I thought I’d post Croatia’s 2023 stamp program earlier than in the past. No artists/designers or preliminary images are available but that just gives us something to look for over the coming year. 

Now comes the time to think about what were the highlights of the 2022 program. Two come to mind. An obvious choice was the lush set by designer Duje Šegvić and photographer Krešimir Geci – Croatian Protected Agricultural and Food Products trio.

Everything about this set is right, from the locale strips along the top of each stamp to the rich food portraits.

The second is Croatia’s EUROPA entry. 

2022’s theme explored local myths and legends, and Croatian artist Zdenko Bašić created a compelling and very complex depiction of an ancient Croatian origin myth called Tree of the World. To truly appreciate the detailed work, you have to click on the image above to expand it and look at all the little features tucked into the image. You can read more about it here, click on the May issues and scroll down to the images. 

Things may change with the upcoming year, so don’t forget to check in periodically. Or, you can subscribe to my weekly newsletter. I post all the updated article links each week. Makes it easier to track your favourite countries.  If the sign up ad didn’t pop up below, you can use the Sign up for our weekly NEWSLETTER!  box on the main page.

I’m looking forward to 2023!

Cheers
Catpaw

January

Introduction of the Euro as the Official Currency in the Republic of Croatia

1 stamp on souvenir sheet hrvatske marke, FDC, cancel
offset

Croatia became a member of the Euro area January 1, 2023  

Designer: Dean Roksandić
Photographer: Božidar Bengez

Release date: January 25, 2023

BRAVO, VATRENI!

1 stamp (x3) on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset

Sigh ….. “Bravo Vatreni: Great Croatia defeated Canada and recorded their first victory in Qatar! ” Well done Croatia, but next time, Canada will be ready for you. 

Croatia
1-2-0, 2nd in World Cup

Designer: Alenka Lalić
Photographer Drago Sopta

Release date: January 31, 2023

February

Popular Culture – Playstation^Ⓡ Heroes

4 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC
offset

Not sure if a postmark was created for this sheet. 

Designer: Alenka Lalić

Release date: February 22, 2023

Easter 2023

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Sanja Matić

Release date: March 16, 2023  

Bridges and Viaducts

2 stamps on souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset

• 3rd Guards Brigade “Kune” bridge
• Viaduct “Mirna”

Designer: Dean Roksandić
Photographer:  Tomislav Veić, photographer from Zagreb; Mario Romulić and Dražen Stojčić, photographers from Osijek

Release date: March 20, 2023

Croatian Fauna – Butterflies 

3 stamps, FDC, cancel, 3 mini sheets of 10, 3 sheets of 20
offset lithography

• South swallow tail (Papilio alexanor)  Papilio alexanor on euroButterflies by Matt Rowlings
• Swamp red (Euphydryas aurinia)  European Lepidoptera and their ecology: Euphydryas aurinia (pyrgus.de)
• Topolnjak (Limenitis populi, Linnaeus, 1758) Limenitis populi on euroButterflies by Matt Rowlings

Designer: Sabina Rešić
Text: Leaflet details by Dr. Sc. Iva Mihoci and dr. sc. Martina Šašić Kljajo, museum advisor at the Croatian Natural History Museum

Release date: March 22, 2023

April

Famous Croats – Dušan Vukotić, Branko Lustig, Miljenko Smoje, Juro Tkalčić

4 stamps, 4 sheets of 20, FDC, cancel
offset

Designer: Ariana Noršić
Illustrator: Maja Cipek

Release date: April 19, 2023

Climate Action – Plastic Waste at Sea

1 stamp, FDC, cncel, sheets of 10
offset

Designer: Enea Knežević, who is a student who worked with  associate professor Tomislav Vlainić 

Release date: April 20, 2023

May

Gojko Šušak (1945 – 1998)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel
offsest

Designer: Sabina Rešić using a photograph from the magazine Croatian Soldier, Department of Croatian Military Newspapers and Publishing, Ministry of Defense

Release date: May 5, 2023

EUROPA 2023 – Peace as Humanities Highest Value

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 12
offset

… white dove flying and carrying an olive branch and a visual metaphor of a tranquil, integrated society where people accept different cultures, inspired by a symbol of a Celtic love knot Hrvatska pošta – Webshop – EUROPA: PEACE – the highest value of humanity (epostshop.hr)

Designer peace knot: Lina Bos and Runa Egilsdottir from Luxembourg
Designer dove & FDC: Dubravka Zglavnik

Release date: May 9, 2023

International Family Day

offset

Artist: Inja Kavurić Kireta

Release date: May 15, 2023

Castles of Croatia

4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 5 sheeets of 9
offset

• Batthyany Castle in Ludbreg
• Old Town Varaždin
• Zrinski Castle in Čakovec
• Feštetić Castle in Pribislavec

Designer: Dean Roksandić

Release date: May 18, 2023

200th Anniversary of the Birth of Dr. Ante Starčević (1823-1896)

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 20
offset

Politician, writer, historian, founder of the Party of Right. Refered to as the Father of the Homeland. 

Designer: Alenka Lalić

Release date: May 23, 2023

June

Croatian Flags

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 8
offset

• Inauguration Flag of Ban Josip Jelačić  – celebrating the 175th anniversary of the 1st use of the red, white, blue tricolour for Croatia.
• Girl on an electric bicycle with a contemporary Croatian flag

Designer: Ariana Noršić, senior student of the Faculty of Graphic Arts (Inauguration Flag)
Illustrator: Maja Cipek, academy-trained painter from Samobor (girl on bike)

Release date: September 7, 2023

Marian Shrines in Croatia

4 stamps, FDC, cancel, 4 sheets of 8
offset

• Statue of Mother of God of Sveta Gora,  Biedermeier 1847 (Brajković) 
• Shrine of Our Lady of the Islet (Solin) (Alajbeg)
• Our Lady with the Child on a Throne, altarpiece, Giuliano (Alajbeg)
• Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Sveta Gora) (Brajković) 

Designer: Ariana Noršić
Photographers:
Štefan Brajković
Zoran Alajbeg

Release date: June 9, 2023

Croatian Tourism – Lokrum

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10
offset

Lokrum part of the  UNESCO World Heritage site Dubrovnik.  The island located just off the coast. Archeological evidence of human habitation date to pre-historic times.  The island first appeared in written records in 1023, when Benedictine monasteries were established.

History – Past, monuments and legends | Lokrum Island 

Designer: Ariana Noršić

Release date: June 12, 2023

July

10th anniversary of Croatia’s accession to the European Union

1 stamp, FDC, cancel

Designer: Marko Šesnić and Goran Turković
FDC & cancel designer: Tana Jeić

Release date: July 1, 2023

EUROMED – Mediterranean Festivals – Moreška

1 stamp, FDC, sheet of 16
offset 

Moreška Sword Dance

Designer: Dean Roksandić
Photographer: Mario Romulić and Dražen Stojčić

Release date: July 10, 2023

September

Crypto Stamp V5 PROF. BALTAZAR
Polygon blockchain

This is the 5th in Croatia’s crypto series. This year’s theme is Professor Balthazar a popular Croatian animated series that ran for 11 years from 1967 and 1978. 

Professor Balthazar with a test tube – 2000 copies 

 Professor Balthazar’s bed – 4000 copies 

Professor Balthazar’s robocycle – 6000 copies

Professor Balthazar’s submarine – 8,000 copies 

 
Balthazar’s windmill machine – 10,000 copies 

5 NFT stamps, FDC
offset

Original artist: Zlatko Grgić
Designers: Ivana Vučić and Tomislav-Jurica Kaćunić, Studio Diedra

Release date: September 7, 2023

Children’s Stamp – Intergenerational Solidarity

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Katarina Lončar
Artist: Manuel Barišić, 1st grade student of the Elementary School “Turanj”, Regional School “Cerovac Vukmanički”

Release date: September 18, 2023

150 Years of the Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin 

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 12
offset

Designer: Dean Roksandić,

Release date: September 22, 2023

October

90th Anniversary of the Caritas of the Archdiocese of Zagreb 

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20
offset

Founded on 20 October 1933

Designer: Katarina Lončar

Release date: October 20, 2023

November

Christmas 2023

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, souvenir sheet, sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Ariana Noršić

Release date: November 22, 2023

Croatian Fine Arts – Sculpture Frano Kršinić (1897-1982)

2 stamps, 2 mini sheets of 6, FDC, cancel
offset

 Croatia Post has one of the best write ups on Kršinić. Although brief, it is well written and informative. 

Frano Kršinić was a sincere and true devotee and lover of the stonemasonry skills of his ancestors, and he received his first lessons in stonemasonry in his family in his native Lumbarda. He carried the feeling for stone and his native land in his heart to the end of his life and wove it into his sculptures, both in themes and design. For him, the stone was an inspiration, a driver, a necessity and respect that was translated into some of the most tender compositions of female characters – intimate, lyrical and quietly powerful. He liked to carve his own sculptures. As a respected pedagogue, he supported freedom of experimentation in sculpture, but until the end of his life he remained an advocate of figuration, because he said that he can only do what he experiences, lives and feels.
Rašeljka Bilić, MSc, Art Historian Hrvatska pošta – Webshop – CROATIAN FINE ARTS, Frano Kršinić (epostshop.hr)

Sculpture: Frano Kršinić
Designers: Ivana Vučić i Tomislav-Jurica Kačunić using a photograph by Maro Grbić, art historian from Zagreb

Release date: November 27, 2023

December

The Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall – 50TH Anniversary

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 20
offset

Designer: Nataša Odak, using a photograph by Tomislav Jagar

Release date: December 29, 2023