{"product_id":"city-of-heroes-mariupol-azovstal-stamps","title":"City of Heroes: Mariupol – Ukrainian Stamp Sheet with Azovstal Steel","description":"\u003cp\u003eA powerful piece of modern Ukrainian history, the “City of Heroes: Mariupol” stamp sheet honors the people who defended Mariupol, remembers the civilians who lost their lives, and preserves the story of a city that became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes this collectible extraordinary is not only its story. The stamps are actually coated with particles of genuine steel produced at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol — steel from a plant that became one of the most recognized symbols of Ukraine’s defense in 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Story Behind the Stamp Sheet\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMariupol was one of the cities hit hardest during the first months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom February 2022, the city endured relentless attacks from the air, sea, and ground. Ukrainian defenders continued resisting as large parts of Mariupol were destroyed and civilians struggled to survive without reliable access to food, water, electricity, or medical care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEventually, the Azovstal steelworks became one of the last major areas of Ukrainian resistance in the city.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts vast industrial complex provided shelter for Ukrainian defenders, wounded soldiers, and civilians. The defense of Azovstal came to symbolize extraordinary endurance under overwhelming circumstances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, the name Azovstal is inseparable from the story of Mariupol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRemembering the Mariupol Drama Theater\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the heart of this stamp design is another place that became known around the world: the Mariupol Drama Theater.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHundreds of civilians had taken shelter inside the theater during the siege.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOutside the building, the Russian word “ДЕТИ” — “CHILDREN” — had been written in enormous letters on the ground so that it could be clearly seen from the air.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn March 16, 2022, the theater was struck by Russian aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe building was devastated, and many civilians sheltering there were killed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUkrainian artist Oleh Shupliak incorporated the theater into the stamp design, showing the building as part of a visual memory of Mariupol before and after destruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReal Steel From Azovstal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most remarkable physical feature of this stamp sheet is its connection to the city itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stamps are coated with particles of genuine steel manufactured at Azovstal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA special thermographic process was used to apply the steel particles to the stamps. This technology was implemented with the help of Cartor Security Printers in France and was used for the first time on Ukrainian postage stamps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat means this collectible contains not simply an image associated with Mariupol, but a physical material connected to one of the city's most important symbols.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors of modern Ukrainian history, this makes the issue particularly unusual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA City That Ukraine Remembers\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMariupol was awarded the honorary title Hero City of Ukraine in March 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor Ukrainians, Mariupol has come to represent enormous loss, but also extraordinary courage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe people who defended the city, the civilians who survived the siege, the Drama Theater, and the resistance at Azovstal have all become part of Ukraine’s modern national memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe City of Heroes: Mariupol stamp sheet preserves that story in a form small enough to hold in your hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eStamp Sheet Details\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e4 collectible Ukrainian postage stamps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeries: Cities of Heroes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDenomination: M\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIssue date: March 14, 2025\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArtist: Oleh Shupliak\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStamp size: 37.5 × 51 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSheet size: 101 × 143 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStamps arranged in a tête-bêche composition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal print run: 400,000 stamps\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinting: offset + thermography\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoated with genuine Azovstal steel particles\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrinted with Cartor Security Printers, France\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOriginal Ukrainian postal issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade for Ukraine\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Meaningful Collectible From Ukraine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis stamp sheet is particularly meaningful for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUkrainian stamp collectors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUkrainian diaspora families\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSupporters of Ukraine\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollectors of modern Ukrainian history\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMilitary and wartime history collectors\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople with personal connections to Mariupol\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone looking for an authentic Ukrainian collectible with a powerful story\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe City of Heroes: Mariupol stamp sheet is more than philately.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt carries the memory of a city, the story of its defenders and civilians, and even real steel from Azovstal — transformed into a lasting symbol of Ukrainian courage and remembrance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small piece of Ukraine carrying the story of Mariupol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e🇺🇦\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cb\u003eAuthentic collectible from Ukraine, available from Gifts from Ukraine with fast shipping from Canada.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gifts From Ukraine","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48370201166057,"sku":null,"price":13.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/1904\/9193\/files\/city-of-heroes-mariupol-azovstal-stamp-sheet.jpg?v=1789499087","url":"https:\/\/giftsfromukraine.com\/es\/products\/city-of-heroes-mariupol-azovstal-stamps","provider":"Gifts From Ukraine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}