Almost 30 years of collecting and research have gone into this postal history exhibit, including several visits to Iran since 2001 and three longer visits to the National Archives in India (New Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay) between 2004 and 2006. The interests of two Great Powers - Russia and England - collided in Persia, and from the early 1860s to the early 1920s the situation was often very unsettled (political and social chaos from 1901 to 1906, the division of Persia into zones of influence, WWI and German intrusion followed by famine and an extension of the Russian Civil War). All of this combines to make collecting in this area extremely challenging.

Believed to be the finest exhibition of this material in the world, the initial stages of Soviet Antarctic research and exploration are laid out here in great detail. The Antarctic components for the scientific studies planned for the 3rd International Geophysical Year called for coastal stations to be established in the first year, followed by the exploration and development of stations in the interior. This exhibit tells the story of the Soviet involvement and uses a very wide range of materials, demonstrating many aspects.

Special labels advertising various Soviet commercial, trading and banking enterprises to be used with affixed postage stamps on mail were introduced in 1923. This was part of the New Economic Policy based on a gold standard of currency to overcome the financial disaster of runaway inflation following the 1917 Russian Revolution and the five-year civil war throughout the territory of Russia.

Originally presented at ROSSICAPEX 2009 at the Annual General Member's meeting.