CCCP (USSR), 1933 Ethnography

Great thread. I remounted my Russia to 1940 stamps a while back and never really took the time to admire the stamps. This is a very nice set. I am missing one of the 15k (Tadzhiks) and the 35k. All but one of mine are clearly canceled, though not sure if all CTO or not (requires more study). The other appears unused, but it's no better than MH. Someday, perhaps, I will spend the time going through and look to complete certain sets.

Great to hear, and thanks. I hope to tweak my own set, over time.

I like this one best...

This one is great, too, and at least one that I suspect as having been postally used...

The designer of the Ethnographic set, Vasily Zavyalov, was a Russian artist and designer who was responsible for most of the 1930's Russian/Soviet stamp designs starting with the 1925 Lenin's Mausoleum set. He contributed designs into the 1950's. One of my favorite stamp sets were his designs, The 1935 Rescue of Chelyuskinites airmails. Scott C68a from that set is my avatar. He was born on 14 August 1906 and died on July 31, 1972.

Presently, I'm preparing the select scenes. Thank you for your patience.

The scenes have been completed, but first a bit of tidying up.

All of the stamps bear this watermark...

When viewing them face down on the scanner's bed, they're a bit prominent.

I have seconds of a few values, and some of the scenes to come were made from them. Also, I ran across this within the seller's store, so I said why not...

1937, 40k indigo...

Within this, and the final part of the presentation, gone are all monetary and political indications. Instead, these focus on the varying peoples themselves...

Just sixteen years after the royal massacre, and half that before Operation Barbarossa...


...again, there is a group of women behind that C.T.O. postmark.

It has been opined that these were the result of a single artist, but I have to wonder if the artist had underlings who were sent out to the hinterlands for the making of sketches. Or, perhaps the artist did it all alone, out of their imagination, along with some research...





...are those ghosts, at far right?

Needless are the loupes and magnifiers for these. It's 2022...

Actually, it was not opined. It is a fact. And Vasily Zavyalov did have a staff at Gonzak where the design and production took place.

https://soviet-art.ru/ussr-postage-...ly-zavyalov/

That link does not make mention of these issues from 1933.

I have to wonder if vodka was ever utilised, added, as antifreeze, particularly during those Russian winters of renown...


...and O how the Soviets didst crow with the release of these.

For much more detailed info you can search the Rossica digital archives and in particular past issues of the Post Rider.

https://ufdc.ufl.edu/collections/ro...s?q=Zavyalov

If you are looking for more history of this series of stamps this may be of interest:

https://www.cabinet.ox.ac.uk/people...central-asia