8. January
Latvijas Pasts begins the year by showcasing the unique beauty of regional folk costumes on stamps
The folk costume, featured among the national symbols and attributes in the Latvian Cultural Canon, plays a significant role in shaping every Latvian's cultural identity and understanding of traditions. Its variety of patterns and colours reflects the people's sense of beauty, their mastery of ornaments and colour combinations, and their craftsmanship refined over the centuries. Getting to know and learning about folk costumes helps preserve and pass on the Latvian folk values, skills and traditions from generation to generation, while also encouraging Latvian people to express their cultural identity today.
Postage stamps in the Latvian regional folk costumes series, issued by Latvijas Pasts since 1993, contribute to education and the preservation of heritage. Over the years, 12 stamps have been released in this series. This year’s additions to the series are three stamps, along with a special envelope in 500 copies, dedicated to the folk costumes of Suiti, Livonians and Latgalians.
"Wearing a folk costume is a special feeling that prompts you to stand tall and feel proud. It is the feeling of ancestral strength behind me,"Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja, designer of the new philatelic items.
"Important in the folk costume is its overall appearance, which includes the large elements of the garment – such as the tunic, woollen shawl and skirt – as well as its colour combinations. "In order for it to be truly recognisable, especially in a regional context, there are rules for wearing it. For example, how the scarf is worn (in Kurzeme even two of them) and other distinct details. It is the details that are the greatest challenge when designing postage stamps, because in the small format you have to create the illusion of specially woven fabrics, their material, fine embroidery, ornaments and knitting. Every detail is important,"says the artist in describing the challenging process of creating a postage stamp.
The postage stamps will be unveiled on 10 January at 12.00 at the Folk Costume Centre Senā klēts, Rātslaukums 1, Rīga, with the participation of representatives of the Latvian National Centre of Culture, Latvijas Pasts and the designer. Meanwhile, the first-day cancellation of stamps will take place from 10.00 to 15.00.
Each postage stamp has a different denomination and print run. The Latgale postage stamp with a nominal value of EUR 2.30 is intended for sending letters weighing up to 20 grams within Latvia and has a print run of 300,000 copies. The Suiti postage stamp with a nominal value of EUR 2.54 is intended for sending letters weighing up to 20 grams to European Economic Area (EEA) countries. This stamp has a print run of 105,000 copies. The Livonians postage stamp with a nominal value of EUR 3.77 has a print run of 105,000 copies and is intended for letters weighing up to 20 grams sent to other countries.
The company has already announced that this year, instead of the previous 14 tariff groups for letter correspondence, there will be only three – Latvia, EEA and the rest of the world – thus allowing customers to assess more quickly what the price of a letter to a particular destination will be.
The new philatelic items will initially be available for purchase at post offices in major cities, as well as in Latvijas Pasts e-store at https://veikals.pasts.lv/.
The next philatelic product issue is scheduled for 7 February.
Philatelic products of Latvijas Pasts are highly appreciated among customers, collectors and experts alike. International philatelic associations evaluate stamps issued by Latvijas Pasts according to strict standards as equivalent to those from the largest countries, and they are regularly included in the catalogues of globally recognised philatelic products and in the collections of renowned philatelists.
