Sheet «Melitopol is Ukraine!»

Melitopol is a glorious Ukrainian city in the Zaporizhzhia region, known throughout the country as the cherry capital. Before Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, about 20 thousand tons of this delicious fruit (a quarter of the total Ukrainian harvest) were harvested here annually. The cherry orchards were a decoration of the city, and the fruit was one of the landmarks of the region.

In the first days of the full-scale war, the city was captured by Russia. But even under the pressure of the temporary occupation, hope lives in the hearts of the residents and all Ukrainians: Melitopol will definitely return home to a free Ukraine. A blue and yellow flag will fly over the city's fertile orchards, and sweet cherries will delight every Ukrainian family with their taste. The postage stamp depicts the legendary Melitopol cherry and the famous raccoon from the Kherson zoo as symbols of the fact that Ukrainians always get their own back: both stolen territories and stolen animals. The author of the stamp design is artist Natalia Kokhal. Postage stamps with her drawings “White Stork” and “Eastern Nightingale” won first place in the contest “Best European stamp — collector's choice 2019”.