An attempt was made to smuggle a postcard with Shevchenko’s self-portrait and the newspaper Rada from the First World War from Ukraine

A postcard with a self-portrait of Taras Shevchenko, printed in Austria in 1946, was planned to be taken out of Ukraine. Customs officers also found the original supplement to the Rada newspaper of 25 February 1914. This was reported by Kyiv Customs on 27 May.

The postal item was attempted to be sent from Odesa to the United States. The newspaper supplement was a jubilee issue in honour of the 100th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s birth. In Kyiv, the Rada newspaper was published in 1906-1914 and played an important role in the cultural and political life of Ukrainians. It was published by philanthropist Yevhen Chykalenko, known as one of the managers of the Ukrainian movement of that time.

The postcard was created on the initiative of Ukrainians living in Voralberg and Tyrol after the Second World War to commemorate the anniversary of the death of the great Kobzar.

The importance and cultural value of these publications was confirmed by experts from the National Museum of History of Ukraine. Both finds belong to the small-circulation printed materials that have significant historical and cultural value. To export them abroad, a certificate is required, which was not provided to the customs officers.

The young journalist Symon Petliura was the secretary of the Rada newspaper, who kept all editorial and newspaper documents in 1906-1907. During the years of state-building in 1917-1921, this newspaper was called a school of political and social formation.

The postcard is one of the rarest surviving examples of foreign printing, is of great interest to a wide range of collectors, represents the activities of Ukrainian citizens outside Ukraine, and is associated with the commemoration of Taras Shevchenko.

It is known that Taras Shevchenko lived in Kyiv for a certain period of time. To a certain extent, the rhythm of the big city could have affected his work.