Post and postal services

 In this topic we will explore issues related to postal services. For decades these have been one of the most important services provided primarly in public sphere, enabling communication between people. Althrough digitalization decreased usage of postal services, going to the post office is still important need of many people.

Post of Serbia

Pošta Srbije - Post of Serbia is the national postal service of Serbia, with the headquarters in Belgrade. Public postal service was first introduced in Serbia in 1840. The first stamp was printed in 1866. In 1874 it founded the Universal Postal Union together with 21 other countries. Through decades, this institution provided technological progress for citizens through services of telegraph and telephone, automobile, railway, river and air postal traffic, opening of wireless stations and broadcasting of the first radio program, stamps issuing, etc.


170 years of Post of Serbia (2010) [also in the post: Stamp day].

Issued as under the Stamp day title, this issue depicts headquarters of the Post of Serbia, old look of a postman, letter writing, stamps - things that are usualy associated to postal services.


175 years of Post of Serbia (2015)

On the 175th anniversary, two stamps are issued, representing old vs. new. The first stamp depicts the old post office in Belgrade, first Serbian stamps, old postal seals and mail carriages. The second stamp depicts headquarters of the Post of Serbia today and new regional postal logistic center in Belgrade.


180 years of Post of Serbia (2020)

180th anniversary was celebrated with one stamp and on mini-sheet of the Post of Serbia headqurters in Str. Takovska 2 in Belgrade.
   

185 years of Post of Serbia (2025)

This anniversary stamp is related to new technologies in providing postal services - robotization of the postal indutry.


100 years of the PTT museum in Belgrade (2023)

PTT museum functions as part of Post of Serbia. PTT is in Serbia used as short for postcal services: Post-Telegraph-Telephone). The Museum was established for collecting, preserving and exibiting items and documents related to developement of postal, telepgraph and telephone traffic in Serbia. The Museum was established in 1923. in the Kingdom of Serbis, Croats and Slovenes. The Museum keeps postal, tecnical and philatelic collections. 

The stamp depicts: 1) the painting Tatar and accompanist, 2) Order of the Takovo Cross, V degree, awarded for special merits to Panta Mihajlović by King Aleksandar I Obrenović in 1900, 3) the Certificate (1883) from the Ministry of National Economy of the Kingdom of Serbia stating that Panta Mihajlović had built telephone lines, fulfilling conditions to estblish the concession on this service in his favor.


International postal organisations

150 years since the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (2024) [also in the post: Stamp day]

Industrialization in the 19th centuryintensified international postal traffic, so in 1868 the first postal conference was held in Paris, where guidelines were adopted on the expansion and development of international cooperation in the field of postal traffic. The first Universal Postal Congress was held in Bern, from September 15 to October 9, 1874. The Congress was attended by authorized representatives of 22 countries, including Serbia. On October 9, 1874, in Bern was signed the Treaty on the Establishment of the General Postal Union, later known as the Universal Postal Union (UPU). Principality of Serbia was one of the founders. Before the Principality of Serbia the Treaty was signed by Mladen Ž. Radojković, Secretary of the Postal and Telegraph Department of the Ministry of National Economy, as a delegate of Serbia. Today, the Universal Postal Union is an international organization, a member of the United Nations. It gathers 192 member states. Its task is to establish rules for international mail exchange and make recommendations to encourage the growth of postal, parcel and financial services as well as to improve the quality of service for customers around the world.

The stamp depicts: 1) UPU headquarters building in Bern, 2) UPU monument in Bern, symbol of UPU, 3) portrait of Mladen Ž. Radojković.


30 years since the establishment of PostEurop (2023)

PostEurop - Association of Public Postal Operators - is the trade association that has been representing European postal operators. It was established in 1993, when the processes of European integration intensified, so it was important to harmonize and reform European postal market. It is an officially recognised Regional Union of the Universal Postal Union. It has 53 members in 51 countries where collectively operate over 185,000 postal points with 1,6 employees and 800 milion clients served every day. Serbia was one of a few European countries that issued stamp with 30 years of PostEurop logo, dedicated to this anniversary.

World Post Day (2022)

All the national postal administrations commemorate the World Post Day on 9 October, the day of foundation of the Universal Postal Union in Bern, 1874. The resolution on commemorating the Wold Post Day was passed in 1969 at the Congress of the Universal Postal Union in Tokyo. The main objective of marking the World Post Day is raising the awareness about the importance of the post as institution, the influence it makes on the daily life of people worldwide and on its support to global business.

2022 World Post Day was celebrated under idea of the Post for the Planet: postal sector  delivers goods and services so it should take the leading role in mitigation of the climante changes. The design provided by the Universal Postal Union was issued by many countries around the world.

Pets definitives (2026-)

The first Serbian definitive stamps depicting animals, on the theme pets. Dog and cat have been choosen as the most popular pets, important part of family life, symbol of loyalty and friendship between the animal and human.






 

International sport events organised in Serbia

 Over the years, Serbia was host for numerous international sport competitions but only some of the got their stamps.

European Water Polo Championship - Belgrade 2006

This event was the 27th European water polo championships for men. It took place at Tašmajdan sports centre in Belgrade from 1 to 10 September 2006. 

Medalists:
🥇 Serbia
🥈 Hungary
🥉 Spain

European Table Tennis Championships - Belgrade 2007

The event was organised from 25 March to 1 April 2007 in Belgrade. The issue was contained of one stamp and one minisheet, both depicting table tennis with logo of the competition.

  

9th European Youth Summer Olympic Festival (EYOF) Belgrade 2007

This competetion was organised in Belgrade from 21 to 28 July 2007. 3000 athletes from 48 nations were competing in 11 sports (athletics, basketball, cycling, gymnastics, handball, judo, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, water polo). Different venues in Belgrade were used for different sports. Leaders on the medal table: Russia (32), United Kingdom (24), Italy (22). 

Two stamps in the minisheet depict swimming and athletics with Belgrade panorama and logo of the competition.

25th Summer Universiade, Belgrade 2009

XXV Summer Universiade was orgnised in Belgrade from 1 to 12 July 2009. The most of the competitions took place in different venues in Belgrade, but some of them were organised in some other cities. 6300 athletes from 145 nations participated competitions in 15 sports (archery, athletics, basketball, diving, facing, football, gymnasitcs, rhytmic gymnastics, judo, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, water polo). Medal count: Russia (76), China (58), South Korea (47).

Stamps depict mascot of the event - sparrow bird called Srba, playing different sports, with panorama of Belgrade, and there is also the logo of the competition.

  

2011 CEV Volleyball European Champioship - Women - Italy-Serbia

27th volleyball European championship for women was co-hosted by Italy and Serbia from 23 September to 2 October 2011. The competition took place in Italian cities Monza and Busto Arsizio and Serbian cities Belgrade and Zrenjanin. Semi-finals, bronze medal match and final match took place in Belgrade. 

Medalists:
🥇 Serbia
🥈 Germany
🥉 Turkey


World Boxing Championships - Serbia 2021

Belgrade was host of AIBA World Boxing Championships from 25 October to 6 November 2021. The event took place at Štark Arena. There were 510 competitors from 88 teams. Medal count leaders: Cuba (5 - 3 gold, 2 bronze), Kazakhstan (5 - 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze), USA (4).

The stamp depicts boxers's greeting before a fight.


World Rowing Championships - Belgrade 2023

2023 World Rowing Championships took place from 3 to 10 September in Belgrade. The event was organised at Ada Ciganlija island on Sava river, with over 1500 participannts from more than 80 countries. Medal count: Netherlads (9 - 6 gold, 3 silver), United Kingdom (9 - 6 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze), Italy (8).

The stamp depicts rowing on Sava river and desgin really looks like this picture from official website of Serbian Rowing Federation.

Slava

 Slava is a unique traditional custom that exsists only in Serbian Ortodox Christianity. It is celebartion of family's saint patron. Every Serbian Ortodox family has it's protector - a saint. Slava is the celebration of that saint. The feast is being organised with family, neighbours and friends to celebrate slava. On the day of slava there is a special candle that is burning during the day. Also, a special type of nicely decorated bead is prepared - it called slava cake. Besides that, slava always includes a lot of food, drinks, music and good mood! Institutions and sometimes even companies have their slava. In 2014 slava is registered by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

In 2018. Serbian Post started issuing stamps about slava, dedicated to saints that are commonly celebrated as family patrons.

2018.
Saint Stephen (Sveti Stefan - 9/January)
Saint John the Baptist (Sveti Jovan - 5/January)
Both stamps depict icons of saints, slava cake and home sacuntary lamp.

2019. Saint Sava (Sveti Sava, 27/January). Saint Sava is one of the most importnat Serbian saints because the Serbian Ortodox Church became independent after his recognition as the Archibishop. The stamp depicts modern icon of Saint Sava.
     

2020. Feast of the Annunciation (Blagovesti - 7April). The Ortodox holiday of the Feast of the Annunciation is also being celebrated as slava. The stamp depicts icon "Feast of the Annunciation" from Visoki Dečani monastery from XVI century.

2021. Saint George (Sveti Đorđe - Đurđevdan (Đurđic) - 6/May). The stamp depicts famous motif of Saint George killing the dragon.

2022. Saint Cyril and Methodius (Sveti Ćirilo i Metodije - 24 May)

               

2023. The Holy Prophet Elijah (Sveti Ilija - Ilindan - 2/August)

2024. Venerable Mother Paraskeva (Sveta Petka - Petkovica - 27/October).

2025. Saint Michael the Archangel (Sveti Arganđel Mihailo - Aranđelovdan - 21/November). St. Michael the Archangel is the third most common slava in Serbia.

      

Popular Posts

LAST ISSUE FROM SERBIAN POST

LAST ISSUE FROM SERBIAN POST
145 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Serbia and the United States of America