Presentation of the broadcast "Anders Army - Trail of Hope"

On Thursday, November 30 this year, Poczta Polska introduced into circulation the emission stamp "Anders Army - Trail of Hope". This is another publishing house in the series, which reminds of the tragic history of Poles who have traveled three continents, crossed the borders of the Soviet Union with the hope of a successful return home.

The stamp presents the figure of General Władysław Anders and the logo of the Andersa "Wa" Foundation and graphics from the ceremony of introducing banners to the building at 20 Prince's Gate on July 9, 1947. The stamp is printed using offset technique, on fluorescent paper, in 39.5 x 31.25 mm format, in a circulation of 144,000. The sales sheet has 12 stamps in a special Tete-Beche system. It is a technique that assumes that a pair of stamps is printed so that one of them is turned upside down in relation to the other. 

The outbreak of World War II caused the division of Poland between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in accordance with the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact concluded on August 23, 1939. After Germany's aggression at the USSR in June 1941, Hitler's alliance with Stalin broke down, which radically changed the political situation in Europe. Thanks to the Sikorski-Majski system of July 30, 1941, hundreds of thousands of Poles, deported after September 1939, deep into the territory of the Eastern invader, had a chance to release and join the Polish Armed Forces under the command of General Władysław Anders.

Thanks to his army, tens of thousands of Poles were saved who regained the hope of their and Poland. The formation of the Polish army in the USSR was, however, burdened with numerous organizational difficulties. The shortcomings in the officer's staff, caused by mass executions in Katyn, Kharkov, Tver, Kiev and Minsk in the spring of 1940 were noticeable. Józef Stalin also refused to properly supply food and medical means for Polish soldiers. Volunteers, extremely weak, fell on diseases massively, often dying.

In December 1941, it was decided to displace the Polish army from Central Russia to Kazakhstan and other republics of Central Asia. Ultimately, after the agreement of the parties, the Anders' army was evacuated to Iran. The last soldiers left Kazakhstan in the autumn of 1942. Over 120,000 People left the USSR, setting out on a journey to freedom on the "Trail of Hope", which led through the Middle East and Italy, with a purpose of reaching his beloved homeland.

The broadcast was created in cooperation with Anna Maria Anders, an extraordinary ambassador and a representative of the Republic of Poland in the Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino and the Council of the "Anders Community" Foundation, as well as with the Polish Institute and the Museum of General Sikorski in London.

About the stamp:
Project author: Andrzej Gosik
Number of stamps: 1
Value: 3.90 PLN
Edition: 144,000 Pcs.
Printing technique: offset
format stamp: 39 x 31.25 mm
Paper: fluorescent
sales sheet: 12 stamps in the tete-beche system
Date of circulation: November 30, 2023.