The twenty-second nationwide charity issue.
In 1915, the series of postal-charity stamps for the benefit of orphans of soldiers of the active army of 1914 was reissued in somewhat altered colors on white paper. In 1915 and 1916, the EZGB produced 9,070 thousand stamps on white paper and 210 thousand of their specimens. In December 1914, due to a shortage of dyed paper at the EZGB and the inconveniences associated with its production, the Imperial Women’s Patriotic Society gave the EZGB its consent to issue patriotic stamps on white, undyed paper. All four denominations of the stamps on white paper were approved by the Society on 18 December 1914.
Postal-charity stamps for the benefit of soldiers and their families. Artist Richard Germanovich Zarrin (Zarrinsh) — the author of the designs of almost all Russian banknotes of the early 20th century and the first Soviet postage stamp.
On 2 September 1914, the head of the Main Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs (GUPiT), V. Pokhvisnev, submitted a report to the Minister of the Interior in which he noted that the Imperial Women’s Patriotic Society had already, during the war with Japan, issued “postal patriotic stamps, the proceeds from which went to the benefit of the orphans of the active army.” Having listed the conditions under which they were issued and certain changes of the present day, the head of the GUPiT summarized: “...taking into account that the right to issue patriotic stamps had already once been granted to the Imperial Women’s Patriotic Society, I would consider it... appropriate to permit the issue of the said stamps, granting that right to the Society again at the present time.” Minister N. Maklakov agreed with this proposal.
The development of the stamp design was carried out with the participation of the EZGB.
On 18 September 1914, the Main Directorate of Posts and Telegraphs notified in advance the postal and postal-telegraph offices of the Empire about the issue of “patriotic” stamps in denominations of 1, 3, 7, and 10 kopeks and reported that:
- the selling price of the stamps is set with a surcharge to the face value of 1 kopek for each stamp;
- postal and telegraph fees which, according to the rules in force, are paid with stamps, may be paid with patriotic stamps, and their face value, not their selling price, is taken into account in calculations;
- the purchase of patriotic stamps and the payment of postal items with them are not obligatory for anyone and are left to the discretion of senders.
The stamps of the Imperial Women’s Patriotic Society were officially used as postage stamps during 1914–1917. During this period, they could be used to pay for all types of postal correspondence.
The sale of patriotic stamps was ordered to be discontinued on 19 November 1917 (order of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs No. 62338 of 19 August 1917).
However, these stamps remained in postal circulation for a considerable time thereafter.