Cities of Heroes: Volnovakha – Ukrainian Collectible Stamp Sheet

A powerful piece of modern Ukrainian history, the “Cities of Heroes: Volnovakha” stamp sheet honors a city that was among the first to face the full force of Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022.

The collectible sheet contains 6 Ukrainian postage stamps dedicated to Volnovakha — a city in Donetsk region whose people demonstrated their Ukrainian identity long before the full-scale war and whose resistance in 2022 came at an enormous cost.

The Story Behind the Stamp Sheet

Volnovakha has long been more than a dot on the map.

Located at an important railway junction connecting Mariupol, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, the city became strategically important from the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

But the story of Volnovakha’s resistance began earlier.

In 2016, more than 2,000 residents formed a human chain under the message “Donbas is Ukraine.” It was a public declaration of identity and unity from people living only a short distance from the frontline.

That message would take on an even deeper meaning six years later.

A City That Took the First Blow

On February 24, 2022, Volnovakha became one of the first Ukrainian cities attacked during the full-scale invasion.

Heavy fighting continued through February and March. Ukrainian defenders and local residents resisted, but after approximately two weeks of intense shelling, much of the city had been destroyed and thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes.

On March 6, 2022, Volnovakha was awarded the honorary title “Hero City of Ukraine” in recognition of the courage and resilience shown by its residents and defenders.

For people who once called Volnovakha home, the city remains far more than destroyed buildings.

It is their streets, schools, gardens, railway station, neighbors, childhood memories — and a home they hope to see Ukrainian again.

“I Am Volnovakha”

Volnovakha had already become a symbol of tragedy and solidarity in January 2015, when a Grad rocket exploded beside a passenger bus stopped near a Ukrainian military checkpoint outside the city.

Twelve civilians were killed and 17 wounded.

In the aftermath, the words “I am Volnovakha. Je suis Volnovakha” became a message of remembrance and solidarity.

A decade later, that phrase remains inseparable from the city's history.

A City Waiting to Come Home

The “Cities of Heroes: Volnovakha” stamp issue was released in February 2025, three years after the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Its message is not only about destruction.

It is about memory, Ukrainian identity, resistance, and return.

Volnovakha remains under Russian occupation, but for Ukrainians its identity is clear.

Volnovakha is Ukraine.

And the hope behind this collectible is equally simple:

we are waiting for Ukrainian Volnovakha to come home.

Stamp Sheet Details

• 6 collectible Ukrainian postage stamps
• Series: Cities of Heroes
• Denomination: U
  
• Issue date: February 18, 2025
• Artist: military artist “Dante”
• Stamp size: 28 × 40 mm
• Sheet size: 129 × 91 mm
• Original print run: 840,000 stamps
• Original Ukrainian postal issue
• Made in Ukraine

The official specifications confirm the six-stamp format, catalogue No. 2148, dimensions, artist, issue date, and circulation of 840,000 individual stamps.

A Meaningful Collectible From Ukraine

This stamp sheet is especially meaningful for:

• Ukrainian stamp collectors
• People from Volnovakha and Donetsk region
• Ukrainian diaspora families
• Supporters of Ukraine
• Collectors of modern Ukrainian history
• People interested in the history of Ukraine’s occupied cities
• Anyone looking for an authentic and meaningful gift from Ukraine

The Cities of Heroes: Volnovakha stamp sheet preserves the story of a city nearly destroyed, but not erased.

It remembers the people who resisted, those who were forced to leave, and the Ukrainian community that continues to wait for the day when Volnovakha can return home.

A small collectible carrying the memory—and the future—of a Ukrainian city.

🇺🇦 Authentic collectible from Ukraine, available from Gifts from Ukraine with fast shipping from Canada.