Russia: Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude (Russian: Улан-Удэ) is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia; it is located about 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga. According to the 2010 Census, 404,426 people lived in Ulan-Ude making the city the third largest in eastern Siberia by population.

On the card you can see "The Head of Lenin"-Monument located at Soviet Square in Ulan-Ude. With a height of 7,7 meters, a maximum width of 4,5 meters and a weight of 42 tons it is the largest head of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin ever built.

Stamps:
Winter Olympics - Sochi, Russia (from a set of three) - Issued: 03-10-2011
Wild Life.Definitive Issue (from a set of 15) - Issued: 29-08-2008


Thanks Tatiana for this nice card!

Liechtenstein: The Princely Family of Liechtenstein

The Princely House of Liechtenstein is one of the oldest noble families. The family has over 100 members of whom only a part live in the Principality of Liechtenstein. The Reigning Prince is the sovereign of the Princely House and watches over the "reputation, honour and welfare" of the Princely House according to the house laws. Prince Hans-Adam II took over the regency on the 13th of November 1989 after the death of Prince Franz Josef II.

On the card you can see Prince Hans-Adam II. and Princess Marie with their four children Hereditary Prince Alois, born 11th of June 1968, Prince Maximilian, born 16th of May 1969, Prince Constantin, born 15th of March 1972 and Princess Tatjana, born 10th of April 1973.

On the backside you can see a special postmark from the Tourist Office in Vaduz.

Stamp:
Four Seasons of Vaduz Castle (from a set of two) - Issued: 06-09-2010

Russia: Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk (Russian: Красноя́рск) is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk and Omsk, with a population of 1,035,528 as of the 2010 Census. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of aluminum. The city is notable for its nature landscapes; author Anton Chekhov judged Krasnoyarsk to be the most beautiful city in Siberia.

Thanks to Olga for sending me this nice card in an envelope and thanks for including this nice fridge magnet showing a 10 ruble Russian banknote.

Stamps:
3x Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Moscow Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Liechtenstein: Schaan

Schaan is the largest municipality of Liechtenstein by population. It is located to the north of Vaduz, the capital, in the central part of the country. As of 2005 it has a population of 5,806 making it the largest administrative district in Liechtenstein, and covers an area of 26.8 km², including mountains and forest. Schaan has over 4,000 enterprises, making it a large economic center in the country.

Stamp:

Christmas – Christmas Carols (from a set of four) - Issued: 16-11-2015

Germany: Freiberg

Freiberg is a university and mining town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage conservation and is a chosen site for the proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Ore Mountain Mining Region. Until 1969, the town was dominated for around 800 years by the mining and smelting industries.

The stamp on the card commemorates the 250th Anniversary of Freiberg University of Mining and Technology. It is a small German University of Technology with about 6000 students and established in 1765, by Prince Franz Xaver, regent of Saxony, based on plans by Friedrich Wilhelm von Oppel and Friedrich Anton von Heynitz, and is the oldest university of mining and metallurgy in the world. The chemical elements Indium (1863) and Germanium (1886) were discovered by scientists of Freiberg University.

Stamp:
The 250th Anniversary of Freiberg University of Mining and Technology - Issued: 03-12-2015 with special first day of Issue postmark


UPDATE 09-01-2016

Today I got another card. Its the same one like above, but this time with a different postmark

Switzerland: Marsupilami

Marsupilami is a fictional comic book species created by André Franquin, first published on 31 January 1952 in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Spirou. Since then it appeared regularly in the popular Belgian comic book series Spirou et Fantasio until Franquin stopped working on the series in 1968 and the character dropped out soon afterward. In the late 1980s, the Marsupilami got its own successful spin-off series of comic albums, Marsupilami, written by Greg, Yann and Dugomier and drawn by Batem, launching the publishing house Marsu Productions. It reminds me of my own childhood.

Stamps:
Marsupilami (whole set) - Issued: 03-09-2015

Thanks again to Hansjürg for this great cover!

Russia: Salekhard

Salekhard (Russian: Салеха́рд) is a town and the administrative center of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is the closest town to the Arctic circle, the main parts being about 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) south and suburbs stretching to the north of the circle. The population in 2010 was 42,544. On the card you can see the City Administration Building of Salekhard.

Stamps:
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Ryazan Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Novgorod Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009


Thanks to Olga for this nice card!


♁ 66° 32′ N 66° 36′ O

Greenland: Nuuk

This week is truly a great week for my self-made covers. Within a few days I got all my covers back. Today the last one arrived from Greenland. It is also my very first cover I received from there. Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe (specifically Norway and Denmark, the colonial powers, as well as the nearby island of Iceland) for more than a millennium. I got this cover postmarked in Nuuk. It is the capital and largest city of Greenland. It is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic center with a population of about 16,500 (as in 2013). The cover commemorates the upcoming Arctic Winter Games which will take place in Nuuk from 6th to 11th March 2016.

Stamps:

2x Arctic Winter Games 2016 - Nuuk, Greenland - Issued: 19-01-2015

Canada: "Christmas Animals" Souvenir Sheet Official First Day Cover

This nice FDC arrived some days ago. On the Sheet you can see three classic Canadian animals dress up with droll holiday cheer. A majestic bull moose wearing a red scarf and striped toque graces the permanent domestic stamp. On the U.S.-rate stamp, a grinning beaver in a flannel shirt and flat cap playfully sports a sprig of holly in his mouth. On the international-rate stamp, a polar bear braces for the cold with a stylish cap, scarf and sweater. A clothing detail extends beyond the frame of each stamp, adding a three-dimensional touch.

It arrived safely in a cover with nice stamps:

Stamps:

2x Beneficial Insects (from a set of 5) - Issued: 12-10-2007

2x Baby Wildlife (from a set of 5) - Issued: 31-03-2014

Many thanks again to Tristan for this nice FDC!

Norway: Longyearbyen

Today I received another cover I sent to myself. Its from Longyearbyen. Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative center of Svalbard, Norway. As of 2008, the town had a population of 2,040. Longyearbyen is located in the valley of Longyeardalen and on the shore of Adventfjorden, a bay of Isfjorden located on the west coast of Spitsbergen. It is the world's northernmost settlement of any kind with greater than 1,000 permanent residents.

Stamp:
Tourism - Oslo Viking Ship Museum (from a set of 3) - Issued: 28-04-2014


♁ 78° 12′ N, 15° 38′ O

Åland: EUROPA Cover w/ Christmas Postmark

Today I also received a cover from Åland. I set up this cover myself. Buyed it at the Åland Post Webshop, added a stamp, sent it to Åland Post and asked for the special christmas postmark and to send it back to me. After a few weeks I got my cover back cancelled. And of course, I would like to show it here.

Stamp:
EUROPA "Old Toys" - Issued: 08-05-2015 with special christmas postmark


If you also like to send a cover to yourself from Åland, here is the address to send it to:

Posten Åland Frimärken
PB 1100
AX-22111 Mariehamn
Åland

Good Luck!

Taiwan: National Tsing Hua University

This card shows parts of the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU; Chinese: 國立清華大學). It was founded in Beijing, China. After the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan following defeat by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War, NTHU was re-established in Hsinchu City in 1956. Today, there are 7 colleges, 17 departments and 22 independent graduate institutes in the university. 

Stamp:

Flowers "Tabebuia chrysantha" - Issued: 12-03-2009

The Netherlands: Emmen

Emmen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands not far away from the german border. The municipality of Emmen has about 104,000 inhabitants, with 56,000 living in the town Emmen. Prime economic booster since the 1980s is the zoo, the Dierenpark Emmen. Begun in the 1930s, it was almost completely redesigned in the 1970s, and is now co-owned by the municipality of Emmen. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year.

The card arrived in an envelope with some nice stamps:

Stamps:
from the left:
Beautiful Netherlands - Issued: 24-05-2006
Beautiful Netherlands (from a set of two) - Issued: 09-08-2005

Switzerland: Christmas Stamps 2015

These two stamps are from a set of four different stamps of the swiss 2015 christmas series. The stamps are designed by Bea Würgler and each of it shows a snow globe with different content. By the way, at the end of the 19th century Erwin Perzy, a producer of surgical instruments, invented the so-called "Schneekugel" (snow globe) and got the first patent for it.

Stamps:
Christmas ("Gifts" & "Christmas Tree") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015


UPDATE: 09-12-2015

Stamp:
Christmas ("Baubles") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015


UPDATE: 27-12-2015

Stamp:
Christmas ("Candles") from a set of four - Issued: 12-11-2015

Thanks to Hansjürg for the nice Covers!

Austria: The 200th Anniversary of the Vienna University of Technology

This is the second FDC I received yesterday. The Vienna University of Technology (German: Technische Universität Wien) is one of the major universities in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1815 as the "Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute". In 1872 its name changed to Technische Hochschule (College of Technology). The institution has borne its current name Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien) since 1975. Today the university finds high international and domestic recognition in teaching as well as in research and is a highly esteemed partner of innovation oriented enterprises. It currently has about 26,200 students (19% foreign students/30% women), eight facilities and about 4,000 staff members (1,800 academics). The university's teaching and research is focused on engineering and natural sciences.

Stamp:
The 200th Anniversary of the Vienna University of Technology - Issued: 06-11-2015 with special first day of Issued postmark

Austria: The 650th Anniversary of the University of Vienna

Yesterday I got a nice First Day Cover from Austria. The University of Vienna (German: Universität Wien) is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is one of the oldest universities in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich history, the University of Vienna has developed into one of the biggest universities in Europe, and also one of the most renowned, especially in the Humanities. It is associated with 15 Nobel prize winners and has been the academic home of a large number of figures both of historical and academic importance. One of the famous alumni was for example Sigmund Freud.

Stamp:
The 650th Anniversary of the University of Vienna - Issued: 13-03-2015 with special first day of Issue postmark

Trinidad & Tobago: Archbishop's House, Port of Spain

This is my first card from Trinidad & Tobago. It arrived yesterday. Trinidad & Tobago is a twin island country situated off the northern edge of South America mainland, lying 11 Kilometres (6 mi) just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago is the third richest country by GDP (PPP) per capital in the Americas after the United States and Canada. Furthermore, it is recognised as a high income economy by the World Bank. Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean, the country's economy is primarily industrial, with an emphasis on petroleum and petrochemicals. The country's wealth attributes to its large reserves and exploitation of oil and natural gas.

On the card you can see Archbishops House in the capital city Port of Spain. The house was built in 1904 and is made of granite and marble from Ireland. It was renovated in 1968 and is presently occupied by the Catholic Archbishop of Trinidad and Tobago, Anthony Pantin.

Stamp:
The 150th Anniversary of National Library in Trinidad and Tobago - Issued: 09-08-2001


Thanks again to David for this card!

Japan: Shinjuku, Tokyo

Shinjuku is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration centre for the government of Tokyo. As of 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 337,556 and a population density of 18,517 people per km².

Stamps:
left: Japanese Traditional Cuisine (from a set of two) - Issued: 29-10-2015
right: Yuzuru Hanyu (from a set of 12) - Issued: 31-03-2015 (?)

USA: Memphis, TN

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The city is located on the fourth Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. Memphis had a population of 653,450 in 2013, making it the largest city in the state of Tennessee, the largest city on the Mississippi River, the third largest in the greater Southeastern United States, and the 23rd largest in the United States. If you're an Elvis Presley fan, you must tour Graceland. Memphis' most popular attraction is also the world's most famous rock 'n' roll residence.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 10-10-2013

Germany: Meißen

Meißen is a town of approximately 30,000 about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of the famous Meissen porcelain. On the card you can see the Meißen Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), situated in the old market-place. This church, not to be confused with the Dresden Frauenkirche, was first mentioned in a 1205 deed issued by Bishop Dietrich II and after a blaze about 1450 rebuilt in the Late Gothic style of a hall church. Its tower hosts the world's first porcelain carillon, manufactured in 1929 on the occasion of the town's 1000-years-jubilee. Another popular tourist sight is the world-famous Meissen porcelain factory.

Stamp:
The 100th Anniversary of the Minden Lock - Issued: 02-10-2014


Thanks to Hanko for this card!

Russia: St. Petersburg

I got some cards from St. Petersburg, but this is one I like very much. Not so much because of what is printed on the card, but because of the nice stamps. Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг) is the second largest city in Russia. It is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. In 1914 the name of the city was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd (Russian: Петрогра́д),  in 1924 to Leningrad (Russian: Ленингра́д) and in 1991, back to Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg is often described as the most Westernized city of Russia, as well as its cultural capital. It is the northernmost city in the world with a population of over one million. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Saint Petersburg is also home to The Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world.

On the card you can see the Cruiser "Aurora". As a museum ship, the cruiser Aurora became one of the many tourist attractions of the city, and continued to be a symbol of the October Socialist Revolution and a prominent attribute of Russian history.

Stamp on the front:
3x Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Astrakhan Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Stamp on the back:

Minisheet of The 150th Birth Anniversary of A.S. Popov - Issued: 16-03-2009

Germany: Christmas Stamp 2015

Today I received a nice cover from Germany. The stamp is the 2015 german christmas stamp. It features the popular Christmas carol "Silent Night" (german: Stille Nacht). The song was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 02-11-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Russia: Astrakhan

Astrakhan (Russian: Астрахань) is a city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. The city lies on two banks of the Volga River, close to where it discharges into the Caspian Sea at an altitude of 28 meters (92 ft) below sea level. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 520,339. It is the oldest economic and cultural center of the Lower Volga and often called the southernmost outpost of Russia and the "Caspian capital". 

The stamps shows the Astrakhan Kremlin - Issued: 01-10-2009


The card arrived in an nice envelope:

Stamps:
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Rostov Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Moscow Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009

Thanks to Elina for this card!

Germany: Werther

Werther is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the Teutoburg Forest, approximately 10 km north-west of Bielefeld. It is best known for the Werther's Original caramel sweets, which are, however, produced in the nearby city of Halle today.

Stamp:

Give Pleasure - Issued: 02-11-2015

Slovakia: Zvolen

Today I received a great cover from Slovakia.  Slovakia is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The capital is Bratislava. The cover arrived from the city of Zvolen. Its is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. Zvolen, has many beautiful tourist attractions, especially in the city, such as statues and colorful sprinklers that work in the summer. During the winter, there is an ice-skating rink in the city.

Stamps:
Protected Landscape Area Poľana (partly) - Issued: 09-10-2015
Cultural Heritage of Slovakia (0,02 € + 0,33 €) - Issued: 02-01-2009


Thanks to Rastislav for the nice cover and card!

Germany: The 300th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin (1996)

The Academy of Arts in Berlin (German: "Akademie der Künste, Berlin") is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution in which members could meet and discuss and share ideas. As early as 1699, the Academy of Arts served as the arts council of the Prussian government, and since 1931 it has been exclusively tasked with such a function in the successor states. The academic arm ultimately developed into the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin) of today. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany.

Stamp:
The 300th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin - Issued: 13-06-1996 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: The 450th Anniversary of the University in Marburg (1977)

This is an old FDC, but I think it fits perfect into my universities-collection. The Philipp University of Marburg (German: Philipps-Universität Marburg), was founded in 1527 by Landgrave Philip I of Hesse as one of Germany's oldest universities, dating back to a Protestant foundation. It was the main university of the principality of Hesse and remains a public university of that German state. It now has about 25,000 students and 7,500 employees, making Marburg, a town of 72,000 inhabitants, the proverbial "university town". Marburg is home to one of Germany's most traditional medical faculties.

Stamp:
The 450th Anniversary of the University in Marburg - Issued: 17-05-1977 with special first day of Issue postmark

Finland: University of Oulu

The University of Oulu (Finnish: Oulun yliopisto) is one of the largest universities in Finland, located in the city of Oulu. It was founded on July 8, 1958. The university has around 16,000 students and 3,000 staff. On the card you can see the main campus, located in Linnanmaa, about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of Oulu city centre. One famous alumni is Martti Ahtisaari. He is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland (1994–2000), Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work.

Stamp:
Northern Lights (from a set of three) - Issued: 09-09-2009