Ukrainian Postage Stamps Mock Putin

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Vlad Putin has either been the direct leader of Russia - or the overseer of the direct leader - for more than two decades, the second longest tenure at the helm of the government there since Joe Stalin ran the old Soviet Union from 1924 until 1953 - and the political path for Putin to extend his current rule to 2036 has recently been cleared by the Russian government.  So, unless the fit and athletic Mr. Putin trips and falls out of a high-rise window, he will probably be a prominent figure on the world stage for some time to come.

But things are not looking as good for Putin - politically - as they were just a few years ago.   He was certainly at the height of his political game in the fall of 2016 when his interference in the American elections' process helped to place Donald Trump in the White House - and for four full years the image of the President of the United States literally fawning over the Russian despot did much to explain geo-politics as they played out around the globe.

The election of Joe Biden as President in 2020 in effect relieved Vlad of his backdoor key to the White House, and now he has to do his dealings with the United States out in the open - just like the other countries of the world.

Vlad Putin has dreams of putting the old Soviet Union back together.  His rule has overseen expansion into the former Soviet satellite nation of Georgia, and in February of 2022, Putin launched what he seemed to think would be a simple and quick military takeover of Ukraine - but a year into that conflict and it is obvious to everyone, except perhaps to the Russian leader himself, that Ukrainians will not walk away from their hard won freedoms.

Some American politicians, notably those who stood with Putin's ally, Trump, have chosen to align them themselves with the Russian dictator, but most have wisely come onboard by supporting the democracy-loving Ukrainians.

(A Republican US congresswoman from Georgia made herself look politically shallow and uniformed this past week when she made a public reference to the Russian invasion as "this war against Russia in Ukraine." )

But Putin had misread his tea leaves and was embarking on a mission that would test the resolve of the Russian nation as much as it would that of the Ukrainians.  A quick victory was not at hand.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a young and very fit individual, immediately donned his military cammos and headed out to lead his troops against the invaders. Over the ensuing twelve months President Zelensky has kept morale up and shown the world that his country is capable of stopping the Great Russian Bear in its tracks.   Zelensky's resolve and Ukraine's ability and willingness to stand strong have shown the world that support for Ukrainians in defense of their nation represents a sound investment of resources.

Russia is not only being stymied in Ukraine, in many cases is is actually losing ground. Putin's grand foray to expand Russian borders has turned into a massive embarrassment.

The indignity, however, is not over and seems to be growing daily.  Now the Ukrainians are even taking potshots at the hapless Russians through their postage stamps.  Over the months since the invasion began, the Ukrainian government has released several postage stamps that take direct aim at both the Russian invasion as well as at Putin himself.  (All are available for purchase over the internet as further ways to help fund the Ukrainians defense of their sovereign nation.)

A stamp was released in Ukraine this week which depicts a piece of street art that was allegedly painted by the renown graffiti artist, Banksy.  The piece, which was issued to mark the first anniversary of the invasion, shows a very young martial arts fighter taking down an adult in a competitive match - or a small person defeating a large person.   Cyrillic lettering off to one side reportedly translates as "FCK PTN!"  Banksy's name is included on the stamp and the issue is being recognized as the first ever official postage stamp that bears and image by that  well known street artist.

Another recent postage stamp issued by Ukraine has become an iconic symbol of protest against the invasion.  The image, which was selected by a public vote from among multiple images submitted in a government design contest, shows a Ukrainian soldier standing on a beach flipping off a passing Russian warship - with a caption that reads:  "Go Fvk Yourself!"  The image and the caption were both taken from a Russian effort to kill or capture the last Ukrainian holdouts from Snake Island in the Black Sea just south of the Ukrainian mainland.

Neither of those stamps represent attempts at capturing the essence of great literature, but both encapsulate that emotions and passions of the Ukrainian people as they fight to remove the aggressors from their lands - and they definitely engage and inspire the public!

And both of those stamps, as well as many similar ones coming out of Ukraine, send a bold and unwavering message to Vlad Putin from the people of Ukraine.  The sniveling little dictator has been weighed, measured, and found wanting - and the good people of Ukraine will not hesitate to tell him so and take him out!