Crimean Bridge Encore! Limited Stamp Booklet – Ukraine 2022

A striking collectible from Ukraine’s wartime postal history, the “Crimean Bridge Encore!” (Кримський міст на біс!) Ukrposhta stamp booklet captures one of the most symbolic moments of 2022 through distinctly Ukrainian humor, art, and defiance.

Issued after the October 8, 2022 explosion that partially damaged the Crimean Bridge, the postage stamp was officially released on November 4, 2022. Ukrainian artist Yuriy Shapoval reimagined the famous bow scene from Titanicas a satire on another supposedly “unsinkable” structure — the bridge linking Russia with temporarily occupied Crimea. 

This is not simply a stamp sheet. It is a presentation booklet containing several official Ukrposhta philatelic pieces, making it especially appealing to collectors of Ukrainian stamps, wartime memorabilia, and contemporary Ukrainian history.

Booklet Includes

• Official “Crimean Bridge Encore!” Ukrposhta stamp sheet
• First Day Cover with special Crimean Bridge Encore! cancellation
• Illustrated art card
• Unmarked artistic envelope
• Presentation booklet with the story of the issue printed on the reverse in Ukrainian and English
• Booklet edition limited to only 1,500 copies
• Original Ukrposhta collectible, issued in 2022

The Story Behind the Stamp

The Crimean Bridge had been portrayed by Russia as a permanent connection between Russia and Ukrainian Crimea. The October 2022 explosion challenged that image of permanence, and Ukrposhta transformed the moment into one of its most memorable wartime stamp designs. 

Shapoval filled the artwork with details and dark humor that reward a closer look. Alongside the Titanic-inspired central scene are a Bayraktar drone, a damaged Russian tank, a vehicle falling from the bridge while losing looted possessions, and a cigarette reference — part of the ironic Ukrainian wartime expression about unexplained explosions being caused by “smoking in prohibited places.” 

The result is an image that is immediately recognizable but also layered with references to the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

A Limited Ukrainian Collectible

While the original stamp was issued in a much larger postal circulation, this official presentation booklet had a print run of just 1,500 copies, giving it considerably greater collector appeal than the standard stamp sheet alone. 

For collectors of Ukrposhta stamps, Ukrainian war stamps, Ukrainian military history, Crimea memorabilia, or contemporary European history, this set preserves a remarkable example of how Ukraine has used art and postage stamps to document the war in real time.

It also makes a meaningful gift from Ukraine for someone who supports Ukraine, collects international stamps, or wants to preserve an authentic artifact of Ukrainian resistance and resilience.