| VILNIUS-AREA: FROM 1990 VILNIUS AGAIN CAPITAL OF THE INDEPENDENT LITHUANIA |
| 1990, 11 march |
Proclamation independence |
| 1991, 6 september |
Again independent |
After the independence was proclaimed on 11 march 1990, this was not directly realised.
There followed yet a considerable period of transition, which was also for the post a period of transition.
STEMPELS
From 29 march the two-lines stamp "Lietuvos Respublikos PASTAS" were used in Vilnius in the post offices. This stamp with the
meaning "Post of the Lithuanian Republic", was more a propaganda stamp, and not a real cancellation.
When this hand-stamp broke, on 5 april 1990, it is replaced by a three-lines stamp, as we see on the postal article below.
Slowly and by stages the usual postmarks were adjusted. Also that is to seeon the postal article below. This has a 'chopped' postmark
, 24 may 1990, of the head post-office in Vilnius. They didn't do things by halves: the symbol of state, the five-pointed star and CCCP
at the top of the stamp are removed. Further everything in cyrillic letters is removed: place name with code of the post-office,
LIT(uania) and the form of government (CCP). Except Vilnius-C and the date little is left of this hand-stamp.
The machine-stamps were adjusted in a later stage. Here below we see how the usual Sovjet machine-stamp is adjusted.
The star, the letters CCCP on the left and the form of government CCP, are disapeared, but the bi-lingual designation of
Vilnius has been remained. The text "LIETUVOS RESPUBLIKOS PASTAS", which we already meet as hand-stamp, is fixed as
accompanying stamp in place of the waving lines.
This letter of 10 dexember 1990 was abroad. Because the postal communication with the foreign countries could be cut
very easily by the Post Authotities of the Sovjet-Union, one was maybe something more careful with adaptions.
Here below we see another letter, 20 setember 1991, to a foreign country. The postal stationary and the by-prepayment is
Sovjet-Russian, but we see the new hand-stamp of Vilnius.
POSTAL STATIONARIES AND POSTAGE STAMPS
Traditionally in the Sovjet-Union many postal stationaries with imprinted stamps were used. So it isn't strange that the Lithuanian Post
first begun with the issue of a postal stationary. On 17 may 1990 the first real Lithuanian postal stationary, an envelope with imprinted
stamp, makes one's appearance. The franking value was 5 kopeken, thus the inland tariff.
They were used in the first instance also only for the interior. The independence was proclaimed indeed on 11 march, but it was still an
period of transition. Envelopes with imprinted stamp from the sovjet-perios were used also yet, surely to abroad, as in the letter before
(of 20 september 1991).
The first Lithuanian postal stationary, 17 may 1990, has not yet a high impression (1.081.000) and the design is from Violeta
Skabeikiene:
The picture of a tree stays on the envelope with the text "Akurta Nepriklausoma Lietuvos Respublika 1990 III . 11" ,
that is to say "Re-establishment of the independent Lithuanian Republic 1990 III . 11" (11 march 1990).
The imprinted stamp is with the picture of the peace-angel. The envelope is printed by the printing-office Spindulys in Kaunas,
which also the latest stamp of Lithuania has printed in 1940.
The first stamps are been issued on 7 october 1990. The picture is the peace-angel again. the values are
5, 10, 20, and 50 kopeken. Further it is well to see that one hadn't really the experience and technical knowledge for the printing of postage stamps.
The stamps are imperforated and without gum:
The cancellation isn't the first day cacellation of Vilnius, but "Laisko savaité" = "week of the letter writing", also of 7 oktober 1990.
MIXED PREPAYMENT
At home one used mostly the own postal stationaries and postage stamps. Mainly abroad one used, well with adjusted stamps, often the
Russian enveloppes with imprinted stamp and postage stamps.
Slowly thre comes more and more mixied prepayments, also in the period that Lithuania was not recognized really:
This letter was of may 1991, and because I was not at home , the Dutch Post has pasted a little strip with this
message inder the postage stamps.
From 15 september the issues of the Sovjet-Russian post were not sold in Lithuania. They are still yet valid
to 31 december 1991:
Last day of mixed prepayment.
The remained Sovjet postal stationaries were overprinted from the middle of october 1991 with an value-stamp.
The stamp has a value-indication, the text "Lietuvos"and "Pastas" and on the right five horizontal lines over
the Sovjet imprint-stamp:
Sovjet-postal stationary with view on Vilnius overprinted.
METER POSTAGE STAMPS
Franking stamp of the (national?) library in Vilnius
Periodicals:
HBG = Het Baltische Gebied [in Dutch]
Lituania [in German]
| Litauische Provisorien / Vytautas Pletkus |
In: Lituania 1998 ; nr. 9. - p. 522-524 |
| De poststempels van Vilnius 1989-1991 : als spiegel van een nationale en maatschappij-politieke gezindheid / Gerhard Hahne |
In: HBG 1992 ; 20. - p. 35-41 |
VILNIUS AREA
LITHUANIA GENERAL
Timetable: Vilnius and Lithuania
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