LITHUANIA

LITHUANIA / LIETUVA.

650th Death Anniversary of the Grand Duke Gediminas.
Vilnius in the 14th century.
Last stamp in a set of 3, issued on 28.09.1991.
Face value: 70 Russian kopek.
Printing: Offset lithography.
Print: 1,000,000 copies.
Size: 29 x 36 mm.

Catalogs
- AFA No. 485.
- Michel No. 488.
- Scott No. 402.
- StampWorld No. 489.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 497.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 419.

Gediminas (Vilnius, c. 1275 - December 1341) ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1316 to 1341, which meant ruling over the Lithuanians and over a large part of Kievan Rus’. He was the founder of the Grand Duchy as an Empire. He is one of the most significant characters in the medieval history of Lithuania. He is credited with turning the Lithuanian Grand Duchy into one of the most powerful states in central-eastern Europe, extending its dominions to the Black Sea. He is also responsible for the construction of the city of Vilnius beyond the existing fortress until then, and made it the capital of the Grand Duchy. In addition, he managed to maintain paganism until the fourteenth century, preventing attempts at Christianization promoted by the papacy. His biography is obscure and is based, above all, on versions, sometimes conflicting, of the chronicles of the time.

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Thanks to Kazimierz R. Leszczyński for his contribution (http://leszkarozdub.blogspot.com).