We won the EUROPA 2021 philatelic competition
A Polish philatelic item depicting the Eurasian lynx won the gold medal in the EUROPA 2021 competition for the most beautiful postage stamp. This year's theme was "Animals in danger of extinction."
The competition was decided during the PostEurop plenary meeting on 6 October 2021. The stamp by Bożydar Grozdew, with an interesting graphic of a lynx, finished ahead of the proposals for stamps from the Åland Islands featuring a moor frog and Ukraine featuring a brown bear.
The lynx proved to be the most frequently depicted animal on the competition stamps of PostEurop operators. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Lithuania, and Spain also chose to feature this predator. However, it was Poczta Polska's proposal, featuring a lynx, which is disappearing amidst the eloquent explosion of ecological threats, that met with public appreciation.
" Winning a gold medal on the international stage for such an important social issue and amidst such excellent competition fills us with understandable pride. This success is tangible proof that Polish philately is at the forefront of European philately. Our project symbolically reflects the state of our planet, the challenges, threats, and the most pressing ecological needs. Postage stamps are not only carriers of this important message, but also small works of art with collector's and artistic value. I would like to sincerely congratulate and thank the stamp's designer and the entire team involved in this project, " emphasizes Tomasz Zdzikot, President of the Management Board of Poczta Polska SA
It's worth noting that the Bożydar Grozdew is permanently associated with Poczta Polska, and this year's "EUROPA" issue entered circulation on April 21, 2021. The stamp's graphic design clearly reflects the threat of extinction of this species. The stamp's design was consulted with the Polish Academy of Sciences.
In 2021, for the first time, the winners were selected in three separate voting panels: from May 9, 2021, to September 9, 2021, online votes were collected in a voting open to the general public following the competition. Representatives of postal administrations, i.e., members of PostEurop, cast their votes simultaneously. Then, on September 29, 2021, the expert jury members cast their votes. A tally of the scores from all three panels determined the gold medal winner.
This is Poczta Polska's second victory in the PostEurop competition. Last year, the Polish national operator won in the jury category, submitting a stamp themed "Old Postal Routes." In 2018, Poczta Polska's publication depicting a bridge in Tczew took second place in the online voting.
As part of the cooperation between European postal administrations, special stamps in the EUROPA series have been issued since 1956. Issues with different themes – showcasing the common roots, culture, history, and shared goals of the peoples of Europe – always feature the official EUROPA logo – the trademark of the association of public postal administrations PostEurop.