Today I think I will write what happened to the notorious block of the Union of Bulgarian Artists issued in 2022. I am writing this publication in order to preserve information about what happened over time and in the hope that it will not be repeated. In order to be as accurate as possible, I will describe the exact facts of the publication, from its entry into the Thematic Plan for 2022 to the cutting of the block. The information was received from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Bulgarian Post and individual individuals.On 22.11.2021 - one year (and a little) before the printing of the block, the Ministry of Transport and Communications published on its website the "Thematic Plan for Issuing Postage Stamps, Postal Products and Special Postage Stamps in 2022". The Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Artists - Mr. Lyuben Genov submitted a proposal to the Specialized Expert Council on Stamp Issuance for the inclusion in the 2022 plan of two postal issues:
- "90 years since the establishment of the Union of Artists' Societies in Bulgaria (USB) - predecessor of the Union of Bulgarian Artists" and
- "140th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master".
The Specialized Expert Council on Stamp Issuance decided to unite two topics and included the topic "90 years since the establishment of the Union of Artists' Societies in Bulgaria (SDHB)" to the topic "125 years since the birth of Ivan Milev and Ivan Penkov".
However, what happens in the end? In the plan for 2022 (published in November 2021) in point 1.6. the following postal issue is recorded: "125 years since the birth of Ivan Milev and Ivan Penkov + 80 years of the Union of Bulgarian Architects" - 2 postage stamps in a block - validation in April 2022. The error was most likely made unintentionally by a clerk or secretary who prepared the file with the plan.
As you can see, the theme of the postal edition was confused a year before its printing, and this happened in the document with which the Minister of Transport and Communications determines the themes for postal editions, i.e. the Thematic Plan. Until now, no one has yet noticed that the plan states "80 years of the Union of Bulgarian Socialist Workers' Party" instead of "90 years of the Bulgarian Socialist Workers' Party" .
In 2022, as you know, there was an eight-month lull in stamp issuance due to the fault of the PP. In August 2022, after the fall of the government of Kiril Petkov and the appointment of a caretaker government, work on stamp issuance resumed. Philatelists are ecstatic, but no one suspects what will happen in 3 months. Meanwhile, the artist Svetlin Balezdrov (an artist with extensive experience in stamp issuance) is developing a draft of the UBA publication, described in a thematic plan. The same is being coordinated by the author and in the Stamp Issuance Council, where three of the members are from the Union of Artists ( Professor Viktor Paunov, Associate Professor Stoyan Dechev and Doctor Teodor Lihov ). For their participation in the council, members of the Union of Artists receive remuneration according to the Internal Rules of the Specialized Expert Council on Stamp Issuance.
The draft of the postal edition was signed by the artist, the consultant and the secretary of the specialized expert council on stamp issuance, and approved by the Minister of Transport and Communications.
And the day of validation of the edition comes - 11.00 on 22.12.2022 ( 13 months after the mistake ). The edition is solemnly validated in the "Academy" gallery of the National Academy of Arts by the artist, representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the National Academy of Arts. According to photos published on the social network, it can be seen that the event is attended by no more than 20-25 people , including reporters and employees of Bulgarian Post who buy, note - 163 blocks - 8 blocks per person .
At around 17:00 on 22.12.2022 - 6 hours after validation, Mr. Anton Staykov (Deputy Chairman of the Union of Artists) noticed the error and notified the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Ministry immediately notified Bulgarian Post, which immediately stopped selling the edition. In six hours after validation, another 150 copies of the edition were sold. In response to my inquiry, Bulgarian Post informed me that part of the circulation was sold abroad , without specifying exactly where. The total number of copies of the original edition sold is 313 copies (163 blocks during validation and 150 blocks in philatelic shops in Sofia and abroad).
According to a letter from the Minister of Transport and Communications No. 11-02-142/23.12.2023, the original printed block was cut and put on sale without the inscription for the anniversary of the Union of Bulgarian Artists.
All of this factology is described in two letters from the Ministry of Transport and Communications and one response to a request for access to public information from Bulgarian Post.
So far, the facts have been discussed. Now I will ask a few interesting questions that definitely do not fall under the "Conspiracy theories" column.
1. What is the reason for the Thematic Plan for 2022 - 13 months before the validation - to include an edition with the wrong anniversary. Who is responsible and is there any intention in this action?
2. What is the reason for the error in the edition not being noticed by either the members of the council, where there are three highest artists, or by the artist who created the edition, or by the one who proposed the edition? These are about 13 people who have slept through the situation, intentionally or not.
3. How was 163 copies of the edition sold (7-8 per person) at a validation attended by no more than 20-25 people? Was there a reason for such a large quantity to be bought by so few people and were 163 copies really bought? Was there prior information that the edition was wrong?
4. How were copies of the original edition sold abroad on the day of validation by "Bulgarian Philately and Numismatics"? Was there no way to stop this, given the situation? When were the shipments prepared and were copies of the original edition really sent? The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Bulgarian Post firmly do not want to answer this question.
5. Why did the leadership and representatives of the Union of Bulgarian Philatelists not protect the interests of their members by all legal means? Did any of them give any written or oral statement regarding the problem?
1. What is the reason for the Thematic Plan for 2022 - 13 months before the validation - to include an edition with the wrong anniversary. Who is responsible and is there any intention in this action?
2. What is the reason for the error in the edition not being noticed by either the members of the council, where there are three highest artists, or by the artist who created the edition, or by the one who proposed the edition? These are about 13 people who have slept through the situation, intentionally or not.
3. How was 163 copies of the edition sold (7-8 per person) at a validation attended by no more than 20-25 people? Was there a reason for such a large quantity to be bought by so few people and were 163 copies really bought? Was there prior information that the edition was wrong?
4. How were copies of the original edition sold abroad on the day of validation by "Bulgarian Philately and Numismatics"? Was there no way to stop this, given the situation? When were the shipments prepared and were copies of the original edition really sent? The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Bulgarian Post firmly do not want to answer this question.
5. Why did the leadership and representatives of the Union of Bulgarian Philatelists not protect the interests of their members by all legal means? Did any of them give any written or oral statement regarding the problem?
In order not to be uninformed, I am publishing the answers to my inquiries to Bulgarian Posts, the Deputy Minister and the Minister of Transport and Communications. I am also publishing photos from the validation in the "Academy" gallery of the National Academy of Arts.
