Uzbekistan 2023 stamps offer an intriguing glimpse into the country’s culture and history.  So far I’ve written three previous articles about the country, with my favourite covering their role in the Silk Road. A number of countries I’d love to visit are along the ancient route … actually it would be an adventure of a lifetime to travel along the road from start to finish. So much history and culture is wound up in the 6,000+ kilometres it covers. 

2022 was a good year for Uzbek stamps. Not only did they offer up this quartet of Silk Road artifacts

the Uzbek post office also gave us  tantalizing view of their museum treasures,

Folk art and 

  of course my second favourite topic national dishes. 

Yes, 2022 was a great year for their stamps. I’m hoping this year picks up their food theme with more national dishes as well as more from their museums. Uzbekistan is blessed with a number of excellent ones, but then with a history as rich as theirs, it’s not hard to believe it’s a museum cornucopia.  

The only sad note on this year is I still have no further information on Uzbek designers and artists. If you have any leads, please drop them below in the comments. In the meantime, on with 2023!

January

Historical Monuments and Sights of Samarkand and Bukhara
regular issue

2 stamps
offset

• Madrasah Chor Minor (Bukhara) UNESCO World Heritage Centre – Document – Chor Minor Mosque (Four Minarets)
  Historic Centre of Bukhara – Gallery – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
• Hazrat Khizr Mosque (Samarkand) Hazrat Khizr Mosque – Samarkand Tour

Artist/designer: Mulla-Akhunov D.

Release date: January 25, 2023

May

15th anniversary of the Establishment of JV Asia Trans Gas LLC

6 stamps (with labels), 4 stamps on souvenir sheet, 2 stamps on souvenir sheets
offset 

This large set includes the following titles:

• construction 
• operation
• social and cultural activities
• awards
• history and prospects

Designer: Zakirov H.

Release date: May 1, 2023

Medieval Architecture of Samarkand and Tashkent 
regular issue

3 stamps
offset

• Ensemble “Shakhizinda” (Samarkand) Samarkand / The Shakh-i-Zinda Ensemble (pagetour.org)
• Madrasah “Sherdor” (Samarkand)  Sher Dor Madrassah | World Heritage Journeys of Europe (visitworldheritage.com)
• Mosque “Islom ota” (Tashkent) Islam Ota Mosque | Uzbekistan Travel

Artist/designer: Mulla-Akhunov D.
Mulla-Akhunov created 6 issues  in 2022 for Uzbekistan Pochtasi, including 2 regular issues about historic monuments & architecture as well as the Archaeological Research of the Great Silk Road set.

Release date: May 1, 2023

Heydar Aliyev 

Details coming

Azerbaijani politician – 3rd President 
Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have issued commemorative stamps for Heydar Aliyev

Release date: May 2023

National Musical Instruments of Uzbekistan

karnay ud qo’shnay do’mbira 

  q  

4 stamps
offset

• karnay – a long trumpet
• qo’shnay – reed instrument also called a koshnai 
• ud – short necked lute
• do’mbira – also called a dumbra or dombra a long necked string instrument

Designer: Yusupaliev U

Release date: May 30, 2023

Fauna of the World – Birds

4 stamps
offset

Gouldian finch (Gouldova amadina) Gouldian Finch – eBird

Red avadavat (Amandava amandava) Red Avadavat – eBird

Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata) Diamond Firetail – eBird

Star Finch (Bathilda ruficauda) Star Finch – eBird

Designer: Zakirov H

Release date: May 30, 2023

August

75th Anniversary of India’s Independence

1 stamp on a souvenir sheet
offset

Designer: Mulla-Akhunov D.

Release date: August 7, 2023

September

Gifts from Uzbekistan – Fruits

4 stamps
offset

• watermelon 
• melon
• pumpkin
• handalak

Artist: Kim A.
Designer: Mingirov V.

Release date: September 8, 2023

Flora of Uzbekistan – Invertebrates

4 stamps
offset

• Preying Mantis (Mantis religiosa)
• Shield Bug (Eurydema ventralis)
• Sloe bug Dolycoris baccarum
• Graphosoma lineatum – another member of the shield bug family

Artist: Kim A.
Designer: Mingirov V.

Release date: September 8, 2023

The Ancient city of Azerbaijan Shusha is the cultural capital of the Turkic world

1 stamp on souvenir sheet
offset

Designer: Yusupaliev U

Release date: September 8, 2023

1050th Anniversary of the Birth of Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (973 – after 1050)

4 stamps on souvenir sheet, graphic cover
offsest

• Astrolabe 
• Vadrant
• Phases of the Moon
• The Globe and the Celestial Sphere

Designer: Yusupaliev U

Release date: September 8, 2023

Day of Teachers and Mentors

1 souvenir sheet
offset

Designer: Yusupaliev U.

Release date: September 29, 2023

December

Dolls in National Costumes
Decorative and Applied Arts of Uzbekistan
 

4 stamps
offset

These dolls were the creation of Nasiba Akhmedova, a Uzbek fashion designer. In 2013, the Tashkent Museum held an exhibition of her dolls. You can read a bit more about them here:

Uzbek dolls and carpets on display at the National Arts Centre in Tashkent (advantour.com)

She has more of the dolls on her Instagram page. 

Designer: Zakirov Kh

Release date: December 15, 2023

Tashkent Zoo

4 stamps
offset

Ташкентский зоопарк (tashkentzoo.uz)

Artist: G. Kim
Designer: V. Mingirov

Release date: December 15, 2023.