Romfilatelia and the Romanian Post have released the world’s longest postage stamp, measuring 252 millimetres, to mark the Consecration of Romania’s National Cathedral. The philatelic issue, unveiled on Friday, celebrates the landmark event with a special miniature sheet, featuring mosaic icons and panoramic imagery of the Cathedral.
The issue includes a postage stamp, a perforated miniature sheet, two first-day covers, and a maximum postcard for philatelic collectors.
According to the source, the postage stamp—valued at 5 lei—features an image from the mosaic iconostasis of the National Cathedral depicting Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Protector of all Romanians.
The stamp on the miniature sheet, measuring 252 x 36 mm and valued at 30 lei, presents a panoramic view of the area around the Cathedral, accompanied by two mosaic icons depicting Jesus Christ and the Mother of God with the Child.
“The grandeur of the Cathedral, the largest Orthodox Cathedral in the world, is symbolised by the postage stamp whose dimensions exceed those of the latest philatelic record set by Guinness World Records,” Romfilatelia representatives noted in a press release.
Consecration Events Begin Friday
The “first day cover” of the issue will be available in two graphic variants:
- one featuring the stamp of the issue and a panoramic illustration of the National Cathedral;
- the other showing a detailed representation of the Cathedral’s ceiling iconography, accompanied by the perforated miniature sheet.
The philatelic issue will be available starting Friday in Romfilatelia shops in Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Timișoara, as well as through the Romfilatelia online store.
The consecration of the National Cathedral’s frescoes will take place on Sunday, October 26.
Photo: Romfilatelia
