KALININGRAD, April 24. /TASS/. Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU) held a ceremony revealing a special postage stamp dedicated to the 300th anniversary of Immanuel Kant's birth at the International Kant Congress, the university's press service reported.
“A ceremony revealing a special issue stamp in honor of the 300th anniversary of the great philosopher's birth was held on the third day of the International Kant Congress at the Baltic Federal University (BFU),” the message reads.
The stamp is called “300 years since the birth of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)”. It features a portrait of Immanuel Kant from the collection of the Kaliningrad Regional Amber Museum, made by artist Alexander Zhuravlev. The size of the stamp is 37 mm x 50 mm, and its face value amounts to 70 rubles. The Kaliningrad region received 3 600 stamps out of the total circulation of 96 thousand pieces.
A commemorative postmark was made for the stamp, which bears the portrait of the great philosopher and the inscription “Russian Post. 300 years since his birth. Immanuel Kant and the city of Kaliningrad”. In addition to Kaliningrad, a ceremony revealing the stamp also took place in Moscow.
Rector of IKBFU, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Alexander Fedorov and a student of the IKBFU Higher School of Philosophy, History and Social Sciences Andrey Volodin took part in the ceremony in Kaliningrad. The rector noted that this is an important event for the Kant Congress, carrying great value for the generations to come as well. “It emphasizes the significance of heritage, the value of the event in honor of which this ceremony is held,” Alexander Fedorov said.
The Postal service commemorates special events by issuing special postage stamps. This kind of stamp is issued with its own individual postmark made for such an occasion. Stamps have a special philatelic meaning, value and uniqueness. A special postmark is distinguished from an ordinary postmark by its text, which indicates the name of the event or memorable date it honors. After the day of the special occasion has passed, the postmark is withdrawn from circulation.
Immanuel Kant
The year of 2024 marks the 300th anniversary of the philosopher's birth. The International Kant Congress, which takes place in Kaliningrad from April 22 to 25 at the BFU, is timed to coincide with this date. According to the organizers, the forum is attended by representatives of 23 countries.
Immanuel Kant was born in 1724 in Königsberg, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad) to an artisan family of modest means. He graduated from the prestigious the Collegium Fridericianum and in 1740 entered the University of Königsberg. After defending his dissertation and receiving his doctorate in 1755, Kant began teaching at the university, ultimately staying there for the next 40 years. He died on February 12, 1804 and is buried near the eastern corner of the north side of the Cathedral in Kaliningrad on the island that was renamed in his honor.