Azerbaijan's Heroes 2020

On December 30, 2020, Azerbaijan issued a miniature sheet with 2 different stamps in se-tenant printing with the theme "Azerbaijan's Heroes 2020". One stamp had "split" motifs, showing a half-profile of a soldier with a rifle and a half-profile of a person with a protective suit and breathing mask, and in the second case a person with protective suit, mask and disinfection equipment. This was a reference to the war with Armenia in 2020 as well as the Corona pandemic.

On the upper part of the miniature sheet, as well as on the first day cover was a motif where a man dressed in protection gear is performing disinfection on an outline map of Azerbaijan and from the position the disinfection affects Nagorno-Karabakh. Therefore there were protests from Armenia on the tenor that it was a "manifestation of fascism". Due to the protests and the reaction of the UPU, Azerbaijan sold the miniature sheet only with the top side cut off. Also, new first day covers were issued instead with a changed motif without the outline map of Azerbaijan.

 

Until today, none of the complete miniature sheets or the original first day covers have appeared on the market. Obviously, Azerbaijan was very quick in reacting or the appropriate measures were already initiated by the protests before and upon issue.

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Original design

heroes 2020 nagorno-karabakh armenia azerbaijan corona UPU fascism

 

Mini-sheet with header design removed

heroes 2020 nagorno-karabakh armenia azerbaijan corona UPU fascism

 

Replacement FDC with new design where the map is removed