The vessel depict on this stamp, entering the Volga – Don Canal lock No 1 in 1952, is the river- passenger ship JOSEPH STALIN.
Built at the Red Sormovo plant at Gorki in 1937 for the ERM, Soviet Union. She was the lead vessel of her class, and her hull was welded
Launched as JOSEPH STALIN, four sisters
Tonnage and dimensions?
Powered by two 6-BK-43 four-stroke 6-cyl diesel engines of 350 hp. each, speed 20 km/h
The two propellers were housed particular in tunnels to protect the propeller blades.
Bunker capacity 35 ton.
Flat bottomed, did have eight bulkheads, a round stern.
She was fitted out with a steering wheel fore and aft to pass easily through the many locks in the 128 km long canal.
For heating she was fitted out with a steam boiler.
Fitted out with berths for 18 passengers and eight four person cabins used by passengers without a berth.
One cargo hold of 108 m³.
Behind the engine room there were cabins for crew, a dinning room, hairdressing saloon and an other small cargo hold of 11 m³.
Also had a cinema and concert hall and a restaurant with seats for 100 persons.
1937 The Moscow Canal was opened and for this canal this five vessels were special built to pass through this canal from Moscow to the great rivers of Russia.
In 1938 she was featured in the Russian film Volga-Volga. Some scenes of the film are showed on a envelop of Russia issued in 2003, which shows also the director of the movie Mr. G. Alexandrov.
She got the honour to open op 27 July 1952 the Volga Don canal, as seen on the stamps.
During World War II attacked by enemy bombers.
After the war in 1947 again in-service in the Moscow River.
After Stalin died, was she in 1958 renamed in MIKHAIL FRUNZE.
1971 Out of service?
A model of the ship today you can find in a hall of the Red Sormovo plant at Gorky, were you can see also the movie Volga-Volga.
Russia 1947 50k sg1273, scott. (she is one of the JOSHEP STALIN class)
Russia 1952 8k sg?, scott? (cargo vessel leaving the Volga-Don Canal)
Russia 1952 40k sg 1783, scott?
Russia1r sg1806, scott? (also a photo after which this stamp was designed)
Russia 1956 envelope for the Volga-Volga film.
Rumania 1955 1.55 lei sg?, scott? (looks a Joshep Stalin class vessel?)
Source: info and images supplied by Mr. Gennadiy Sitnikov.
The Cyprus Post gives the following by this issue:
PRODUCTION OF COPPER.
It is not possible to say with accuracy the period when copper was first smelted or the people who discovered it. Natural copper was known and used in Cyprus since the bronze and stone age (3900 – 2500 B.C.)
Around 2500 B.C. metal prospectors from Asia Minor arrived in Cyprus and laid such strong foundation for metallurgy that the names Cyprus and copper became synonymous. The ancient Greeks and subsequently the Romans attributed the discovery of copper to the King of Cyprus Kinyras.
For the smelting of copper a temperature of 1085 Celsius is required. The ancient Cypriots were mainly using bellows made of clay in order to help charcoal set ablaze reach such high temperatures.
Bellows made of clay and stone as well as air shafts of the Later Bronze Age were found in Alassa, in Engomi and Maa, while scenes showing the way the bellows functioned were found in the 14th century B.C. in Thebes in Egypt
The huge masses of rust found in the foothills of Troodos called “Mavrovounia” are evidence of an intensive production of copper, starting gradually since First Bronze Age and reached its zenith during the Later Bronze Age.
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TRADE IN COPPER.
For the purpose of the easy transportation as well as for administrative and economic reasons the metal was converted into ingots of a certain shape and size.
From the correspondence of Pharaoh Akenaton which was discovered at Tel-El-Amarna, dating back to the 14th century B.C., we learn that the King of Alasia (Cyprus) sent to Pharaoh 200 copper ingots. Another letter mentions that he had sent 500 ingots.
Copper ingots of the so called Cypriot Type, were found throughout the Mediterranean and as far away as the Black Sea area. Along the south coast of Asia Minor two shipwrecks of the Later Bronze Age were found, one near the Helidonia Cape and the other near Uluburun. Both shipwrecks contained hundreds of copper ingots as well as numerous Cypriot objects, bearing witness as to the origin of the vessels.
The Tel-El-Amarna letters which also refer to the Royal vessels of Alasia, are now confirmed by archaeological evidence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluburun_shipwreck
A simple consignment of 6 tons of copper, discovered in Uluburun constitutes unshakeable evidence of the position held by Cyprus in the copper trade during the later Bronze Age.
Much later the ancient geographer Strabo also speaks of the wealth of Cyprus in copper.
Source: written by Dr. S. Hadjisavvas, Curator of Ancient Monuments.
Cyprus 1994 30c sg848, scott?
