Greek buses are decorated with a Polish Post stamp
A Polish Post stamp featuring the "Polish James Bond," Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz—a hero of the Polish and Greek nations—is being advertised in Athens, the capital of Greece, and in Thessaloniki. Thanks to the Polish Embassy in Greece, it has been placed on bus windows in these cities to highlight one of the most prominent Allied agents of World War II.
Passengers using the airports in Athens and Thessaloniki until the end of September this year will have the opportunity to see the campaign of a Polish stamp depicting Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz on buses – in Athens and Thessaloniki with the slogan: Poland celebrates the 200th anniversary of Greek independence.
The philatelic issue was created in close cooperation with the Greek Embassy in Poland and debuted on March 25, 2021, to mark the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution, the beginning of the Greek struggle for independence.
Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz, a hero of both nations, operated during World War II not only as a legendary agent of the Polish and British secret services but also as a hero of the Greek resistance movement. His figure serves as a spectacular example of Polish involvement in the Greek fight for freedom.
According to many experts, he was the most effective saboteur the Allies had at their disposal during World War II. He organized an intelligence network in Greece and carried out acts of sabotage and sabotage on a large scale. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari, the Cross of Valor – the highest military decoration of the Kingdom of Greece and the second highest military decoration of the Hellenic Republic – and the George Cross – the highest civilian state decoration of the United Kingdom. Ivanov-Szajnowicz was also a gifted athlete, participating in football, water polo, swimming, and sailing.
The stamp's design was created by Agnieszka Sancewicz, who featured a photograph of Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz just before the outbreak of World War II. The photograph, colorized by Mirosław Szponar, comes from the family collection of Leonarda Lambrianidu, Iwanow-Szajnowicz's niece. In addition to this standard stamp, Poczta Polska issued a limited edition First Day of Circulation (FDC) envelope. It depicts items related to intelligence and sabotage activities.
This and other Polish Post stamps can be purchased on the website of the philatelic shop :