Russia Issues Commemorative Stamps and Envelopes Honoring Jerusalem's 'Candle of Remembrance' Monument

On September 15, the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad in St. Petersburg hosted a solemn ceremony for the special cancellation of the "Candle of Remembrance" commemorative stamp block. Starting from this moment, the stamps enter postal circulation throughout the Russian Federation.

This ceremony marked the official release of the stamp dedicated to the "Candle of Remembrance" monument, erected in Jerusalem in January 2020 to honor the heroic defenders and residents of Leningrad during the siege.

The initiative to establish the memorial came from the World War II Veterans Council, the Association of Leningrad Siege Survivors in Israel, and former Knesset member Leonid Litinetsky. Funding for its construction was provided by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress in cooperation with the Russian Jewish Congress, businessman and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center Viktor Vekselberg, the Jewish National Fund (Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael), and the Keren Hayesod foundation. Supported by the governments of St. Petersburg and Jerusalem, the monument was unveiled in the Israeli capital on January 23 of this year.

"Commemorating the establishment of the Memorial is an extremely significant step both for the EAJC and for me personally. The unveiling ceremony of the 'Candle of Remembrance' served as a starting point for EAJC initiatives aimed at preserving historical memory and strengthening relations between peoples.

I am genuinely pleased that the Russian authorities highly value the monument erected on Israeli soil. On behalf of the EAJC leadership and myself, I express my profound gratitude to the Government of St. Petersburg for initiating the release of the envelopes and the stamp block dedicated to the unveiling of the Memorial, and for its undoubtedly successful realization," stated EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili.