Russia to Uruguay Military Postcard Vereshchagin Defeated Warriors Imperial S...

Item Specifics

Country

Russia

Condition

Cover (Postal History)

Stamp Format

Single

Item Description

Carefully selected from a vast collection, this original early 20th-century postcard is an exceptional piece for collectors, historians, and philatelists. Each postcard uniquely combines three key aspects that make it highly attractive:

1️ Philatelic: Mailed from the Russian Empire in 1908, this postcard is addressed to Montevideo, Uruguay, an exceptionally rare destination for Russian correspondence of the era. It bears two red Imperial Russian stamps, both clearly postmarked. The international routing from Central Asia (likely Turkestan or Caucasus region) to South America enhances its postal value significantly.

2️ Aesthetic / Historical: The image is a printed reproduction of a dramatic war painting by Vasily Vereshchagin, titled “The Defeated” (Побежденные), held at the Russian Museum. It portrays a Russian soldier standing over fallen enemy warriors, some clearly dead, others wounded, in a stark desert landscape likely referencing campaigns in the Caucasus or Central Asia. The grim yet composed depiction reflects the brutal realism for which Vereshchagin was known — a strong antiwar message conveyed through high art.

3️ Social / Thematic: The handwritten caption on the front reads: “Vereschtschaguine des combattus. Tiflis 1908” (Tiflis = Tbilisi, capital of Georgia in the Russian Empire at the time). On the back, the postcard is addressed in elegant French script to Monsieur R. Alzambas de Olivar, Graciada 675, Montevideo, Uruguay, reinforcing the cultural exchange and global mobility of intellectual elites at the turn of the century.

This postcard unites military history, fine art reproduction, and postal rarity, making it a standout choice for Open Class exhibits and thematic collections on imperial warfare, Russian artists, or intercontinental mail routes.

Seller Information

Seller

OpenPhilately (2284)

Registered Since

04/08/2016

Feedback

99.6%

Store

Open Philately / Collectorbazaar

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Item Location

Montevideo, Uruguay

Ships To

Worldwide

Returns Accepted

No

Public Questions