As indicated on page 2, separate 'foreign' rates evolved for former USSR countries (CIS), and for the rest of the world (ROW).
The rate for CIS countries remained at 1 rouble until at least January 1993, but was 20r by June of that year.
In January and June 1994 the rate was 120 roubles, at least to Russia, though a series of covers to Kazakstan in March shows a 180r rate with a violet TP mark [40].
Three instances of franked [metered] mail to Ukraine from August to December 1994 show a 90r rate[41].
40.41.42a bcd43.
Another consequence of the break-up of the USSR was that all the former constituent republics now had the status of 'foreign' countries.
This meant that postal markings, including registration marks should appear in the Latin alphabet 42, as for the rest of the world, rather than Cyrillic 43 as before.
No further instances have been found of postal stationery with revaluation overprints on mail to CIS countries, although a 600r air mail PSE was produced in 1993 (see 45 below).
Other recorded rates to CIS countires are as follows (I do not know whether these are basic weight rates):
August 1994 - 600r; August 1996 - 1100r; - both to Russia.
Registered letters:
December 1994 to Tadjikistan - 700r; May 1995 to Ukraine - 900r; October 1995 - 1100r; Sept 1996 - 2500r; March 1997 - 3300r.
Rest of the World Mail.
Back on page 3 the last airmail rate covered was 25 roubles in January 1993.
I first saw the surcharge in 44 in a distribution from a new issue dealer, and I was immediately doubtful of its status.
There seemed to be no point in overprinting stamps, when the mark could be as easily applied to blank envelopes. It may be that BelPoshta saw the possibility of sales to collectors?
At any rate, this (with the 5r arms stamp shown on page 1) makes a 300 rouble airmail rate to the USA, for which I have no other examples. Sadly, the date is not legible, but appears to be December 1994 - the 50.00/o.50 stamp was not issued until February 1994.
Any more information on the surcharged stamps would be most welcome!
In 1993 the airmail rate (to where?) went up to 600r, and an airmail PSE was issued 45, although I have not seen one used at this rate!
This example was used with a 300r stamp to the USA to make the 1500 rouble rate.
USSR 50 kopeck envelopes were revalued by a 'fixed-value' TP mark 46.
This is on a spectacular air cover to London in April 1994 also rated at 1500 roubles. [47]
Equally overloaded with stamps is 48, a 1 rouble PSE overprinted 30r, with 12 overlapping stamps to make up the rate.
Those at the foot of the cover have been cancelled with a boxed straight line mark, of which only the bottom of the letters is legible:
I cannot even be sure whether this is in Cyrillic or Latin letters.
44.45.46.
47.48.
By January 1995 there is probably a single worldwide airmail rate, as I have covers to the UK, the USA and Israel all with 1800 roubles.
One is a 1200r surcharge [49] on a 600r PSE. An alternative to the 'TP' mark, a black or violet mark 50, 'Paid according to Tariff'.
Although this type of mark has been widely used throughout the former USSR countries, this is the only example I have seen with a Belarus postmark.
The last illustration 51 is a military or veterans 'paid' mark, which is too worn to translate easily.
49.50.51.
By now there are sufficient stamps available that surcharges are rarely seen, and some of the early low value stamps are used to seal envelopes, so I shall just list other rates that I have seen.
May and June 1996 - 2200r (Germany & Israel); July, September - 3300r (Israel & USA); November, December - 3500r (USA, UK);
February & September 1997 - 4400r (UK).
Registered letters:
July 1995 - 2300r (Poland); August, December - 2800r (USA) [but September 2200r - UK]; April 1996 - 3000r (USA); January 1997 - 5500r (USA).
Norvic Philatelic Resources Back to FSU index
BELARUS page 1 | 2 |
3 | 4 |
Other Belarus Links
Although not an internet link, serious philatelists cannot be without a good map of the area, preferably one with an index.
I recommend the Ravenstein Verlag road map of Belarus. It has a good index, taking into account German versions of transliteration from the Cyrillic alphabet, and a scale of 1:750,000. It includes villages with population under 2000.
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