Slovak Stamp Catalogues

Overview Slovakia Stamp Catalogues

• Slovakia Stamp Catalogues (books)
• Slovakia Stamp Auctions/Marketplaces
• Slovakia Online Stamp Catalogues
• SLOVENSKÁ POŠTA Stamp Releases

Slovakia Stamp Catalogues (books)

Slovakia

AFA – Eastern Europe 2023 – Vol. I+II – Stamp catalogues

2023 Scott Standard Catalogue Volume 6 (Countries San-Z)

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Unificato Europe 2022 – Volume 6

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Michel Central Europe 2022

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Michel

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Stanley Gibbons 2022 Stamps Of The World – Set Of 6 Catalogues

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Stanley Gibbons Czech Republic & Slovakia Stamp Catalogue – 1st Edition

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Yvert&Tellier Stamp Catalog for European Stamps Volume 5 – 2017 – from San Marino to Yugoslavia

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Slovakia Stamp Auctions/Marketplaces

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Slovakia Online Stamp Catalogues

Michel (German/English) – Most complete online stamp catalogue with actual prices (subscription required)

Colnect (all language) – Colnect (premium) has auto-matching, best matches and an extensive free stamp catalogs

Pofis (Slovak/English) – All Slovak stamps since 1993

Známková Tvorba (Slovak) – All Slovak stamps since 1993

SLOVENSKÁ POŠTA Stamp Releases

• Slovakia – Postage Stamp Day: A Historical Mail WaggonNovember 23, 2022As early as the ancient Roman Empire the state-run postal service (cursus publicus), established by the emperor Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD), used various types of vehicles to transport not only people but also the post. Although letters were usually delivered by riders on horseback, the transport of larger consignments, goods or people required the use of light weight two-wheeled (carrus) or four-wheeled vehicles (raeda).  The vehicular transport of mail did not develop in the early Middle Ages, messengers mainly went on foot or on horseback. In the late 15th century a new type of vehicle emerged: a coach that was remarkable for its light weight and speed, thus it began to be used to transport the royal mail and by couriers. In the 1740s, during the period of reform of Maria Theresa, the transportation of mail was further developed and stabilised. Therefore, the Habsburg monarchy started to consider the use of special vehicles, the diligencia (a stagecoach), for the transport of mail, following the examples of England and France. The diligencia successfully passed its road tests and the operation of the diligencias was taken over by the state as early as 1750. At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a need to improve the quality and particularly the speed of postal deliveries. In 1823, Maximilian Otto von Ottenfeld, the new director of the administration of mail coaches, initiated reforms of the transport of people and the mail. He established regular lines using comfortable and well sprung coaches (Eilpostwagen) that even travelled the postal routes at night.  The introduction of the railways provided a new means for the transport of people and the post. As early as 1838 the first post train was established in England, whose employees sorted letters and parcels while the train was in motion. The sorted mail was then unloaded at railway stations along the way and parcel delivery coaches transported it to the individual post offices. The transport of mail from post offices was solved in the same way. The cargo area of this parcel coach was usually consisted of wooden sheet-metal cabinet drawn by one or more horses. This type of vehicle was still in use until 1960, when were fully replaced by motor vehicles.  The postage stamp and FDC surcharge depicts an example of such a parcel delivery coach. It was used by the Czechoslovak postal operator in the inter-war period. The blank field was inspired by the emblem used by the Czechoslovak State Post on its coaches.  [...]

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• Slovakia – The 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 17: Eugene Andrew CernanNovember 23, 2022The painter Peter Michal Bohúň, whose 200th anniversary of birthday we commemorate this year together with other important personalities of Ľudovít Štúr generation, played an important part in the fine-art scene that was associated with our artistic milieu around 1850. Together with Josef Božetech Klemens was highly interested in the national question and also participated in the revolution of 1848. Although most of Bohúň’s works that are known today are portraits of the Upper Hungarian intelligentsia, burghers and nobility, during his career he also accepted commissions from the church figures. These often formed a crucial part of his income as he needed to support his large family. His early paintings of religious notables come from the 1850s, but he also produced similar works later. Christological motives are quite commonly found in Bohúň’s works, for example, in the altarpieces in Bátovce, Dovalov, Lovinobaňa, Mengusovce, Ružomberok and in other places.  Within the collection of the Ethnographic Museum of the Slovak National Museum in Martin, is an altarpiece from the 1850s with the motif of the Queen of Heaven. The picture was probably intended for the chapel in Krivá na Orave. It depicts an iconographic topic of the Virgin Mary, standing on a globe, clothed by the Sun. There is a sickle and a slithering snake beneath her feet. It is these two attributes, that refer to the iconographic theme, the Queen of Heaven. She holds the Baby Jesus in her arms and is wearing the traditional type of clothes that are associated with depictions of her: a red dress and typical blue cloak. She is surrounded by three angels in long frilled robes with wreaths on their heads. The angel on the left holds a ribbon which bears the text: “Gloria in excelsis Deo”, on the other side, the angel holds a ribbon with the word “Resurexit”. The third angel kneels at the feet of the Virgin Mary. A small crucifix can be seen in his lap on the white drapery of his robe. Bohúň searched for inspiration in the graphic works of the old masters, which was a common practice for works with sacral topics.  [...]

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• Slovakia – Christmas 2022: Christological Motives in the Works of P. M. Bohúň (1822 – 1879)November 23, 2022The painter Peter Michal Bohúň, whose 200th anniversary of birthday we commemorate this year together with other important personalities of Ľudovít Štúr generation, played an important part in the fine-art scene that was associated with our artistic milieu around 1850. Together with Josef Božetech Klemens was highly interested in the national question and also participated in the revolution of 1848. Although most of Bohúň’s works that are known today are portraits of the Upper Hungarian intelligentsia, burghers and nobility, during his career he also accepted commissions from the church figures. These often formed a crucial part of his income as he needed to support his large family. His early paintings of religious notables come from the 1850s, but he also produced similar works later. Christological motives are quite commonly found in Bohúň’s works, for example, in the altarpieces in Bátovce, Dovalov, Lovinobaňa, Mengusovce, Ružomberok and in other places.  Within the collection of the Ethnographic Museum of the Slovak National Museum in Martin, is an altarpiece from the 1850s with the motif of the Queen of Heaven. The picture was probably intended for the chapel in Krivá na Orave. It depicts an iconographic topic of the Virgin Mary, standing on a globe, clothed by the Sun. There is a sickle and a slithering snake beneath her feet. It is these two attributes, that refer to the iconographic theme, the Queen of Heaven. She holds the Baby Jesus in her arms and is wearing the traditional type of clothes that are associated with depictions of her: a red dress and typical blue cloak. She is surrounded by three angels in long frilled robes with wreaths on their heads. The angel on the left holds a ribbon which bears the text: “Gloria in excelsis Deo”, on the other side, the angel holds a ribbon with the word “Resurexit”. The third angel kneels at the feet of the Virgin Mary. A small crucifix can be seen in his lap on the white drapery of his robe. Bohúň searched for inspiration in the graphic works of the old masters, which was a common practice for works with sacral topics.  [...]

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• Slovakia – The Christmas Mail 2022 November 23, 2022In 1999, Slovak Post launched the exceptional Christmas Mail project, which, over the years, has become an inseparable part of the Christmas period. Again in 2022 (for the twenty-fourth time) children can send letters or postcards to the Baby Jesus at the address “Ježiško 999 99”. Exactly ten years ago the management of Slovak Post decided to not only promote this unique project among children, but also among the general public through the issue of a postage stamp based on designs submitted by children. Since 2013, when the first postage stamp based on a child’s design was issued, tens of primary schools across Slovakia have participated in the Christmas Stamp competition and submissions from foreign children, for instance from Taiwan, that had been delivered by mail to the Baby Jesus were also accepted.  Children from Komárno are the most frequent participants in the competition in the art designs for this stamp issue. The greatest success has been achieved by the young artists who attend an art class at the Rozmarínová Primary School in Komárno, led by Ing. Renáta Kubalová. Owing to her creativity and personal commitment the works of art created by children from her art class have become the Christmas postage stamp motif almost every year. Works are selected by a jury made up of members of the Postage Stamp Design Commission. They make their selection exclusively on the basis of artistic quality, not on the affiliation of children to any particular school. This is the main reason why the entire stamp issue for this year is made up of works by children from the Rozmarínová Primary School.  The postage stamp is devoted to a drawing by Viktória Bubeníková that portrays Christmas carol singers, the motif of the FDC surcharge is a drawing of a Christmas town by Kristína Gubienová, and the motif of the FDC postmark is an angel by Nikolett Andrea Samai. The graphic designs of the winning designs were created by a graphic artist at Slovak Post, Adrian Ferda.  [...]

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• Slovakia – The 150th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Eastern Slovak Museum in KošiceNovember 23, 2022The origins of our 150-year-old cultural institution date back to the second half of the 19th century, when an enthusiasm and passion for science became reality. Dr. Imrich Henszlmann was the driving force behind the establishment of an institution which would preserve exhibits from the town of Košice and the surrounding area. On 10th August 1846, in Košice, he presented his request to the travelling conference of the Association of Hungarian Physicians and Nature Researchers. His high-minded intentions became reality in 1872, when, on the initiative and concerted effort of the Klimkovics brothers and Viktor Myszkovsky, the Upper Hungarian Museum Association (Hung.: Felsőmagyarországi múzeum egylet) was established in Košice. Its foundation meeting was held in Košice on 27th October 1872. The first seat of the Upper Hungarian Museum was the building of the former public house The Golden Star (U zlatej hviezdy). The first items acquired for the museum included gold, silver and copper coins, banknotes, watches, documents, maps, books, engravings, furniture, guild chests, porcelain, various bronze and earthenware vessels, statuettes, jewellery, swords, pistols, minerals, taxidermy mounts, etc. The association had its golden age in the first few years after its foundation. After two years the Upper Hungarian Museum Association boasted a cultural and natural heritage collection made up of an incredible 14,016 items. The list of the first donors to the museum mainly included eminent figures from society, the culturally conscious people of Košice, church dignitaries, as well as institutions and associations. Throughout its 150-year history the Eastern Slovak Museum has managed a collection of more than 500,000 items, delivered thousands of interesting exhibitions and events, and boasts a number of restored collections and also many satisfied visitors. Our museum has grown to beauty into the new era through its constant effort to pursue the high-minded ideas and legacy of its conscious and noble founders. [...]

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• Slovakia – ART: Aleš Votava (1962 – 2001)November 1, 2022Aleš Votava was one of the last and most distinctive students of Ladislav Vychodil, the founder of the Bratislava scenography movement. Apart from his training, Votava was mainly influenced by the action scenography pursued by the previous generation. These influences left their own specific traces in his work and helped to define his unique style. Votava graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in the mid-1980s, at a time when the paradigm of classical scenography, which employed solid materials, was coming to an end. However, action scenography and deconstruction had also reached their limits on stage by that time. Black was the basis of Votava’s work. Like Vychodil, he considered the use of neutral colours to be the crucial aspect of a scene. Colours, that mainly came from the interplay of light and shadow, through reflection or transparent materials, was the principle behind the action in his scenography. He was considered to be a man of outstanding qualities, or even a Renaissance artist, whose versatility and abilities allowed him to create stage designs for various types of venues and he utilised the available material to the maximum.  He also devoted his time to graphic design, free artistic creation and artistic jewellery. He made a significant contribution to the Prague event, the End of Violence organised on 26th November 1989 by the students of the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts, the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design and the Academy of Fine Arts, all in Prague, along with the employees of Prague theatres, on Letná Plain. His drawings were always elaborated to the last detail and were full of descriptions so that he could approach the bounds of what was possible, which he tended to push to the ultimate limits. Although his designs were generally quite simple, they were very impressive. This can be seen in the postage stamp that depicts a sketch of the masks, a model of the scene and designs for the costumes used in Orfeo ed Euridice, (Ch. W. Gluck, 1991), currently housed in the Slovak National Gallery. When he spoke about this production, he liked to say that after a three month search for the concept of this drama, the result was a single triangle.  [...]

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• Slovakia – ART: Ján Rombauer (1782 – 1849)November 1, 2022Ján Rombauer, a painter from the Spiš region (1782 – 1849), was the son of a carpenter and a tanner’s daughter. He left the town of his birth, Levoča, at a young age to follow his brothers to Prešov, and later he went on to Petersburg. He married Amalia Baumann, with whom he spoke French. In 1824 he returned to Prešov, where he lived for the rest of his life.  He lacked an education in art, he probably learned the basics from a painter of Danish origin, Ján Jakub Stunder, in Levoča. His talent earned him recognition as a renowned painter of portraits of prominent people, merchants and scholars. He painted during the Biedermeier period, taking inspiration from old Dutch art. He also worked on religious paintings for the Evangelical, Roman-Catholic and Greek-Catholic Churches. In 1836 he created a large painting, St. Martin on a horse. It is part of the collection of the SNM – The Museum of Spiš in Levoča. It is signed and dated on a stone in the bottom left corner. It was probably intended for the Church of St. Martin in Kapušany, for which he painted the pictures for both side altars. Rombauer portrayed St. Martin, the Bishop of Tours, as a Roman soldier on a horse, who, after he saw a lame beggar, cut up his gown with a sword and gave him half. According to Roman law, only half of his gown belonged to a soldier, the other half belonged to the exchequer, so he only gave away what belonged to him. The background of the painting shows a mountainous landscape with a domed temple with painted angels in the heavens. All of them, with a single exception, only have wings and heads. The picture includes dark contours, which are typical of Rombauer, and several peculiarities. It is quite rare to see that Martin’s horse is heading away from the viewer, not toward them. A hissing basilisk sits on his helmet to intimidate the enemy, with no raison d’etre in this particular depiction. Rombauer also painted the saint with a moustache, which is rather unusual. The picture is unprecedented in Slovakia. It enriches the range of the artistic renderings of this well-known legend. FDC overprint depicts A portrait of Ján Steinhübel from Prešov located in the collection of Slovak National Gallery.  [...]

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• Slovakia – 100th Anniversary of Czech-Slovak Technical StandardizationNovember 1, 2022Modern institutionalised Czechoslovak standardisation dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The overall authority with responsibility for standards was founded in 1922, as a result of many discussions initiated by the Masaryk Academy of Labour. The Czechoslovak Association for General Standardisation was officially established when all parties came to an agreement on 28th December 1922. The organisation was founded as a non-profit-making company, funded through its members – commercial enterprises, especially thanks to prof. Dr. Ing. Vladimír List (1877 – 1971), the initiator of these discussions. The book of standards (Normalizácia), published in 1930 by the Czech Scientific Institution for the Propagation of Technical Literature, has traditionally been considered as one of the key works of the literature of standards of the period. However, the promising boom in Czechoslovak standardisation was interrupted by World War Two in 1939.  Less than a month after the end of the World War II., prof. Vladimír List once again took the initiative and tried to reopen the Czechoslovak Association for General Standardisation. He justified the need of standardisation, emphasising the requirements of a centrally planned economy. It was necessary to start the consolidation of the organisational structure of standardisation and begin to revise the standards to meet contemporary needs. The overall view was that technical standards should be generally binding. This issue was finally resolved after the nationalisation of standardisation. In 1951, the Office for Standards was established as an independent body within the state administration. Standardisation and patent policy were unified after a reorganisation of the management of technical development in 1956. The Office for Inventions and Standardisation (SÚVN), a new central authority within the state administration responsible for technical standardisation, inventions, discoveries and improvement proposals, was founded, with a branch in Bratislava.  The revolutionary political changes of 1989 meant a new beginning for Czechoslovak technical standardisation. The creation of ČSN (Czechoslovak Technical Standards) was characterised by a strong orientation towards the implementation of European and international standards. The principle that standards would not be fully binding was introduced.  On 16th December 1992, the government adopted a decision to establish a new central body as part of the state apparatus – the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing. On 1st January 1993, its chairman created the Slovak Standards Institute as an organisation with its own budgetary responsibility, based in Bratislava. However, the institute was dissolved on 31st December 2013 and became the technical standardisation division within the organisational structure of the Slovak Office of Standards, Metrology and Testing. Its present primary goal is to create a competitive and effective technical environment, fulfil the needs for technical standardisation and actively communicate with industrial and professional unions, associations and chambers as well as other entities during the creation of European and Slovak technical standards and information regarding technical standards.  [...]

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• Slovakia – The 50th Anniversary of the Launch of the International System for the Transmission of Gas via Slovakia September 20, 2022  This year Slovakia will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of the system for the transmission of natural gas, through its territory, to European markets. In the beginning, the Eustream (at that time Slovtransgaz) distribution network only transmitted natural gas from east to west. However, massive investment into the development of the transmission network over more than a decade put EUSTREAM in a completely different position. The system of parallel gas pipelines provides a bi-direction link with the main transmission routes of the Ukraine, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland – all our neighbouring countries. Thus, it is possible to transmit natural gas to and from all the cardinal points. During the crisis, caused by the war in the Ukraine, this ability of the Slovak distribution system has become exceptionally significant. It allows us and the countries around us to use alternative sources of natural gas.       In 2022, when the Slovak gas transmission company, Eustream, commemorates half a century of operations, we will also see the completion of a new project that is important to European energy security:  a gas main that connects Poland and Slovakia, the last, missing link in the new strategic north-south European corridor. This corridor links the LNG terminals in the Baltic Sea (Świnoujście (Poland)) and the new Baltic Pipe, connected to Norwegian sources of natural gas, with the Adriatic (the Krk LNG terminal). It is a new transmission vein that supports the common European safety of supply, provides new options for supply and confirms the important position of Slovakia as the gas supply crossroads of Central Europe.      Half a century of operation of the transmission system is inter-mingled with the power crisis that has resulted from the military invasion of the Ukraine as well as appeals for decarbonisation. At present, the fully modernised Slovak distribution network is the main route that has supplied the Ukraine with natural gas purchased on European markets since 2014. The half-century of operation of the Slovak transmission system is also a reminder of the mutual cooperation with our Ukrainian partners, the operator of the natural gas transmission network (Gas TSO of Ukraine), who, despite the crisis, has continued to be a stable partner who contributes to European energy security. At the same time, Slovakia has been preparing for its future role in the construction of a hydrogen economy. In the future our robust distribution network, made up of parallel mains, could not only be used for the transmission of natural gas in various directions, but also gradually switched to the transmission of hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources in the EU and our neighbouring countries (including the Ukraine).  Issue number: 775 Date of issue: 23.9.2022 Face value: 1,00 € Dimensions: 44,1 x 26,5 mm Layout: Stamp Sheet Stamps on printing sheet: 50 pcs Stamps in set: 1 Author of Stamp design: Igor Benca Engraver: – Printer: Tiskárna Hradištko, s.r.o. Printing technology: Offset Circulation: 750 000 Author of FDC design: Igor Benca FDC Engraver: – Postmark design: Igor Benca FDC printing technology: Offset  [...]

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• Slovakia – Solidarity with UkraineSeptember 20, 2022When the army of the Russian Federation started an aggressive war against the Ukraine on 24th February 2022, a wave of solidarity arose, throughout the democratic world, with the heroic struggle of the Ukraine. In addition to the most important form of support to the besieged nation, highly effective modern weapons, the provision of humanitarian aid to the victims of this terrorist war and the civilian population affected by it is and will continue to be important. The criminal totalitarian Russian regime is also waging a bloody war against women and children. To escape from the conflict millions of them have left the Ukraine, primarily for the European Union.      From the beginning of the conflict, more than 700,000 Ukrainian citizens have crossed the Slovak border. The majority have been women and children looking for a safe haven. Many of them have travelled onwards beyond Slovakia, moving on to other countries, but more than 90,000 have asked for protection from the Slovak Republic. At the border, local governments and non-governmental organisations, supported by hundreds of dedicated volunteers, did a lot to support them as they crossed into Slovakia. The provision of accommodation, food, medical care and an education for children showed our growing willingness to help and this is a highly positive entry on Slovakia’s report card: as positive as the supply of weapons that contributed to the collapse of the aggressor’s plans for a quick victory. This spontaneous support for a democratic Ukraine, seen in demonstrations attended by many of our citizens in many cities throughout Slovakia, has raised the hopes of the refugees that the time will come when they will be able to return to their free homeland.  Issue number: 774 Date of issue: 16.9.2022 Face value: 0,75 € Dimensions: 44,1 x 26,5 mm Layout: Stamp Sheet Stamps on printing sheet: 50 pcs Stamps in set: 1 Author of Stamp design: Peter Konečný Engraver: – Printer: Tiskárna Hradištko, s.r.o. Printing technology: Offset Circulation: 500 000 Author of FDC design: Mykola Kovalenko FDC Engraver: – Postmark design: Mykola Kovalenko FDC printing technology: Offset  [...]

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• Slovakia – Nature Protection: Important Fossils from Slovakia – Seal Devinophoca claytoniSeptember 13, 2022Nature Protection: Important Fossils from Slovakia – Seal Devinophoca claytoni Devínska Kobyla hill (514 m) forms the south-eastern ridge of the Little Carpathians. A large number of paleontological sites makes this place unique. These include Bonanza, a significant paleontological site, that is located on the northern edge of Devínska Kobyla, between the boroughs of Dúbravka and Devínska Nová Ves.  The site is a rift in the Mesozoic limestone that is filled with marine sediments from the Early Tertiary – Miocene periods. Excavations have revealed rare fossils of marine and terrestrial vertebrates.         During the Early Tertiary period (Miocene) Devínska Kobyla was an area of dry land with an ecosystem that ranged between that of a peninsular and an island. Based on the fossils discovered, it can be assumed that 13 million years ago the dominant ecosystem was a subtropical moist forest habitat with sources of fresh water and rare clearings. The coast included rocky cliffs and sandy beaches washed by a warm shallow sea that was inhabited by a wide range of marine fauna.       One such animal was a seal: Devinophoca claytoni, whose unique fossilised remnants were discovered at Bonanza. The fossils of this newly described genus and species of seal shows that it had specific morphological features which makes it stand-out from other groups of seals. Thus, Devinophoca claytoni was included into the newly described subfamily Devinophocinae. The genus and family names were coined from the name of the nearby borough of Devínska Nová Ves and the Latin name for the seal (phoca). It is very important from an evolutionary point of view as it represents a primitive group of seals, found at Devínska Kobyla, that is considered to be the predecessors of all the seals that live today. This precious species was only endemic to Bonanza, where it lived in the shallow marine paleo-environment with the zones of coral reefs near the former coast of Devínska Kobyla, on the eastern edge of this Tertiary sea, the Central Paratethys. The morphology of the skull revealed that the species Devinophoca claytoni lived on molluscs and crustaceans. The postage stamp depicts the fossil of the holotype of the skull of Devinophoca claytoni which may be found in the collection of the Museum of Natural History of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava.   Technical details  Issue number: 772 Date of issue: 9.9.2022 Face value: 0,75 € Dimensions: 30,5 x 44,4 mm Layout: Stamp Sheet Stamps on printing sheet: 3 pcs Stamps in set: 2 Author of Stamp design: Karol Felix Engraver: František Horniak Printer: Tiskárna Hradištko, s.r.o. Printing technology: Recess printing from flat plate combined with offset Circulation: 60 000 Author of FDC design: Karol Felix FDC Engraver: František Horniak Postmark design: Karol Felix FDC printing technology: Recess printing from flat plate  [...]

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• Slovakia – The 100th Anniversary of the National Firefighters’ Union of SlovakiaAugust 1, 2022The National Firefighter’s Union of Slovakia was founded on 6th August 1922 in Trenčín, with its headquarters in Turčiansky sv. Martin. During the founding congress, Vojtech Novák was elected as the first commander-in-chief of the Union and Miloslav Schmidt as the first deputy commander-in-chief. At the general assembly of the National Firefighters’ Union in 1926, Schmidt was elected as commander-in-chief.       The principal task of the National Firefighters’ Union of Slovakia was the operational management of firefighting and the implementation of related technical developments. Its mission was reflected in its motto: “In praise of God and to help our neighbours”. Even today, this credo is still part of the flag of any Slovak fire brigade. An important project that has survived to this day, that cemented the reputation and position of Miloslav Schmidt among Slovak firefighters, was the construction of the Headquarters and Fire Training Centre (Hasičský dom) in Martin. The opening ceremony took place on the 12th October 1930. The ceremony was attended by firefighters from every corner of the country along with guests from abroad.      In cooperation with the state authorities, the organisation, the Voluntary Fire Protection of the SR (VFP SR), which is the successor to the National Firefighters’ Union of Slovakia, plays an important role in fire protection. The mission of the VFP SR includes the education and training of the general population, and specifically, children and young people, in the ways that we can protect ourselves from fire and unwanted events, the execution of interventions, the preservation and enhancement of the historical and cultural heritage of firefighting, the organisation of sporting activities and competitions, as well as welfare, educational and enlightening and cultural activities.        The basic operational unit of the VFP SR, today, and in the past, are the volunteer fire brigades. At present, in Slovakia, there are 2,189 volunteer fire brigades who have 79,762 members. These volunteer fire brigades are grouped into geographical districts within the VFP SR. The VFP SR has eight regional committees. Each region is represented in the VFP SR Presidium and each district organisation is represented in the VFP SR Council. The supreme authority of the VPF SR is the National General Assembly, which meets every five years.  Date of issue: 5.8.2022 Face value: 2,00 € Dimensions: 44,4 x 27.2 mm Layout: Print Sheet Stamps on printing sheet: 10 pcs Stamps in set: 1 Author of Stamp design: Peter Augustovič Engraver: – Printer: Tiskárna Hradištko, s.r.o. Printing technology: Offset Circulation: 100 000 Author of FDC design: Peter Augustovič FDC Engraver: Jozef Česla Postmark design: Peter Augustovič FDC printing technology: Offset Specification [...]

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• Slovakia – Sport: European Youth Olympic FestivalAugust 1, 2022 The XVI Summer European Youth Olympic Festival is going to be held in Slovakia. The games host was selected at the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in Minsk (Belarus) in 2016. Although the city of Košice was originally selected to host the largest European multi-sport event for 14 to 18 year olds, the eastern Slovak city was forced to withdraw in March 2019 due to financial problems. Thus, Banská Bystrica was given the opportunity. Its application to host the EYOF was approved by the EOC on 18th May 2019. But then it became necessary to reschedule the event itself. It was postponed for a year to 2022 so that it dd not clash with the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo (Japan), which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.       This prestigious youth event returns to Slovakia after more than two decades. Its winter edition, at the time, the European Youth Winter Olympic Days, was hosted by the city of Poprad and the surrounding area back in 1999. So, this is the first time the summer version has been held in Slovakia. The Slovak Republic will be the 15th country to host the European Youth Olympics.      “The athletics stadium in Štiavničky is going to be at the heart of the EYOF2022 Banská Bystrica. It is scheduled to take place from 24th to 30th July 2022 and more than 3,000 sportspeople will participate along with members of their management teams and officials from 48 European countries. The stadium in Štiavničky will be the venue for half of the sporting disciplines,” said Peter Hamaj, the Executive Director of the Organising Committee of the EYOF 2022 Banská Bystrica. In addition to Banská Bystrica, events will also take place at venues in Zvolen, Detva, Slovenská Ľupča and Badín. Although the city beneath Urpín hill was to host 11 sporting disciplines, the triathlon was dropped from the list. Thus, the participants in the EYOF 2022 will compete in athletics, badminton, basketball, road cycling, judo, handball, swimming, artistic gymnastics, tennis and volleyball. The opening ceremony will be held on 24th July 2022 in the area around the Memorial of the Slovak National Uprising. “Our goal is to organise an international event that will put Slovakia and Banská Bystrica on the sporting map of Europe,” said Ján Nosko, the President of the Organising Committee and Major of Banská Bystrica. Stamp dimensions33,9 x 26,5 mmForm of printing sheetTLStamps per sheet50Stamps in set1PrinterTiskárna Hradištko, s.r.o.Printing technologyOffsetCirculation1 000 000Specifications [...]

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• Slovakia – The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Important Figures of the Štúr Generation June 27, 2022The history of mankind, as well as the histories of individual nations, includes short periods during which many important figures are born. Their ground-breaking ideas will go on to affect the social, scientific, cultural, artistic or political life of their nation and radically change the development of their society. These people do not usually only focus on a single dimension, the scope of their activities is wider, it includes culture and society. The period from 1815 to 1825, which gave birth to the generation, generally referred to as the Ľudovít Štúr generation, is one such period of Slovak history. This generation, led by this charismatic man, born in 1815, crucially influenced the development of the Slovak nation during the revolution of 1848 – 1849 and the so-called makeshift period of 1860 – 1867, when the key issues related to the existence of Slovaks as a nation were decided.  In 2022, we will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of five figures from the Štúr generation. They had a profound effect on Slovak social life, leaving behind them a permanent and indelible trace. In order of their dates of birth, they are: Janko Kráľ (born 24th April), probably the greatest poet of the Štúr generation, a rebel and revolutionist. Ján Palárik (born several days later, on 27th April), he was a Catholic priest, the very opposite of Janko Kráľ, who, through his service and literature, strived to find a path to friendly coexistence between the individual nations of the Kingdom of Hungary of the time. Ján Francisci-Rimavský (born 1st June) played an unforgettable part in the battles that took place during the revolution of 1848 to 1849 and as a convener and organiser of the Slovak National Memorandum assembly in 1861. Ján Kalinčiak (born approximately two months later, on 10th August) was a gifted writer, whose humorous story Reštaurácia (Restoration) still entertains Slovak readers today, even though it was written more than 150 years ago. Finally, but not the least of them, Štefan Marko Daxner (22nd December), he was a lawyer and the chief author of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation of 1861, which listed the crucial political requirements needed to support Slovak self-government. These continued to be included in Slovak political programmes until as late as 1993.  This postage stamp was inspired by the essential motif which all these figures held close to their hearts, Devín Castle. They considered it to be a national sanctuary, the birthplace of Slovak national statehood. On the miniature sheet we can find the figures to whom this stamp is dedicated. The FDC depicts an eagle flying above the peak of Kriváň, the symbol of Slovakia, which is loosening the cuffs of the Slovak nation. A lime leaf and blossom are part of the FDC cancellation and they are symbolic of contemporary Slavic patriotism.  [...]

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