Today, on March 14, Ukrposhta officially put into circulation a new postage stamp titled “City of Heroes. Mariupol”, dedicated to the anniversary of the tragedy in the city of Mary. This release continues the series of stamps honoring the heroic cities of Ukraine that have demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience in the struggle for independence.
Mariupol is a city that has become a symbol of unbreakable spirit, having been awarded the honorary title “Hero City of Ukraine” by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 6, 2022. Since May 2022, the city has been under temporary occupation, yet its spirit remains steadfast.
A distinctive feature of this release is the unique coating of the stamps with particles of steel produced at the Azovstal plant of the Metinvest Group in Mariupol. After the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Azovstal turned from a steelworks into a fortress, becoming the last line of defense for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city. The bravery, courage, and resilience of Mariupol’s defenders became an example for millions of Ukrainians, and the final steel from Azovstal became a national symbol. This very steel — produced in the plant's final days before the full-scale invasion — was used to complement the unique “steel” stamp. Thanks to cooperation between Ukrposhta and the world-leading printing company Cartor Security Printers (France), thermographic technology made it possible to apply the steel to the miniature stamps.
The central image of the Ukrposhta issue “City of Heroes. Mariupol” is the building of the Drama Theater, where around a thousand civilians were sheltering when Russian invaders dropped two high-powered aerial bombs on it on March 16, 2022. The artist of the stamp and souvenir sheet, Oleh Shupliak, depicted the theater building before and after the Russian strike as a reminder of the occupiers’ grave crime against a peaceful Ukrainian city.
In addition to the stamp, Ukrposhta also presented a “First Day” commemorative envelope and a postcard designed by Viktoriia Anikienko, who also illustrated the destroyed theater building and a little girl standing nearby holding a white rabbit. This image carries deep symbolism, as a large “DETI” (Russian for “CHILDREN”) sign was clearly written in front of the theater to indicate children were inside. Yet this sign did not stop the Russian attack.
The stamp release also includes an unmarked artistic envelope featuring a photograph by Mariupol artist Yevhen Sosnovskyi. The caption on the photo speaks for itself: “Let the Kremlin beast understand: Mariupol is Ukraine.”
The print run of the “City of Heroes. Mariupol” postage stamp is 400,000 copies. The face value is “M” (corresponding to the domestic rate for mailing a simple letter without declared value weighing over 50 grams up to 250 grams, or a postcard). Additionally, Ukrposhta will issue 25,000 copies of the “First Day” envelope, 25,000 illustrated postcards, and 25,000 artistic envelopes.
Simultaneously, Ukrposhta is releasing a souvenir stamp sheet with the same name, “City of Heroes. Mariupol”, consisting of two stamps with the face value “W.” The edition of this sheet is limited to just 6,000 copies, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, with 3,250 of them presented in a souvenir booklet. The sheet is intended for holders of philatelic subscription packages “Exclusive” and “Exclusive+.”
The “City of Heroes. Mariupol” stamp release will be available starting March 14 at Ukrposhta branches, philatelic shops, and online at the Postal Market.