participation of the Minister of Transport Jānis Vitenbergs, Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Pasts Mārcis Vilcāns and representatives of the Latvian National Centre for Culture.

To mark the 150^th anniversary of the Nationwide Latvian Song Festival, on the 9^th of June Latvijas Pasts releases a block of two stamps with a print run of 4,000 copies and two separate stamps with a print run of 20,000 copies each. The face value of each new stamp is €1.65, which corresponds to the postage of items in the weight class up to 20 grams in Latvia. The release of the stamps is accompanied by the issue of a special cover with a print run of 1,000 copies.    

The philatelic releases have been designed by the artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja, who has included a stylised depiction of the 150-year history of the festival and its future significance, which is essential for the existence of the Latvian nation, in the stamps. The background of the stamp Dziesma (Song) features the stage of the I Nationwide Latvian Song Festival in Ķeizardārzs, while the foreground shows the singers of the choir: this stamp symbolises the history cycle of the festival. In turn, the stamp Deja (Dance) portrays dancers in their characteristic dance positions, symbolising the modern meaning of the festival and its existence in the future.

An integral part of Latvian identity, the Latvian Song and Dance Festival is a globally acclaimed and long-lasting cultural event in Latvia. This event has two closely related aspects: the Song and Dance Festival as a celebration and as a cultural process. The festive aspect dominates the public consciousness and various types of communication, yet it is the cultural process that ensures the existence and long-term continuation of the festival. Since its beginnings in 1873, the Song (and later also Dance) Festival has been held as a celebration on average once every 5.8 years, and this cultural process has been continuous during these years. In 2023, the XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival will take place in Riga from the 30th of June 30 to the 9^th of July.

The official presentation of the philatelic releases dedicated to the Song and Dance Festival will be held in the art gallery MuseumLV at 2 A. Pumpura Street, Riga at 2 PM on the 9^th of June. It will be sung in by participants of the XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song Festival from Dziesmu pasts, the choir of Latvijas Pasts, and will see the participation of the Minister of Transport J. Vitenbergs, Minister of Culture N. Puntulis and representatives of the management of Latvijas Pasts and the Latvian National Centre for Culture.    

From the 9^th of June to the 27^th of July, the solo exhibition Pastmarka. Latvijas tēls. Artas Ozolas-Jaunarājas versijas (Postage Stamp. Latvia’s Image. Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja’s Versions) will be on display in the premises of the art gallery MuseumLV. This is for the first time that such a comprehensive exposition is intended to showcase the designer’s long-term and successful collaboration with Latvijas Pasts. Over the course of 30 years, the artist has created around 100 stamp designs featuring very diverse themes.

The new philatelic releases dedicated to the Song and Dance Festival can be viewed here. 
 
The next philatelic release is scheduled for the 22^nd of June.

About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices and an extensive network of indoor and outdoor parcel lockers. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, parcel locker, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with around 2,700 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:
Vineta Kļaviņa | Senior Public Relations Project Manager
E-mail: pr@pasts.lv

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