National Music Instruments. EUROPA

On March 6, 2014 the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus will issue 2 stamps “National music instruments” bearing the EUROPA logo.

A series continuation. Beginning Nos. 37, 38, 265, 322, 323, 375, 416, 417, 461, 462, 504, 505, 561, 562, 611,612, 637, 638, 680, 681, 722, 723, 780, 781, 819, 820, 870, 871, 917-918, 955,956. Designer: Artiom Rybchinski. Printing: offset. Colour: multicoloured. Paper: chalk-surfaced, gummed. Perforation: comb 13^1/2: 13^3/4. Size of the stamps: 37x26 mm. Sheet composition: 9 (3x3) stamps. Size of the sheets: 159x116 mm. Print quantity: 81.000 stamps each.

The stamps were printed at the Republican Unitary Enterprise “Bobruisk Integrated Printing House named after A. T. Nepogodin”.

Surma is an ancient Belarusian shepherd music mouthpiece instrument like a straight pipe. It is usually made of two bonded and covered with birch bark half pipes carved from the trunk of aspen. Its length is up to 2 metres or more.

Belarusian Horum is an ancient music instrument resembling a pumpkin ball with inserted therein zhaleyka (pipe).

Both instruments were reconstructed according to illustrations of the Radziwill Chronicle by the Belarusian music master Vladimir Puzynya (1940-2012) whose name is printed on the stamps.

 

Surma
Н

Elements of protection

 

 

Letter “H” is equal to the surface tariff of a letter up to 20 gram abroad.

 

Horum

Elements of protection

 

Letter “P” is equal to the air-mail tariff of a letter up to 20 gram abroad.

A sheetlet is also issued. Sheetlet composition: 6 (3 sets) stamps & 2 coupons. Size of the sheetlet: 166x76 mm. Print quantity: 13.000 sheetlets.

A special cancellation on FDC will be carried out at the Main Post Office in Minsk on the stamps issuing day.