Another stamp honoring the Cursed Soldiers
On Monday, March 1st of this year, Poczta Polska introduced another postage stamp commemorating heroic members of the Polish anti-communist underground. The "Cursed Soldiers National Remembrance Day" issue this time honors Colonel Łukasz Ciepliński, codename "Pług." March 1st of this year marks the 70th anniversary of his execution.
The design's author, Marzanna Dąbrowska, depicted Colonel Łukasz Ciepliński on the stamp after his officer promotion (1936), with the logo of the Freedom and Independence Association (Zrzeszenie Wolność i Niezawisłość), with which "Pług" was strongly associated, in the background. In addition to the stamp, Poczta Polska issued a limited edition First Day of Circulation (FDC) envelope. It depicts Ciepliński on horseback, from his time as commander of the anti-tank company of the 62nd Infantry Regiment.
"The Polish Post, through its philatelic publications, commemorates outstanding figures in Polish history. For years, the Indomitable Soldiers were doomed to oblivion. By issuing a stamp dedicated to Colonel Łukasz Ciepieliński, the Polish Post is participating in restoring the memory of those who shed their blood for a free Poland. This is our obligation to current and future generations," emphasizes Tomasz Zdzikot, President of the Management Board of the Polish Post.
Colonel Łukasz Ciepliński, codename "Pług" (promoted posthumously in 2013), was a soldier in the Polish Army and a member of the anti-communist underground operating in Poland after World War II. He participated in, among other actions, the 1939 defensive war and Operation Tempest (1944). After the end of the largest armed conflict in history, he co-founded the Freedom and Independence Association. Captured in 1947, he was killed by the Security Service (UB) in 1951 after an unfair trial during which he was brutally interrogated for three years.
"Our latest philatelic issue commemorates Łukasz Ciepliński, a soldier of the Polish anti-communist and anti-Soviet underground, codenamed "Pług," who was brutally tortured and murdered exactly 70 years ago. Like all previous Poczta Polska issues honoring the Cursed Soldiers, it is a symbol of our gratitude and tribute for their courage, unwavering stance, and commitment to Polish patriotic traditions. I believe that our stamps, among other things, continue to contribute to strengthening the memory and spreading the truth about the soldiers of the so-called second underground," says Wiesław Włodek, Vice President of Poczta Polska.
In 2016, the first stamp of the "Cursed Soldiers National Remembrance Day" issue was released. It was dedicated to Major Zygmunt Szendzielarz, codename "Łupaszka." In 2019, the Company introduced into circulation a stamp commemorating Major Marian Bernaciak, codename "Orlik." Meanwhile, in the "Cursed Soldiers' Gorgets" series, in 2017, Poczta Polska issued stamps dedicated to Lieutenant Franciszek Majewski, codename "Słony," and Senior Sergeant Mieczysław Dziemieszkiewicz, codename "Rój." On March 1, 2018, stamps honoring Cavalry Captain Witold Pilecki, codename "Witold," and Danuta Siedzikówna, codename "Inka," were delivered to customers and philatelists. In addition to these series, a separate stamp commemorating Feliks Selmanowicz, codename "Słony," was also released. "Zagonczyk".
About the stamp:
Designer: Marzanna Dąbrowska
Number of stamps: 1
Value: PLN 3.30
Circulation: 168,000
Printing technique: rotogravure
Stamp format: 31.25 x 51 mm
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 12 stamps (4×3)
Date of introduction into circulation: March 1, 2021
This and other philatelic publications of Poczta Polska can be purchased at post offices and online store: www.filatelistyka.poczta-polska.pl .