10^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RADIO MARYJA

On the day of introducing the stamp into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Toruń 1.

CHRISTMAS

The Polish Post will introduce two postal stamps into the market at the occasion of the coming Christmas. They represent Christ-child's cribs from Lower Silesia from the collection of Henryk Tomaszewski, creator of the Wrocław Pantomime Theatre. The 19th century art masterpieces were created mainly in the Kłodzko region (Ziemia Kłodzka). The model of the box Christ-child's crib, with the naive link architectonic and landscape construction comes from that area as well.

Traditions of the cribs called "betlejki" in Poland date back to the Medieval Age and they originated in church mysteries popularized by the Franciscan Brothers in Europe in the 13th century. St. Francis of Assis is considered to be the author of the first Christ-child's crib. He staged the trough on a clearing in a forest in Greccio to adore the Jesus Christ, pray, and sing songs together with other monks and believers on the Christmas night in 1223.

The custom of adoring the Christ the Child and organizing the church Nativity plays was introduced by Italian and French missionaries at first in their monasteries, and then among the believers in Poland.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Warsaw 1.

POLISH MILLENNIUM

• CHRISTIANITY
  The Pope John Paul II against the background of a fragment of Gniezno Doors representing the image of St. Wojciech.

• PARLIAMENTARISM
  President Lech Wałęsa taking the oath in Sejm and a fragment of the cover of the Constitution of May 3^rd, 1791.

• HISTORY OF THE POLITICICAL PUBLICISM
  Fragment of the cover of the magazine "Głos Wolny Wolno¶ć Ubezpieczaj±cy" from the Department of Old Prints of the Public Library of Warsaw, the cover of the first issue of "Kultura", and "Zniewolony Umysł" by Czesław Miłosz - property of the Literary Institute in Paris, as well as the cover of "O skutecznym rad sposobie" - property of the Yagiellonian Library in Cracow.

• THEATRE
  Wojciech Bogusławski (1757-1829) and Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999). The background represents a fragment of the manuscript of the 3^rd part of "Dziady" by A. Mickiewicz, included in the collections of the Library of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kórnik and the logo of Cricot 2 theatre of Tadeusz Kantor.

• INDEPENDENCE
  Józef Piłsudski (1867-1935) against the background with electoral campaign posters of 1989.

• INTERNATIONALIST TRADITIONS OF THE POLISH MILITARY FORCES
  The NATO emblem and a portrait of General Kazimierz Pułaski (1746-79), acc. to a 19th century lithography. Since 1777 Pułaski had been fighting for the independence of the United States and he died in Savannah, considered to be a national hero of the United States.

• ASTRONOMY
  Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) and Aleksander Wolszczan (born in 1946) - an eminent Polish astronomer who discovered the first planetary system outside the Sun. A fragment of "De revolucionibus" by Nicolaus Copernicus at the background.

• EDUCATION
  A fragment of a wood engraving representing Jan of Głogów (1445-1507), called Głogowczyk or Głogowit, an eminent mathematician, astronomer, theologist, professor of the Cracow Academy, teacher of Nicolaus Copernicus. The second part of the stamp represents the personality of the contemporary physicist Tadeusz Kotarbiński (1886-1981).

• TRADITIONS OF THE POLISH ARMY
  A fragment of the picture "Bitwa pod Grunwaldem" by Jan Matejko at the National Museum in Warsaw and a poster from the times of the Warsaw Battle in 1920 entitled "Do broni", property of the Yagiellonian Library in Cracow.

• INDEPENDENCE STRAINS
  A lithography of Villan representing the Belvedere Group: a group of plotters commanded by Ludwik Nabielak, who attacked Belvedere on November 29^th, 1830, which was the seat of the Great Prince Konstanty, and thus who started the November Uprising. The lithography represents the following persons, from the left side: Karol Pankiewicz, Walenty Krosnowski, Wincenty Kobylański, Aleksander ¦więtosławski. There is a seal of Marian Langiewicz, dictator at the initial period of the January Uprising in 1863 in the right-hand bottom corner of the stamp. The background represents the vignette of the information newspaper of the Home Army AK "Warszawa Walczy". The stamp also presents a scene of the Warsaw Uprising coming from a photograph taken by Janusz Cegiełła on August 20^th, 1944.

• ART
  A fragment of a sculpture representing the head of the John the Apostle from "Ołtarz Mariacki" by Wit Stwosz in Cracow. The second part of the stamp contains an image of the sculpture-auto-portrait of Magdalena Abakanowicz.

• MUSIC
  Krzysztof Penderecki (born in 1933) and a portrait of Fryderyk Chopin (1810-49). A fragment of the notes of Mazurka No. 10, opus 50 by Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937), included in the collections of the National Library, is visible at the background.

• POLAND IN THE EUROPEAN SYSTEM
  Portrait of Jan III Sobieski from the collections of the Royal Castle in Warsaw and the emblem of the European Union.

• POLISH SYMBOLS
  The Medieval panorama of Cracow according to a wood engraving from the collections of the Yagiellonian Library in Cracow and the picture of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

• LANGUAGE, THE LETTERS, AND LITERATURE
  Winner of the Nobel Prize Wisława Szymborska (born in 1923) and Mikołaj Rej (1505-69) according to a wood engraving from the Yagiellonian Library in Cracow.

• SPORT
  Janusz Kusociński (1907-40) and Robert Korzeniowski.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold four first day envelopes (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Warsaw 1.

The first FDC envelope covering the following topics: Christianity, parliamentarism, international traditions of the Polish military forces, and independence, represent a Polish hussar, a special label issued in 1916 at the occasion of the 125^th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of May 3^rd, hence the dates: 1791-1616, as well as a medal Virtuti Militari.

The second FDC envelope, covering the history of the political publicism, theatre, astronomy, and education, represents Hugon Kołł±taj, the emblem of the Yagiellonian University, as well as a facsimile of the resolution of the National Education Commission (KEN) concerning the functioning of schools.

Another FDC envelope, covering topics including traditions of the Polish army, Poland in the European system, Polish symbols, and independence movements, presents Stefan Batory on the Gdańsk ducat of 1583, Piłsudski on a silver 100-mark coin of 1922, the emblem of the Yagiellonian Library, and a wood engraving representing Zygmunt Stary from "Chronica Polonarum" of 1521.

The fourth FDC envelope, covering art, music, language, letters, and literature, as well as sport, presents the portrait of Adam Mickiewicz by Horowitz from the book entitled "Opisy I obrazy", published by Macierz Polska in Lvov in 1909, as well as "the bag" and seal of Tadeusz Kantor. The intention of the artist included the presentation of various shades of the Polish art, starting with the romantic current with Adam Mickiewicz as its most eminent representative, up to the ironic, sarcastic look to Tadeusz Kantor's art.

The special date seal presents one gross of Bolesław Chrobry and the inscription Polonia from the logo of Expo -92 in Sevilla.  

100^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHILHARMONICS IN WARSAW

The outbreak of the Second World War stopped activities of the Warsaw Philharmonics and its building erected in the eclectic style similar to that of the Opera in Paris, was destroyed. It was rebuilt, but in a completely different style. The Warsaw Philharmonics was honored with the name of the National Philharmonics at the occasion of the inauguration of the season in its new premises on February 21^st, 1955.

The Polish Post commemorates the 100^th anniversary of the Philharmonics by means of introducing a postal stamp representing the illuminated building of the Philharmonics according to a computer animation.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Warsaw 1.

THE PAPAL DAY

The Polish Post joins the popularization of the honorable ideas by means of introducing a special postal stamp into the market on October 14^th, 2001.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Warsaw 1.

12^TH HENRYK WIENIAWSKI INTERNATIONAL VIOLIN COMPETITION

The International Violin Competition was established by the Polish music milieus at the initiative of the nephew of Henryk Wieniawski, Adam Wieniawski (1879-1950) at the occasion of the 100th birthday of the composer. The first competition took place in 1935 in Warsaw, and subsequent issues were organized in Poznań.

Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880) became famous as one of the most eminent violinists of the second half of the 19th century. He studied in the conservatory in Paris in the years 1843-1846. Since 1848, he used to give numerous concerts in Poland and in many countries in Europe. In the years 1860-1871, he was the court musician in Petersburg, where he also taught students at the local conservatory.

The Polish Post will issue a special post stamp commemorating the great music event on the day of the beginning of the 12th International Violin Competition.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Poznań 1.

80^th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MUSEUM OF POST AND TELECOMMUNICATION

The beginnings of the museum unique in Poland date back to 1921. The Museum of Post and Telegraphy was founded in Warsaw that year, whose task was to collect exhibits connected with the history of the post, telegraph, and telephone, as well as a creation of a philatelic department. The Museum's development was broken by the Second World War; part of the collections was damaged and the other part was taken away to Germany. The War was followed by the period of a reconstruction of the museal exhibits, but it was hindered by a lack of appropriate premises. Exhibition activities were resumed in 1956, when the Museum was transferred to Wrocław, where it found its seat in a historical building of the Main Post Office.

The Museum has its division in Gdańsk, located in the historical building of the Polish Post, known for its brave defense of the post office employees on September 1^st, 1939.

Ca. 70 thousand historical and tele-technical exhibits, as well as several million post stamps are housed by the Museum of Post and Telcommunication in Wrocław.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Wrocław 1.

WORLD DAY OF THE POST - DIALOGUE BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS

Ms. U. Golob from Slovenia won the first place in the competition. She depicted children representing four main races of the world and main carriers facilitating a communication between people.

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Wrocław 1.

POLAND IN FINALS OF WORLD FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2002

On the day of introducing the stamps into the market, there will be sold a first day envelope (FDC) with a special date seal in the Post Office Warsaw 1.