Ukrposhta marks Mykolaiv Zoo’s 125th anniversary with five-stamp postal block and special cancellation

Ukrposhta placed a new five-stamp postal block celebrating the 125th anniversary of Mykolaiv Zoo into circulation on 12 September 2026, with a special cancellation held in Mykolaiv on the city’s anniversary day. The postal operator published a fresh newsroom item on the date of issue, while local reporting documented the presentation and cancellation ceremony.

The block depicts five zoo inhabitants in deliberately theatrical portraits: a giraffe in a hat, a maned wolf with a monocle, a polar bear holding a hetman’s mace, a Cape rock hyrax and Ukraine’s only snow leopard. The composition also incorporates the entrance gates of Mykolaiv Zoo and the Ukrainian flag. The artwork was created by Ukrainian illustrator and serviceman Viktor Harkusha, known by the call sign “Picasso.”

The special cancellation used a dated postmark reading “125 years. Mykolaiv Zoo” with the Mykolaiv postal index 54008. Participants at the ceremony included representatives of regional and city authorities and zoo management. Local reporting states that the postal block has a print run of 40,000 copies, accompanied by 15,000 First Day envelopes and 300 presentation folders.

For collectors, the release combines several themes: zoology, Ukrainian local history, anniversary philately and contemporary wartime cultural production. Mykolaiv Zoo traces its origins to 1901 and is one of the country’s long-established zoological institutions. The choice to portray individual animals as characters gives the block a visually distinctive identity while preserving a direct link with the zoo’s living collection.

The issue had been previewed before 12 September, so the mere arrival of its scheduled date would not by itself qualify as fresh news. What changed on 12 September is that the block was actually placed into circulation and the special cancellation ceremony took place, facts documented in same-day reporting.