I was hoping to have Latvia’s 2023 stamps up before friends who were there, departed. But, alas, I’m like a flea on a hotplate lately – too many distractions keep my brain hopping from topic to topic. The problem is, there are just too many fun stamps to explore and I am utterly incapable of resisting the urge to research new stories. I’ll be posting the 2022 year as soon as I can, but don’t get your expectations in a tizzy – it may a bit of time, especially if I run across more cool airmail stamps.

Onwards to Latvia 2023!

So, why Sailing to Latvia? Well, the country’s strong maritime history pops up in 2 stamps this year, so it was low hanging fruit as far as catchy titles are concerned.  One thing you will note with this article, is the bonus information on designers. I’m still working on improving the amount of details here, but as the year progresses (and I get better at navigating Latvian websites), so will the notes. 

Already a couple designs stand out. The first is Anita Paegle’s charming illustration for the Sleep Fairy Tale stamp.

The purse carrying, dancing sheep gets me every time I look at the stamp! The second stamp is among the best designs for this year’s EUROPA series.

Latvia post tapped Estonian designer Indrek Ilves for this stamp. His 2017 Lynx won top prize for the  (WOPA) Most Beautiful Stamp competition. He is no stranger to Latvian collectors, having designed over a dozen stamps for Latvijas Pasts since 2012.  He might be back with a second, but if he doesn’t this clean, simple design celebration Peace will do. 

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January

Domestic animals  
Series: domestic animals
Topics: fauna 

3 stamps, FDC, cancel, 3 sheets of 25

• Rabbit
• Turkeys
• Horses

Designer: Ģirts Grīva
Grīva’s first stamp design was the 2008 Coat of Arms three stamp set. He is one of the lead stamp designers for Latvia, and responsible for up to 5 designs a year. 

Release date: January 13, 2023

 
Flowers  
Topics: flora
 

3 stamps, FDC, cancel, 3 sheets of 50

• Tulips
• Roses
• Peonies

Designer: Ģirts Grīva

Release date: January 13, 2023

Historical ships – Two Masted Brigantine Andreas Weide
Series: historical ships
Topics: Ships | history | nautical 

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheet of 10

This is the latest stamp from the Historical Ships of the 19^th Century series that began in 2016.

… a two-mast sailing ship built in Ainaži in 1878 by master builder Mihkel Margins (1845–1914). This sailing ship is a perfect example of one of the rare classic brigantines built in Latvia as a sailing vessel with excellent seaworthiness, long service life, robust structure and harmonious proportions, as well as visual aesthetics. The brigantine Andreas Weide called at numerous European ports and yielded a lot of capital for its owners and the country: it served for 20 years until it was wrecked on the east coast of England in 1898. Latvijas Pasts releases a new stamp in the series of historical ships: it features a brigantine built in Ainaži in 1878

Designer: Elita Viliama 
“Elita Viliama graduated from the Graphics Department of the Latvian Academy of Arts. Works in storytelling, exclamation genres and other fields. Elita William has illustrated such books as W. Hauf’s “Tales”, L. Miller’s “Maritime Dictionary”, S. Kaldupe’s “The Forest Book” and others. She has published magazines “Latvia in the World” and “Latvian Farmer”, “Latvian Maritime Yearbook”, as well as various thematic booklets and calendars.” Opens an exhibition of illustrations by Elita William | LA.LV

Release date: January 27, 2023

February 

Latvian linguist Jānis Endzelīns (1873-1961) 150th Anniversary 
Topics: history | people

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

J. Endzelins is one of Latvia’s greatest scientists of all time, the founder of a new field – baltistika – in comparative historical linguistics. … he further developed an understanding of the history of Baltic, Slavic and other Indo-European languages.  …  At the University of Latvia, the professor founded the world’s first Baltic philology department. On the basis of scientific foundations created and developed a unified Latvian literary language and writing, Latvian terminology, expanded vocabulary and addressed topical issues of language practice in education and culture. Janis Endzelins – National Encyclopedia (enciklopedija.lv)

Designer: Lilija Dinere using materials from the Misiņš Library of the Academic Library of the University of Latvia
Dinere has illustrated over 50 books. Her paintings and illustrations hang in a number of art museums, including the Latvian National Museum of Art.  Her first stamp design was the 2008 Latvian Fairy Tales – Horse Dancer.  Since then Dinere has contributed at least one design each year. 

Release date: February 22, 2023

March

Latvian Fund for Nature – Coregonus Albula  
Topics: nature

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

European cisco – a fresh water whitefish commonly called vendace in Latvia
This stamp was created with the help of the Latvian Fund for Nature.  

Designer: Edgars Folks
Folks has designed over 40 stamps for Latvia Post as well as 6 coins.

Release date: March 10, 2023

Flowers
Standard postage
Topics: flora

2 stamps, 2 sheets of 50 

Ladybug and snowdrops

Designer: Ģirts Grīva

Release date: March 10, 2023

Hartmanis manor | Hartmaņa muiža
2nd in series: Latvian architecture – Manors 
Topics: architecture 

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

Hartmanis manor is located in Riga. 
«Latvijas pasts» will issue a postage stamp dedicated to Hartmanis manor / Article (lsm.lv)

Designer: Aleksejs Naumovs
Naumovs is a professor at the Latvian Academy of Arts. He is known for his passion for urban landscapes, making him and inspired choice for this series.  Naumovs Aleksejs | Gallery (galerijaromasdarzs.lv)

Release date: March 31, 2023

April

Sleep Fairy Tale
Series: Fairy Tales of the World 
Topics: literature | myths

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

Fairy Tale by Juris Zvirgzdiņš  
Latvian Literature has a good page on Zvirgzdiņš. 

Designer: Anita Paegle 
Some of the best stamp designers are also book illustrators and  Anita Paegle ranks with some of the best. She was nominated for the The Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2016 for her book artistry. There are a couple intriguing articles about her here Anita Paegle / Interviews & Articles / Article – The Magical World of Anita Paegle. 

Release date: April 14, 2023

May 

30th Anniversary of the Partnership of the Latvian National Armed Forces and the US Michigan National Guard
Topics: military 

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

Designer: Ģirts Grīva

Release date: May 3, 2023

World Championship in Ice-Hockey 
Topics: sports

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

“For the big teams like Canada, this is what they do,” said an ecstatic Miks Indrasis. “They win medals all the time. But for us, it’s like a one-time opportunity. This is unreal.”  … “I’m lucky that I’m a hockey player in Latvia because the people there love hockey so much,” said Martins Dzierkals. “To be a hockey player at this time, I have no words.” IIHF – Latvia wins historic bronze in OT

Latvia had an excellent tournament this year. They won Bronze in a nail biter against the USA. This was Latvia’s first medal win and friends who were in Latvia the night of the historic victory tell me Latvia was party HQ. Congratulations Latvia. 

Designer: Ludis Danilāns

Release date: May 12, 2023

Europe – PEACE – the Highest Value of Humanity
Topics: Europa 

2 stamps, FDC, cancel, 2 sheets of 10

Designers Peace knot: Linda Bos / Runa Egilsdottir, Esch-sur-Alzette
Designer: Indrek Ilves

Release date: May 9, 2023

Pēteris Pētersons – 100 
Topics: history | people | language

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

Playwright, author, director, Peter Peterson – 100. Conversations and memories of director, playwright, fiction, romantic, affair / Article (lsm.lv)

Designer: Jānis Strupulis
Award winning  sculpter and graphic artist has created both stamps and coins for Latvia. Among his awards are the top prize at the Baltic Medal Art Triennials in 1995 and the Latvijas Banka Award Latvian Coin of the Year 2004.

Release date: May 24, 2023

June

150th Anniversary Latvian Song Festival 
Topics: events | music

2 stamps, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel, 2 FDCs, cancel, 2 sheets of 10

The 150th anniversary Latvian Song will be held June 30 to July 9. It will run jointly with the 27th General Latvian Song and 17th Dance Festival under the title Together Up. An expected 40,000 singers, musicians and dancers will be in attendance. 

From the first festival in 1873 with 1,000 singers, it has grown to a mighty movement: around 40,000 participants are preparing to take part in the XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival. More than 1,600 groups in Latvia and more than 100 elsewhere are preparing for the event.
XXVII Nationwide Latvian Song and XVII Dance Festival — The Song and Dance Celebration (dziesmusvetki.lv)

Designer: Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja
Arta has designed over 30 stamps for Latvia Post.  Like many  Latvian designers, she is also known for her book illustrations. 

I work very slowly at children’s books. I draw in a way that I myself find satisfying, so that the process and the result will give me pleasure. (Arta Ozola – Jaunarāja) LNB – Lasāmkoks – Arta Ozola – Jaunarāja (lasamkoks.lv)

Release date: May 27, 2023

June

Rāzna National Park 
Topics: nature

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

This 59 615 ha park was established in 2007. The protected area includes 57.56 square miles that Rāzna Lake covers. 
Rāzna National Park | latvia.travel

Designer: Alexey Naumov

Release date: June 14, 2023

Riga History and Shipping Museum
Topics: nautical | history | ships

1 stamp, FDC, cancel, sheets of 10

This stamp celebrates the museums 250 years of operation.

The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is the oldest public museum in Latvia and the Baltics, as well as one of the oldest in Europe. The museum is located in the Old Town, in the remarkable 13th–20th centuries. in the architectural monument – the Riga Dome Ensemble.  

The origins of the museum can be traced back to the 18th century. The rich and diverse collection is based on the collection of natural scientific and art objects of the Riga physician Nikolaus von Himzel (1729–1764). After the death of the doctor, his mother, Catherine von Himzel, fulfilling her son’s wish, handed over the stock to the city of Riga. On February 1773, 22, the Riga City Council founded the museum, giving it the name of Himzel, and placed it so-called. In the premises of the Anatomy Theatre at 34/36 Kalēju Street (the house has not been preserved). In 1791, the museum was moved to the east wing of the Riga Dome Ensemble, which was rebuilt for the needs of the city library and museum. This is evidenced by the portrayal of the astrolabe and the inscription Museum on the stencil of the building. In 1816, a special Art Cabinet was opened at the museum, and in 1881, by combining the collections of the Himzel Museum and the city’s numismatics, the City Coin Cabinet was created.  
ABOUT US – Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation (rigamuz.lv)

Designer: Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja
LNB – Lasāmkoks – Arta Ozola – Jaunarāja (lasamkoks.lv)
Arta’s first stamp design for Latvia was 10th Anniversary of the January Barricades (2001). Since then, she has contributed at least one design every year, as well s one set for Kazakhstan in 2006, Traditional Jewelry, which was co-designed with Daniyar Mukhamedzhanov.

Release date: June 21, 2023

Latvian birds 
Topics: fauna | birds

2 stamps, 2 FDCs, cancel, 2 sheets of 10

Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) – also called the thrush nightingale. Luscinia luscinia (Thrush Nightingale) – Avibase (bsc-eoc.org)

Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) Cuculus canorus (Common Cuckoo) – Avibase (bsc-eoc.org)

Birds of Latvia | Latvian National Museum of Natural History (dabasmuzejs.gov.lv)
Latvia bird checklist – Avibase – Bird Checklists of the World (bsc-eoc.org)

Designer: Ģirts Grīva

Release date: June 22,2023

August

Distinguished artists – Kārlis Padegs
Topics: art 

Release date: August 18, 2023

September

Narrow-gauge railway Gulbene – Alūksne
Topics: transportation | trains

Release date: September 2, 2023

Valmiera Drama Theater – 100
Topics: theatre |history

Release date: September 23, 2023

October

Actor, director and playwright Ādolfs Alunāns – 175
Topics: actors | writers

Release date: October 6, 2023

November

Christmas
Topics: events

Release date: November 10, 2023

Latvian Basketball Association – 100
Topics: sports

Release date: November 26, 2023

Flowers (Reprints) x TBA
Topics: flora

Release date: TBA