Russian Federation 
Illegal Issues of Postage Stamps

Dear Sir/Madam

The postal administration of the RUSSIAN FEDERATION asks me to inform you of the following:

"I would like to draw your attention to our postal administration's grave concern about the illegal production and distribution of postage stamps ostensibly issued by various regions of the Russian Federation. Attached is a list of the regions in whose name illegal stamps have been issued. We were grateful to see participants attending the pilot course for Central and Eastern European countries on the promotion and development of philately, recently held in Riga (Latvia), made aware of this ever-growing proliferation of illegal stamps. We have also learned that such stamps have been openly offered for sale on the Internet for some time now.

"Not only does such a proliferation of illicit stamps do harm to philately and the Russian Federation's reputation, it also contributes to the decline of the entire philatelic market. We are therefore counting on the Universal Postal Union and the World Association for the Development of Philately (WADP) to help us find a solution to this problem immediately."

Yours faithfully,

M S RAMAN
Assistant Director-General

Annex 1

List of regions of the Russian Federation in whose name illegal stamps are being issued:

• Altai Region
• Amurskaya Province
• Jewish Autonomous Region
• Franz Josef Land
• Autonomous Region of Evenkia
• Republic of Kabard-Balkaria
• Kamchatka Region
• Karachay-Cherkessia
• Autonomous Region of Koriakia
• Kuril islands
• Novosibirsk islands
• Kolguev Island
• Kunashir Island
• New Land Island
• Spitsbergen Island
• Republic of Adygea
• Republic of Bashkortostan
• Republic of Buriatia
• Republic of Daghestan
• Republic of Ingushetia
• Republic of Ichkeria
• Republic of Kalmykia
• Republic of Karelia
• Komi Republic
• Mari-El Republic
• Republic of Mordovia
• Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
• Republic of North Ossetia
• Republic of Tatarstan
• Republic of Tuva
• Republic of Khakasia
• Russian Antarctica
• Sakhalin Region
• Republic of Udmurtia
• Republic of Chuvashia

Dear Sir/Madam

The postal administration of the RUSSIAN FEDERATION asks me to inform you of the following:

''As a member of the Universal Postal Union, the postal administration of the Russian Federation issues postage stamps in accordance with the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention and the Letter Post Regulations.

"However, there has recently appeared on world philatelic markets a large number of illicit stamp issues distributed on behalf of official territorial entities of the Russian Federation. These issues feature 'fashionable' subjects such as political figures, sports celebrities, Hollywood movie stars, etc.

"The postal administration of the Russian Federation draws your attention to the fact that the regions on whose behalf these stamps have been issued form an integral part of the Russian Federation and that, according to the provisions of the UPU Regulations and Russian Federation legislation, they are not authorized to issue postage stamps independently (the list of these regions appears in the annex). All stamps issued on behalf of official territorial entities of the Russian Federation must therefore be regarded as illegal. They have no connection with the Post and cannot be used as an official means of indicating prepayment of postage.

"These forged stamps are being issued by anonymous private companies operating outside Russia and have no direct connection with the official territorial entities of the Russian Federation.

"The distribution of illegal postage stamps does serious moral and economic harm to the Russian Federation, discredits the Russian postal service in the eyes of the world philatelic community and encourages collectors to avoid buying not only illegal but also perfectly legal stamp issues."

Yours faithfully,

K J S McKEOWN
Director of Communications and Postal Markets 

Annex

List of regions of the Russian Federation on whose behalf illegal stamps have been issued

Altai Region
Amurskaya Province
Antarctic Regions of the Russian Federation
Jewish Autonomous Region
Franz Josef Land
Autonomous Region of Evenkia
Republic of Kabard-Balkaria
Kamchatka Region
Republic of Karachay-Cherkessia
Autonomous Region of Koriakia
Kuril islands
Novosibirsk islands
Kolguev Island
Kunashir Island
Novaya Zemla
Spitsbergen Island
Republic of Adygea
Republic of Bashkortostan
Republic of Buryatia
Republic of Dagestan
Republic of Ingushetia
Republic of Ishkeria
Republic of Kalmykia
Republic of Karelia
Komi Republic
Mari-El Republic
Republic of Mordovia
Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Republic of North Ossetia
Republic of Tatarstan
Republic of Tuva
Khakass Republic
Sakhalin Region
Republic of Udmurtia
Chechen Republic
Republic of Chuvashia

More information about the illegal issues can be obtained directly from the UPU, Mrs. Maria Libera.