Memorable dates of Russia: Exhibition "About Zemstvo post", dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the first Zemstvo stamp, in St. Petersburg

The scientific and technical library of the A. S. Popov Central Museum of Communications (St. Petersburg) hosts the exhibition "About Zemstvo post", dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the first Zemstvo stamp (December 1866).

In the Russian Empire, the post and the telegraph services were run by the state. According to the "Regulations on zemstvo institutions" from January 1, 1864 local governments were formed in Russia. Direct postal permission to arrange for transportation and other private correspondence was officially given to zemstvo in 1870. Then only some took the advantage. In 1871, new rules concerning institutions of Zemstvo post were published, which subsequently became the main, and then began their mass discovery. They were given the right to have its own postage stamps, but with a prerequisite that at its drawing are signs of postage had nothing to do with the names of the state address. Zemsky stamps - special postage stamps were issued in the county zemstvos of Russian empire to pay for the delivery of postal correspondence between public post offices and county residents.  

In the catalog "Zemstvo stamp", published under the editorship of F. G. Chuchin in 1925, it is noted that the first Zemstvo stamp appeared in Shlisselburgsky district of St. Petersburg Province in 1865. However, the researcher of Zemstvo stamps and the author of several articles on the County-mail Y. Rudnikov on the basis of archival documents proved that the post in the county Shlisselburgsky was opened only in 1877. Apparently, the first Zemstvo stamp was issued in Verhnedniprovsk county of Ekaterinoslav Province on December 1, 1866.

The exhibition presents a variety of materials from the library collection, telling about the appearance of County post, about the history of the first Zemstvo stamps and subsequent releases of stamps of different counties.

The exhibition will run till January 11, 2017.