Cover with special cancellation «First Day. EUROPA. Stories and Myths» Kyiv 01001

Ukrainian postage issue according to “Europa” on the theme "Stories and Myths" is dedicated to the ancient Slavic gods Svarog and Lada. Svarog is the god of fire and blacksmithing. It is believed that Svarog created the Universe, the Earth, all animais on it and people, established marriage laws. The earliest written source that mentions Svarog is the "Tale of Bygone Years”. Svarog is associated with a sign in the form of a cross – Svarga, which is a symbol of holiness, spiritual power. Lada is the goddess of motherhood, spring, love and marriage. According to legend, she was the wife of the god Svarog and the mother of Lelya and Polel. In Slavic mythology, Lada appears in the image of a beautiful woman decorated with roses and spikelets. Her name is mentioned in ancient Ukrainian vesniankas. The author of the issue – Ukrainian artist Mykolai Kochubei – used signs in the sketches, which, being intertwined in the plot, turn symbols into images. Thus, in the festive women's round dance and in the rapid running of horses, the Svarga sign is encoded, and in the double helix of DNA – endless movement and the process of evolution.