The-Postal-History-Of-Early-Bolshevik
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THE POSTAL HISTORY OF EARLY BOLSHEVIK RUSSIA Trevor Pateman On the night of 24 - 25 October Kerensky period postal changed hands so that a 1917 (old style; 6 - 7 November stationery was invalidated and detailed knowledge of regional new style), the Bolsheviks thereafter used as blanks. In history is often required to seized power in Petrograd and March 1920 when some know whether an item of mail over the next few weeks did stamps were revalued x 100, is Bolshevik or not (Figs. 29, the same in Moscow and other what might be regarded as the 30). Tariffs do not always major cities. That is what we Propaganda stamps of solve the problem. In general, call the Russian Revolution, Imperial Russia - the between 1917 and the end of though the Bolshevik hold on Romanovs of 1913 and the War 1919, the total area controlled power was under continuous Charities of 1915 - were by the Bolsheviks contracted threat at least until the very formally invalidated. The and only expanded in 1920. end of 1920, when General remarkable fact about this is The exception is provided by Wrangel’s armies evacuated that it took so long - and even Latvia which had a Latvian from Crimea. Even then, the after March 1920 there are Soviet Socialist Republic on Bolsheviks had to contend in instances of some Romanov parts of its national territory 1921 with the Kronstadt stamps (notably the 20/14 kop from the beginning of 1919 Mutiny and the Tambov Catherine) being locally through into late 1920, with peasants’ revolt. authorised for continued use - some distinctive new they can be found on formular cancellers being produced This uncertain hold on power cards in the second half of (Figs. 32, 44). explains one of the paradoxes 1920 (Fig. 27). The of early Bolshevik postal revaluation created the stamps Second, from 1 January 1919 history. Despite being a party known as Postmaster (new style - the old style built from agitation and Provisionals, scarce and calendar was replaced in 1918 propaganda, sometimes difficult material, but one of with 31 January followed by 14 imaginative in form, the the few aspects of early February), the Bolshevik Bolsheviks did not manage to Bolshevik philately which has RSFSR offered a “Free Post” issue any distinctive postage attracted serious interest (Figs. for ordinary inland letters and stamps until 1921 when the 24-28). cards, with franking required “Arts and Industry” definitives only on Registered mail and appeared. Before that, they The fact that the Bolsheviks formulars for Money Transfers made do with Imperial did not do what every other and Parcels. This Free Post is adhesives which were new regime was doing at the not always correctly variously reprinted and time - issuing distinctive new understood. Normally, for revalued but not otherwise stamps - is a large part of the example, we are told that the changed. In November 1918, explanation for the neglect of January 1919 Tariff offered they did issue the two early Bolshevik postal history. Free Post for ordinary letters Chainbreaker stamps, But that history has many but charged 50 kopecks for supposedly to commemorate interesting features of which I Registered letters. This is the first anniversary of the single out five for discussion incorrect. The tariff specified revolution, but the stamps here. a charge of 25 kopecks for were actually commissioned by sending an ordinary letter, the Provisional Government First, the Revolution at no waived if it was sent and the designer was Zarins point closed the post offices. unregistered, and a fee of 25 who had worked on the So it is, for example, possible kopecks for Registration which Romanov set and later to find mail from the very first was added to the basic 25 designed and engraved many week of Bolshevik power in kopecks which was not waived of the stamps of independent Petrograd (Figs. 1, 2). if the letter was Registered. Latvia, including their Petrograd, Moscow and This is important to grasp. It Dragonslayers (Fig. 19). Tashkent never fell to White means, for example, that if control and so all mail out of some agency had Free Frank In January 1919, when the so- those cities is Bolshevik mail privileges for ordinary letters called “Free Post” was from October 1917. But other but not for Registered ones, introduced, Imperial and cities, towns and rural areas then they paid 25 kopecks to The British Journal of Russian Philately 106 77 send a Registered letter not the foreign mail becomes common Fourth, as the Bolsheviks took 50 kopecks you would expect if - this has a lot to do with the control of Ukraine, South you thought the Registration ending of the policies of War Russia and the Caucasus, they fee was 50 kopecks. In the Communism and the move were not squeamish about January 1919 Tariff but not in towards Lenin’s New using enemy stamps found in the later Free Post Tariffs of Economic Policy. In addition, the post offices and Red November 1919 and March though services nominally “trophy” use of White stamp 1920, local and national letters existed until end 1918, most issues is a nice collectible field were distinguished, with an had in reality ceased some (Figs. 33-37). The 1920 underlying rate of 15 kopecks months before. I have nothing revaluations x 100 applied to for a local letter. This created going abroad after November White stamps and in the case anomalies. A private 1918 and that is a cover to of the Ukrainian General Issue individual would consequently Germany (Fig. 6). Services to of 1918, the value in roubles is pay 40 kopecks to send a Local other countries appear to stop calculated by first dividing the registered letter and 50 in the middle of the year, with face value by two and then kopecks to send a National very little if anything to be multiplying by a hundred, so registered letter. An found from the last three that a 10 Shahiv stamp organisation with Free Frank months of 1918. In other becomes a 5 rouble stamp. privileges would pay 25 words, for many countries, Clerks did cope with this, as I kopecks regardless of distance there is a two year period in illustrate (Fig. 40). (Figs. 20-23). which Soviet citizens could not communicate with family, For the most part, trophy uses There were other anomalies. friends or business partners in of White stamps are found on For most of 1918, the RSFSR other countries. There were Parcel Cards which today are had a Foreign tariff with government courier services the main evidence of the places significantly lower prices than (about which nothing is really from which Red Army soldiers on the Inland tariff - for known) and that is all. When shipped back food and other example, 12 kopecks for a services resumed in June looted goods to their families Foreign postcard against 20 1920, the mail route initially in the Russian heartlands to kopecks for an Inland one. available was extraordinary: the North (Figs. 34, 35, 37). This Tariff was widely mail had to go up to Archangel That fact introduces my fifth disregarded at the post office or Murmansk and then across topic. counter - postmasters and the White Sea to Vardø in customers did not believe it northern Norway, the country Between 1917 - 21, the people could be right, so they often which then took responsibility who wrote and received letters, franked Foreign mail at the for onward transmission. An cards, and formulars changed. Internal tariff (but not vice Italian ship out of Odessa was Fountain pens are replaced by versa). Only on Registered also available. For the first indelible pencils and plain letters is the Tariff usually three months of the new pencils. The bourgeois tissue- correct, 60 kopecks instead of service, Free Post provisions lined envelope disappears. 1 rouble 5 kopecks (Figs. 4-18, applied also to Foreign mail The stationery card used as a 31). and it is indeed possible to find blank becomes a standard unfranked cards and letters means of communication. Third, there is the going abroad in June - Instead of soldiers’ cards from extraordinary story of September 1920 (Fig.39). But the front line and PoW cards Bolshevik Foreign mail in the they are great rarities. It from camps, we find Parcel 1917 - 21 period. The follows from this history that Cards endorsed “Red Army” Bolsheviks had few foreign any mail going abroad from prepared for soldiers sending friends to begin with and fewer Russia in 1919 and the first home 20 or even 40 Funt as time passed. The People’s half of 1920 will always be parcels of loot from the front Commissariat of Posts and “White” mail sent from areas line – they are illustrated here Telegraphs was obliged to outside Bolshevik control and (Figs. 32, 34, 35). suspend all foreign mail sent abroad using ports like services from 1 January 1919 Odessa or Vladivostok. Such Acknowledgement: The and did not re-open them until mail is relatively easy to find, detailed and original June 1920. The volume of especially addressed to the researches of Alexander foreign mail from that date to USA and travelling out of Epstein are the basis of my end of 1921 is very small. It is Vladivostok. short historical narrative. only in 1922 and 1923 that The British Journal of Russian Philately 106 78 24 October 1917 Fig. 1: The TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD Bolsheviks began preparations for their Petrograd seizure of power on 24 October (old style) and proclaimed the overthrow of the Provisional Government late in the evening of the 25th.