The stamps for June also feature five nature symbols and three urban parks
The Moomins, who are currently charming viewers all over the world as a new animated series, have been a favorite subject of Finnish stamps for years. The events and colors of the new stamps, which will be issued on June 5, come from the original Moomin books.
The Moomins: advice for a good life stamp booklet includes six different domestic no-value indicator stamps, each presenting a familiar theme from the Moomin stories: adventure, courage, consolation, freedom, openness and friendship.
The graphic design of the stamps was done by James Zambra, in whose life Moomins have played a big role since childhood, as he is a member of the Jansson family and a relative of Tove Jansson, the creator of the Moomins.
“The Moomin stories are full of adventure, exciting events, friendship and consolation. The values that the stories emphasize—such as tolerance, courage, friendship, love and respect for nature—are close to my heart and feel very current today. The stories contain plenty of advice for living a good life,” says James Zambra.
“My personal favorite is the stamp where Moomintroll encounters the Groke. I like that, when the characters’ eyes meet, the fear turns into interest and understanding toward each other. I hope that the new Moomin stamps will spark joy as well as interest in Tove Jansson’s original books,” says Zambra.
The silver birch, granite, Finnhorse, European perch and holly blue to be featured as nature symbols
Stiina Hovi’s popular roll of stamps series presenting Finland’s nature symbols will also receive its second and last installment in June. On the five new stamps, granite will represent rocks and the silver birch will represent plants, while the Finnhorse, European perch and holly blue will stand for the animal kingdom.
For the new stamps, Stiina Hovi wanted to depict summer memories familiar to many Finns: “The black and white trunks of birches whose bark feels smooth to the touch. The neigh of the Finnhorse and the swish of its tail on a summer pasture. The European perch swimming in a glimmering lake. The side of a granite boulder that has been warmed by the sun. The holly blue flying at the edge of a field.”
According to Hovi, Finnish nature symbols are part of the Finnish mental landscape. “It was fantastic to get the chance dive into the shared visual memory again and bring up beautiful details from it.”
Finnish nature symbols II will be issued as a 100-stamp roll that includes five different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.
The national urban parks of Forssa, Heinola and Kuopio to be presented on stamps
In June, three new stamps will be added to the national urban park stamp series designed by Timo Mänttäri. The new stamps will feature summery park views from Forssa, Heinola and Kuopio. The series that is now coming to an end is a collection presenting all nine national urban parks in Finland. The parks preserve both urban nature and built environments as a large and comprehensive whole.
Forssa’s national urban park presents the history of industrial and residential construction with its various phases and construction methods. The stamp features the Loimijoki River, a small footbridge and wooden houses along the river.
Heinola’s national urban park consists of nearby nature, maintained green spaces, urban culture and the built environment. The Heinola stamp shows the Rantapuisto park and, in the background, the Siltasaari Island that supports the railway bridge crossing a part of the Kymijoki River called Jyrängönvirta.
Kuopio’s national urban park, the largest in Finland, is a combination of archipelago nature, built heritage and maintained parks. The stamp’s landmark is the Kuopio Cathedral, which is located on the Vahtivuori hill between the town center and Lake Kallavesi.
Urban parks III will be issued as a 15-stamp sheet containing three different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.
First day event at the Helsinki Main Post Office on June 5, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The first day event will be held at the Helsinki Main Post Office (Elielinaukio 2) on Wednesday, June 5, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. New stamps, first day covers and other stamp products will be on sale at the event, and visitors can get first day postmarks on their items. Stamp artists James Zambra and Stiina Hovi will be present to sign their works from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
