Science fiction.
A large number of provisionals also appeared in modern Russia in the early 1990s. After freeing prices, the government of T. Gaidar sent Russia’s economy into a free-market drift. As a result, for several years hyperinflation ruled the country. All of this affected postal operations as well. In 1992–1993 alone, six changes to postal rates were carried out. The rapid rise in postal tariffs forced post offices across the country to resort to issuing various kinds of provisionals. At first, overprints were made on USSR postage stamps held in stock, and revaluation handstamps were applied to postal stationery. As stocks of stamps and postal stationery ran out, issues of surrogate signs of postage payment appeared. This happened everywhere throughout the country. As always, alongside postal provisionals there appeared various philatelic issues that had nothing to do with the postal service.