Polish Post commemorates Polish architects in Azerbaijan

Updated on: May 31, 2019

On May 31 this year, Poczta Polska is introducing postage stamps from the "Polish Architects in Azerbaijan" issue into circulation.

Designer Maciej Jędrysik depicted eight stamps depicting structures constructed by Polish architects in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The stamps were printed using offset printing on fluorescent paper, in a 51 x 39.5 mm format, with a circulation of 160,000 each. Poczta Polska will also issue two First Day of Circulation (FDC) envelopes. These depict the eastern and southern portals of the villa designed by Eugeniusz Skibiński for Aga-Bała Kuliyev.

Baku's rapid economic development at the end of the 19th century transformed it into one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Azerbaijan and the entire Caucasus. A significant role was played by a galaxy of Polish architects. The first to arrive in Azerbaijan in 1891 was Józef Gosławski, who soon became its chief architect. His designs combined European style with elements of oriental architecture, as exemplified by the Baku City Council building. Gosławski invited Józef Płoszko, famous for his Venetian Gothic-style Ismailia Palace, currently the seat of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, to collaborate. Eugeniusz Skibiński, a lecturer at the Baku Technical University, also worked in Baku. The villa of Aga-Bała Kuliyev, the creator of over 250 designs, is considered the city's greatest contribution to its urban development. At Płoszko's invitation, another Pole, Kazimierz Skórewicz, came to Baku. Besides a number of residential buildings, he also designed buildings for the Rothschild banker and the post office. Konstanty Borysoglebski, who was ending the era of the "construction boom," designed the Oginsky Halls and the Boys' Gymnasium, which dominate the central part of Baku.

Poczta Polska frequently collaborates with postal operators from other countries. This joint publication by Poland and Azerbaijan, following the issue with the Kazakhstan Post Office, is another small work of art connected to this part of the world. The company has recently collaborated with operators from France, Greece, and the Vatican in the production of postage stamps.

About the stamp:

stamp designer: Maciej Jędrysik
number of stamps: 8
value: PLN 3.30
circulation: 160,000 pcs. each
printing technique: offset
stamp format: 51 x 39.5 mm
paper: fluorescent
sales sheet: 8 stamps
date of introduction into circulation: May 31, 2019

These and other publications of Poczta Polska can be purchased at designated Poczta Polska branches and online store: www.filatelistyka.poczta-polska.pl .