Latvijas Pasts Issuing Block of Stamps to Celebrate 150th Anniversary of General Latvian Song Festival

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the General Latvian Song Festival, Latvijas Pasts issues a block of two stamps and two separate stamps, the design of which symbolizes the history of the most important holiday for our nation and its existence in the future.

Stamping of the first day of philatelic issues is scheduled for June 9 in cooperation with the “MuseumLV” art gallery and its premises at Andreja Pumpura street 2, Riga. Stamping will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is also a stamp presentation event planned at 2 p.m., which will be opened by the Latvian Post Choir “Dziesmu pasts” and will be attended by Minister of Transport Jānis Vitenbergs, Minister of Culture Nauris Puntulis, Chairman of the Board of Latvijas Post Mārcis Vilcāns and the Latvian National Cultural Center representatives.

A block of two stamps is issued in an edition of 4,000 copies and two individual stamps with an edition of 20,000 copies each. The nominal value of each new stamp is 1.65 euros, and each of them is intended for payment of shipments in the weight category up to 20 grams in the territory of Latvia. Along with the stamps, a special envelope in 1000 copies was also issued.

The author of the design of the philatelic issues is the artist Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja, who stylized the 150-year history of the holiday and the future significance of the holiday, which is essential for the existence of the Latvian nation, in a stylized way. In the background of the “Song” stamp, the stage of the 1st General Latvian Singing Festival in Ķeizardārz is marked, while in the foreground the choir singers are visible – this stamp symbolizes the cycle of the history of the festival. On the other hand, the “Dance” stamp shows dancers in their characteristic dance positions, which symbolize the modern meaning of the holiday and its existence in the future.

The general Latvian Song and Dance Festival is a globally recognized outstanding and long-lasting cultural event in Latvia, which is also an essential part of Latvian identity. This event has two closely related aspects – the Song and Dance Festival as a festival and as a cultural process. The festival aspect dominates the public consciousness and various types of communication, however, it is the cultural process that ensures the existence and long-term continuation of the festival. Since its beginnings in 1873, the Festival of Songs (and later also dances) has been held as a festival on average once every 5.8 years, and this cultural process has been continuous during these years. In 2023, the XXVII General Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival will take place in Riga from June 30 to July 9.