Ukraine’s Snake Island stamp wins Asiago top prize for philatelic art

By Danilo Bogoni

It’s a Ukrainian stamp that best represents the 2022 philatelic issues of a troubled humanity. That was the decision of the panel of judges of the 53rd Asiago international awards for philatelic art, who awarded the top prize to Ukraine’s derisive postage stamp (Scott 1338) celebrating the defiant response to the Russian invasion of Snake Island.

The awards for stamps issued in 2022 were presented July 23 in Asiago, Italy. The jury included Sophie Bastide, Raul Berzosa, Giancarlo Bortoli, Ferdinando Camon, Franco Filanci, Giovanni Luigi Fontana, Valter Forte, Daniela Fusco, Carlo Amedeo Giovanardi, Riccardo Guasco, Gianni Letta, Thomas Matha, Giorgio Migliavacca, Flavio Rodeghiero, Orietta Rossi and Gaetano Thiene.

Their choices were decidedly innovative, such as the Asiago philatelic Oscar going to Ukraine’s civilized and unprecedented postal reaction to the Russian aggression, as illustrated by Boris Groh. The winning stamp was one of two issued by Ukraine April 12, 2022 (Scott 1338-1339) featuring Groh’s design.

At the awards ceremony, Asiago’s mayor, Roberto Rigoni Stern, presented Andrii Kartysh, consul general of Ukraine in Milan, the top award plaque created by Italian sculptor Gio Pomodoro.

Kartysh described the jury’s decision as “a gesture of friendship and solidarity.”

“It’s a stamp that has impressed me,” Stern said.

He also said that the Asiago prize of philatelic art has reached “the plateau of excellence” and that in its 53
editions, the prize has been “able to exalt the values of philately in combination with art, highlighting the most important social, economic and environmental issues of our times.”

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which was participating in the awards for the first time, received the prize for …

To read about the rest of the 2022 Asiago award winners, subscribe to Linn’s Stamp News.

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