Historical Treasures: Customs Officials Discover 1914 Newspaper Supplement and Postcard

During the customs inspection of an international parcel sent from Odesa to the USA, Kyiv customs officials uncovered valuable historical artifacts: an original supplement to the Ukrainian daily newspaper «Rada» dated February 25, 1914, and a postcard titled «Taras Shevchenko. Self-Portrait. 1840», printed in 1946 in Austria.

The newspaper supplement was a commemorative edition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's birth. The «Rada» newspaper was published in Kyiv from 1906 to 1914 and played a significant role in the cultural and political life of Ukrainians, published by the patron Yevhen Chykalenko, a well-known figure in the Ukrainian movement of that time.

The postcard was initiated by Ukrainians living in Tyrol and Vorarlberg after World War II to commemorate the anniversary of the great Kobzar's death.

The importance and cultural value of these publications were confirmed by experts from the National Museum of History of Ukraine.

Both findings belong to a small print run and possess significant cultural and historical importance. To export them abroad, proper certification was required, which was not provided to the customs officials.

A protocol was drawn up by the Kyiv customs for violating customs regulations under Article 473 of the Customs Code of Ukraine, and the cultural valuables were seized. The case materials will be sent to court.

Note:

The secretary of the «Rada» newspaper, who managed all newspaper and editorial documentation in 1906-1907, was a young journalist named Symon Petliura. During the state-building years from 1917 to 1921, the «Rada» newspaper was referred to as a school of civic and political formation.

The postcard is a rare preserved example of foreign printing, highly sought after by collectors, showcasing the activities of Ukrainians living abroad and connected to the commemoration of Taras Shevchenko.