Burma Arts through Soviet Eyes: A Postcard Set from the USSR

In the early 1960s, cultural exchange between the Soviet Union and Asia found expression not only in exhibitions and publications, but also in beautifully produced picture postcards. One such result was a scarce postcard set titled “Burma Arts”, issued by the Soviet publisher “Soviet Artists”.

The set comprises 10 postcards, offered at a retail price of 22 kopecks, and was designed by L. Snegirev. Each postcard measures 10.5 × 14.5 cm, and the set was issued in 1964. With a modest print run of just 5,000 sets, it was clearly intended for a limited audience of art lovers and collectors rather than mass circulation.

Wrapper of the postcard set

The postcards reproduce a carefully curated selection of Burmese artistic works, representing both traditional crafts and modern fine art:

1. Fragment of an embossed chasing pattern on a silver bowl from Sagaing, early 19th century

2. Fragment of lacquer painting on a betel nut box made by craftsmen from Pagan, 20th century

3. Buddha image in canonical pose, bronze, 19th century

4. Elephant at work, wood sculpture, 20th century

5. Ceremonial departure, miniature ivory sculpture, 20th century

6. Fragment of a pattern on fabric, 20th century

7. Watercolour “At the Pagoda” by U Lar Ban, c. 1950s

8. Watercolour “Village Scene” by U Ba San, c. 1950s

9. Watercolour “The Lake” by U Ba San, c. 1950s

10. Oil painting “On the Pier” by U Ngwe Gaing, 20th century

These works were drawn from objects and paintings exhibited in 1963 at the State Museum of Oriental Art, where Burmese art was presented to Soviet audiences as part of a broader cultural showcase. The selection deliberately spans centuries and media, from religious bronzes and ivory carvings to lacquerware, textiles, and modern paintings.

Significantly, this postcard set represents the first Soviet issue devoted entirely to artistic examples from Burma, covering a wide range of art forms that developed across different historical periods. Today, the “Burma Arts” postcard set stands as a small but meaningful testament to early international recognition of Burmese artistic heritage—and a fascinating crossover item for collectors of postcards, art history, and Burma-related material alike.

Myanmar Post celebrates Centenary of Mandalay University

Myanmar Post marked the centenary of Mandalay University with the issuance of a souvenir sheet containing a single stamp on 21 December 2025. The stamp depicts the official logo of the centenary celebrations, while the margin of the souvenir sheet features a photographic image of Mandalay University.

Mandalay University was originally established in 1925 as Mandalay College, an affiliated college of the University of Rangoon. The college was closed in 1942 due to the outbreak of the Second World War and reopened after the war in 1947, later developing into one of Myanmar’s leading higher education institutions.

Tragically, on 28 March 2025, Mandalay University suffered severe damage following a powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar. The earthquake caused structural collapses across parts of the campus, and a fire broke out in the university’s main building as a result of an electrical short circuit triggered by the tremors.

The commemorative stamp is denominated K200 and was produced in a quantity of 200,000 copies. No official first day cover (FDC) was issued by Myanmar Post. However, collectors prepared their own private covers. First day cancellation postmarks were made available at Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyitaw, in line with standard practice for recent Myanmar stamp issues.

Private FDC by U Sein Minn

Private FDC by U Aung Thu Myint

Private FDC by U Chan Myae Aung

Private FDC by U Sun Myint Win

Elected a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London (FRPSL)

I am deeply honoured to share that I have recently been elected a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London (RPSL) on 19 Nov 2025. Fellowship of the RPSL is one of the highest distinctions in philately, awarded in recognition of sustained contributions to philatelic research, literature, and service to the philatelic community.

Founded in 1869, the RPSL is the world’s oldest philatelic society, and its Fellowship represents an international standard of excellence. I am grateful to the Council of the Society, for this recognition and for their confidence in my work.

This Fellowship is not only a personal milestone but also an encouragement to continue my work in Myanmar philately, particularly in research, publishing, and mentoring new exhibitors. I hope it will further support efforts to promote Myanmar philately on the international stage.

Revisiting Myanmar’s Musical Instruments: From Definitive Stamps to a 2025 Souvenir Sheet

Another unexpected souvenir sheet was issued on 20 November 2025, featuring six stamps depicting traditional musical instruments of Myanmar. A total of 20,000 sheets were produced. The designs are not new; rather, they represent a further reuse of a popular definitive series that has appeared in several forms over the years.

The original stamps were issued between 1998 and 2000 as six different denominations, all bearing the country name “Union of Myanmar.” The issues were as follows:

• Xylophone (K5) – issued on 28 August 1998

• Mon Brass Gong (K10) – issued on 9 October 1998

• Rakhine Auspicious Drum (K20) – issued on 12 February 1999

• Myanmar Harp (K30) – issued on 17 May 1999

• Shan Pot Drum (K50) – issued on 15 November 1999

• Kachin Gong (K100) – issued on 12 February 2000

On 5 March 2014, the Kachin Gong design was reissued with the same denomination (K100), but the country name was updated to “Republic of the Union of Myanmar.”

In 2017, all six designs were again reissued, this time with the country name shortened to “Myanmar” and with new denominations. Two designs—the Myanmar Xylophone (K1000) and Myanmar Harp (K2500)—were issued on 27 July 2017. The remaining four designs followed on 14 September 2017, with the Rakhine Auspicious Drum and Shan Pot Drum denominated at K200, and the Mon Brass Gong and Kachin Gong at K500.

Now, in 2025, all six musical instrument designs have been reissued together as a souvenir sheet, with uniform denominations of K200 for each stamp. The country name remains “Myanmar.”

This latest issue continues Myanmar Post’s practice of revisiting earlier definitive designs, offering collectors another format in which to acquire these long-standing and familiar motifs.

Private FDC by U Sein Minn

Ko Toe’s Postage Rates Book Wins Large Gold at NZNPLE 2025

Ko Toe’s book, Postage Rates of Burma (Myanmar) 1937–2024, was awarded a Large Gold Medal, together with Felicitations for Research and a Special Prize, at the New Zealand National Philatelic Literature Exhibition (NZNPLE 2025) held on 6 December 2025 in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The literature exhibits were displayed at the Christchurch Philatelic Society’s library, providing an appropriate scholarly setting for this specialist exhibition. Open to exhibitors from both New Zealand and overseas, NZNPLE is a prestigious biennial philatelic literature exhibition, held since 1989, and is widely recognised for its high judging standards. The full list of the Palmarès can be accessed here.

Literatures displayed

This marks the second international award for the book. Its first major recognition was a Gold Medal at the Thailand 2025 FIAP Asian International Stamp Exhibition, further affirming its contribution to the study of Burmese and Myanmar postal history.

Ko Toe Philately Celebrates LV Medal at AusVipex 2025

Myanmar Philately by Ko Toe (www.kotoephilately.blogspot.sg) has reached another proud milestone by receiving a Large Vermeil medal (83 points) at AusVipex 2025—the Australian Philatelic Federation’s National Multi-Frame exhibition held online from November to December 2025. The exhibition welcomed participants from Australia and abroad, making the achievement even more meaningful.

Exhibition Logo

Exhibition Website

After eleven years of continuous blogging and knowledge-sharing, this recognition marks the second award ever presented to the Myanmar Philately by Ko Toe website. It stands as both an endorsement of its contribution to philatelic research and an encouraging milestone in its ongoing journey to promote Burma (Myanmar) philately to a wider audience.

A Familiar Set Returns: Myanmar Post Revives Classic Traditional-Costume Designs

 Every now and then, Myanmar Post surprises collectors with an unexpected throwback. Their latest issue does exactly that—a brand-new miniature sheet built entirely from classic stamp designs of the socialist era. For long-time collectors, these images are instantly recognisable; for newer enthusiasts, they offer a glimpse into one of the most iconic definitive series in Myanmar’s philatelic history.

Back to 1974: A Definitive Set That Became a Classic

The story begins on 1 October 1974, when the National Races in Traditional Costumes definitive stamps were introduced. The set consisted of nine denominations across eight beautifully illustrated designs, all issued under the country title “Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma.”

Each design featured a different ethnic group in traditional attire, created by some of Myanmar’s most respected artists:

• U Than Lwin – Chin couple (15 pyas)

• U Ba Moe – Bamar couple (20 pyas)

• U Ko Lay – Mon lady (50 pyas)

• U Nyo Hla – Rakhine lady (1 kyat)

These designs quickly became familiar to postal users and collectors alike. The Chin couple design was even adapted for postal stationery in 1988, marking the beginning of many future reuses.

1989: First Revival Under “Union of Burma”

Fifteen years later, these designs returned. Following the change to the country name Union of Burma, four of the original values—15, 20, 50 pyas and 1 kyat—were reissued with new inscriptions.
The 20-pyas stamp was printed again in 1995 but never officially released, adding a layer of mystery to the set.

1990–1991: Second Revival Under “Union of Myanmar”

Only a year passed before the designs resurfaced once more, now bearing the country name “Union of Myanmar.”
Between 1990 and 1991, all four denominations were reissued. The Chin couple and Mon lady designs also reappeared on a variety of postal stationery items, including envelopes of two sizes issued in 1994.

For collectors of Myanmar postal stationery, these were productive years—multiple issues, country-name changes, and small variations to hunt for.

The Designs That Flew: Aerogrammes and Essays

These traditional-costume illustrations did not stay confined to stamps. They also found their way onto aerogrammes.

• The 20-pyas Bamar couple almost became an aerogramme imprint, but changing postal rates rendered the value unusable. Only an unadopted essay survives.

• The 50-pyas Mon lady did make it onto an aerogramme in 1976, though it was used only briefly.

• The Rakhine lady design was adapted into a 1.25-kyat imprint and appeared across three aerogramme varieties—with three different country names. A delightful field for specialists.

2025: A Third Rebirth—Now All at 200 Kyats

Fast forward to today. In a move no one quite expected, Myanmar Post has brought back all eight designs in a new miniature sheet, this time with each denomination standardised to 200 kyats.
The stamp sizes have been made uniform as well, giving the sheet a clean, modern structure.  This shee was issued on 20 Oct 2025.

Collectors, however, will quickly notice one thing: the printing resolution of the artwork is relatively low. It appears the original designs may not have been available in high-resolution format. Still, the nostalgic charm remains unmistakable.