Cover from Estonia no. 5

Received today, another pretty Christmas stamp:)... This time from Jarvakandi in Estonia, issued on 25 November 2010 (print-run 400,000). There is also another stamp for domestic use. Thank you, Cindi!

Cover from Estonia no. 4

A cover sent on 13 June 2010 from Tallin with a great souvenir sheet commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Estonian National Opera, opened in 1906 as a professional theatre called „Estonia”, founded by the directors and actors Paul Pinna and Theodor Altermann. The stamp on the left features costume designs for Evald Aav's opera “Vikerlased” (Vikings), with music of the same opera forming the background of the souvenir sheet; the ballerina Helmi Puur in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake figures on the right-hand stamp. Issued on 27 March 2006 in offset, in 70,000 copies.

Thank you, Elina!!

Postcard from Estonia

In May 2009 I received also this great card showing a "white night" in Tallinn - the time when the whole sky stays luminous even at midnight, with the brightest nights being those ten days before and after the summer solstice. This specific picture was taken at 1.21 a.m. Very interesting. Astronomical phenomena are covered also on the fine stamp from the EUROPA project, issued on 5 May 2009, along with another stamp showing the cell structure of the universe. Thank you Susa!

Cover from Estonia no. 3

Received today, a fantastic registered letter from Johvi, Estonia, with the complete miniature sheet from the "Preserve Polar Regions and Glaciers" project, issued on 15 January 2009 in 75,000 copies. The two stamps show melting Antartic glaciers, logos of the project, a small Antartica map and a handwritten text in the margins, as far as I know written in Estonian. The letter was sent on 7 April 2009 and reached me in 3 days, with two registered labels, one Estonian, one Czech.

Thank you, Kristiina:-)

Cover from Estonia no. 2

A flowery cover received on 1 October 2008 from Laagri, near Tallinn in Estonia. The 4.40 EEK flower stamp was issued on 26 October 2005 on the occasion of the Mothers' Day (print-run 410,000); the costumes stamp with the same nominal value is part of an ongoing series dedicated to Estonian folk costumes and shows dresses from the Tartu County (issued 9 October 2003, in 500,000 copies). The smaller definitive with the Estonian coat of arms of 20 senti is from 1995 (4,975,700 copies printed).

Thank you, Kristi for this lovely letter:-)

Cover from Estonia

On 15 September 2008 I received this nice airmail cover sent on 11 September 2008 from the town of Johvi in the northeast of Estonia. The five stamps range from 1993 to 2007 and show a great selection of what this small nation has to offer. The 1 EEK stamp from 1993 is dedicated to Lydia Koidula, a poetess of the national movement period in the 19th century (issued on 14 December 1993, with a print-run of 485,900), the 4.40 EEK stamp (issued on 4 April 2001, in 503,760 pieces) shows a northern lapwing, the bird of the year selected by the Estonian Ornithological Society, and the last commemorative stamps of 3.60 EEK (issued on 29 March 1999) shows the then Estonian president Lennart Meri, also a celebrated author and film-maker. The stamp goes with a tab featuring the Estonian coat-of-arms and the text "The President of the Republic of Estonia" in four languages.

The two small self-adhesive stamps are newer; the 0.30 EEK daisy was issued on 17 January 2007 with a print-run of 1,730,000, and the 0.30 EEK dandelion is from 14 September 2004 and was issued in one million pieces.

Thank you, Kristiina:-)