St. Nick delivers weapons on Ukraine stamp issued Dec. 6

By David Hartwig

On Dec. 6, 2023, Ukrposhta (Ukraine’s post office) issued a pane of five semipostal stamps to mark St. Nicholas Day and the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, both of which occurred Dec. 6.

Ukrainian artist Kostya Lavra designed the stamp, which combines elements of the St. Nicholas tradition with elements of the armed forces. St. Nicholas carries a sack of gifts. However, the sack is camouflaged, and the gifts spilling out consist of a tank, missile and aircraft.

St. Nicholas rides on the back of a horse that tramples over a double-headed eagle, a prominent figure on Russia’s coat of arms. An imperial crown and imperial orb, also elements of the Russian coat of arms, appear below the horse’s raised tail in the stamp design.

In the tradition of many cultures, including Ukraine, St. Nicholas brings presents during the night for children to receive in the morning of Dec. 5 or 6.

The real St. Nicholas, from whom Santa Claus is derived, served as a bishop in the maritime city of Myra (modern-day Demre, Turkey) during the fourth century and was known for his habit of gift giving.

Ukraine celebrates the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Dec. 6. Ukraine established its current form of armed forces Dec. 6, 1991. The Dec. 6 date also marks the start of the First Winter Campaign in 1919, when the Ukrainian People’s Republic faced the Bolsheviks in Ukraine during the Soviet-Ukrainian War.

The stamp is nondenominated. The rate, represented by the letter M, is for a letter weighing up to 50 grams sent within Ukraine, currently 18 hryvnia. The surtax adds an additional 5h to be donated to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The pane is available on the Ukrposhta online postal shop, with a maximum order of 10 panes per customer

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