The Polish Post Office issued a circulation stamp commemorating the year of Józef Mackiewicz
The Polish Post is commemorating the distinguished Polish writer and journalist Józef Mackiewicz with a philatelic issue. The stamp will be introduced into circulation on the 120th anniversary of the birth of the author of the famous maxim "Only the truth is interesting." The stamp also aligns with the Józef Mackiewicz Year celebrations established by the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, and it was at the Polish Parliament that the philatelic publication was officially unveiled.
The presentation of the stamp took place on March 31st in the Sejm (lower house of parliament) of the Republic of Poland, during a conference devoted to the work and achievements of Józef Mackiewicz, organized by the Institute of National Remembrance. The stamp was officially unveiled by Wiesław Włodek, vice president of Poczta Polska.
The stamp features a historic photograph of Józef Mackiewicz from 1966. The inscription "Poland" and the face value of 30 groszy are inscribed along the bottom edge. The stamp was issued with a dated envelope. Jacek Konarzewski, the designer, included Mackiewicz's most famous maxim on the envelope, along with another photograph of him with his daughter Halina: Ostra Brama, Vilnius 1938. The photograph was acquired from the artist's family collection.
The Polish Post's philatelic issue is part of the celebrations of the Józef Mackiewicz Year, established by the Polish Parliament. This one of Poland's most renowned journalists, in addition to his undeniable artistic achievements, also made his mark on history as a brave volunteer soldier in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920. As a cavalryman, he was wounded and captured.
Józef Mackiewicz worked as a journalist for the Vilnius daily "Słowo" until 1939. In 1943, with the consent of the Polish underground authorities, he was invited to testify about the Katyn massacre after the Germans discovered the graves of Polish officers murdered by the Soviets. He devoted his entire life to revealing the truth about Katyn. After World War II, he lived in exile in London and Munich, dying in 1985.
On the 120th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding writer, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland recognized the great achievements of the creator, who persistently supported the ideas of Polish independence, freedom and friendly coexistence of the nations of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as steadfast resistance against communism.
The hero of Poczta Polska's philatelic issue is the author of the novels: Road to Nowhere, No Need to Speak Loud, and Contra, as well as interesting journalistic works: The Katyn Massacre in the Light of Documents, The Triumph of Provocation, and In the Shadow of the Cross. Since 2002, the Józef Mackiewicz Literary Award has been awarded.
About the stamp:
Designer: Jacek Konarzewski
Number of stamps: 1
Value: 30 gr
Circulation: 5,000,000 pcs
Printing technique: rotogravure
Stamp format: 25.5 x 31.25 mm
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 100 stamps
Date of introduction into circulation: April 1, 2022