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philatelist chaos, philatelist
Philatelist- a collector of postage stamps and other signs of postage, guided by the principles of philately when creating his collection. At the same time, the philatelist not only collects stamps as such, but examines, within the framework of the chosen philatelic direction, the totality of postage stamps and other philatelic materials, studies the history and development of mail, designs and assembles his collection for participation in philatelic exhibitions.
- 1 Origin of the term
- 2 History
- 3 Philatelists and famous collections
- 4 Philatelic accessories
- 5 Philatelic literature
- 6 Philatelists in culture
- 6.1 literature
- 6.2 visual arts
- 6.3 cinematography
- 7 See also
- 8 Notes
- 9 Literature
- 10 References
Origin of the term
Word " philatelist"Is derived from" philately"(From the Greek" φίλος "," φιλέω "- friend, I love and" τέλος "- collection, duty) and means“ loving postage signs ”. It is interesting that in Bulgaria the philatelist is called so - markolyubitel, markolyub. English to denote the concept of "philatelist" there are English terms. philatelist and stamp collector, sometimes stamp lover.
Story
Main article: PhilatelyCollecting postage stamps as a form of collecting dates back to the release of the world's first stamps in 1840. According to one version, the first person to systematically collect stamps was the Parisian engraver Mansen. In 1855, Munsen sold his collection of almost all the stamps issued at that time to the merchant Edouard Laplant. According to other sources, the British zoologist John Gray is considered the first philatelist in the world.
Later philately became one of the most popular types of collecting, and philatelists began to unite in national and international philatelic organizations.
K. Marx and F. Engels showed interest in philately (stamp of the USSR, 1948) (TsFA (ITC "Mark") No. 1246)
Philatelists and famous collections
There are millions of registered philatelists in the world. There are many times more stamp collectors who are not registered in any societies. Interest in collecting postage stamps was shown by the Russian writers A. Chekhov, A. Blok and M. Gorky, academicians I. P. Bardin and I. P. Pavlov, the commander of the cruiser "Varyag" V. F. Rudnev, the President of the United States F. Roosevelt, singer E. Caruso and many others. K. Marx and F. Engels were also interested in postage stamps; Marx's daughter Eleanor was a keen philatelist:
Alexander III collected postage stamps (stamp of Russia, 2006) (TsFA (ETC "Marka") No. 1111)
The Russian Emperor Alexander III collected stamps by tying them in bundles and folding them into boxes that were kept in the writing desk. The Spanish king Alphonse XIII invested a huge fortune in his collection and, having fled the country after the 1931 revolution, took it in several suitcases. After his expulsion in 1952, the Egyptian king Farouk I, who collected stamps, undertook a sale in Europe of his collection, which contained not only real, but also fake stamps, for which he was sentenced to a fine by the court.
During the classical period of the birth and formation of philately in many countries of Europe and America, large collectors began to appear, who possessed impressive collections of postage stamps from all over the world. The legendary French collector Philippe Ferrari (1850-1917), who bought up all the philatelic rarities known to him, won particular fame at this romantic stage in the development of philately. With an impressive fortune, he acquired stamps and rarities from all over the world, as well as complete collections of other famous collectors, such as Baron Rothschild.
The second famous philatelist in the largest collection was the Englishman Thomas Tapling (1855-1891), the third was the Russian collector F.L.Breithfuss (1851-1911), who lived in St. Petersburg. Another outstanding Russian philatelist was A.K. Faberge, who owned a unique collection of stamps and solid things of the Russian Empire.
Famous philatelic collections were made by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Prince Rainier III of Monaco and other famous people. From time to time, parts of their collections are exhibited in the Honorary Class at the world philatelic exhibitions organized by the International Federation of Philately, which have been held since 1927. Of the Russian philatelists, the most titled at these exhibitions is the Moscow collector L. Ya. Melnikov; his collection "Airmail of the USSR" was repeatedly awarded large gold medals of world philatelic exhibitions.
Philatelic accessories
In the process of creating and working with their collections, collectors operate with a special set of philatelic accessories and tools.
- For the storage of stamps, philatelists mostly use special albums and stock books.
- For sticking stamps in albums, special stickers and clem-bags are used.
- The tools of the philatelist include tweezers and a magnifying glass.
Philatelic literature
Main article: Philatelic literatureIn the process of accumulating and systematizing the collection material and designing the collection, philatelists resort to the help of catalogs and other reference and periodical literature. Examples of the latter include the following Soviet publications:
- "Soviet philatelist" - magazine (1922-1932),
- "Companion of the philatelist and bonist" - reference notebook-calendar (1924),
- "Philatelist. A guide to the general collecting of postage stamps "(author - L. Yu. Muller, 1925),
- "Companion of the philatelist" - the book by J. Ozolin (1964),
- "Philatelist's Calendar" (1965-1978),
- "What a philatelist needs to know" - a book by B.K.Stalbaum (1968),
- "Companion of the Philatelist" - a reference book published under the auspices of the All-Union Society of Philatelists (1971, 1974 and 1979), and many others.
Philatelists in culture
In literature
Images of philatelists are widespread in fiction. Among the numerous literary works in which there are characters-philatelists, one can mention:
Philatelist. Painting by G.I.Shiltian on the stamp of Cuba (1968) (Scott # 1332)
- the novel by Ilf and Petrov "Twelve Chairs", one of the main characters of which Ippolit Matveyevich Vorobyaninov was known as an inveterate philatelist;
- the book of philatelic stories by the Czechoslovak writer Frantisek Langer (1888-1965) “Pink Mercury. What the stamps told about ”, which describes the life story of Ignac Kral, a major Czechoslovak philatelist of the XX century;
- the fantastic story of brothers A. and B. Strugatsky "The Tale of Friendship and Unfriendliness", the hero of which, the young philatelist Andrei T., is tempted by the conventional forces of evil with "Pink Guiana";
- the fantastic story of the brothers A. and B. Strugatsky "The Second Invasion of the Martians", in which the hero-narrator Apollo consoles himself with a collection of stamps in all his life's vicissitudes and in his diary he makes the following entry on June 8: “My darlings, little girls! You never annoy me alone ”;
- the fantastic story of brothers A. and B. Strugatsky "A Billion Years Until the End of the World": in it, the hero named Valentin Weingarten, in addition to his own person, is more interested in "the so-called consular fifty dollars, which, in fact, is not even fifty dollars. was, but was some kind of special postage stamp. " To force Weingarten to stop working for the Nobel Prize in Biology, an agent of the fantastical Homeostatic Universe offered him "a fat bag ... stuffed with magnificent stamps, the combined value of which a person who is not a professional philatelist simply cannot imagine."
- the fantastic novel by B. Strugatsky "The Powerless of this World", in which there is a storyline associated with philately;
- the cryptohistorical work of the Volgograd science fiction writer Sergei Sinyakin “Marks of Our Destiny”, which develops the philatetic storyline of “The Twelve Chairs”;
- the story of Sofia Mogilevskaya "The Mark of the Country of Gondelupa" about a first grader in whose hands was the mark of an unknown pirate country;
- the fantastic novel by Kir Bulychev "Alice's Journey", which features galactic philatelists from the distant future;
- the adventure story "The Odyssey of Sidang's Marks" by Gabriel Petrosyan;
- children's story "Mini-football on Maroseyka" by Viktor Sukhanov;
- the book of children's stories "Pink Guiana" by Nikolai Vnukov;
- stories by the Estonian children's writer Holger Pukka (1920-1997) "Villa the philatelist".
In the visual arts
In the visual arts, the picture of the Russian Italian artist of Armenian origin GI Shiltyan "The Philatelist" gained fame. Another example of the artistic image of the philatelist is the painting Le Philateliste (1929) by the Swiss artist Francois Barrot.
In cinematography
In cinematography, philatelists have repeatedly become protagonists of films, as a rule, with criminal plots, for example:
- in the American detective film "Charade" (1963; with Audrey Hepburn),
- in the Hungarian motion picture "Fake Isabella" (1968),
- in the Soviet feature films "Death of a Philatelist" (1969), "Mark of the Country of Gondelupa" (1977, based on the story by S. Mogilevskaya), "Blue Lion" (1977, based on the story "Saint Mauritius" by V. Stepanov and Yu. F. Perov) and "Lawlessness" (1989),
- in one of the episodes of the Russian television series Streets of Broken Lanterns. New adventures of cops "-" Rarity "(1999),
- in the Argentine crime drama "Nine Queens" (2000),
- in the Russian film "Duels. Trial by Death ”(2010; about the Soviet spy-philatelist Alexei Kozlov).
see also
- Types of philatelic collections
- All-Union Society of Philatelists
- Collection (philately)
- Mancolist
- Union of Philatelists of Russia
- List of distinguished philatelists (award)
- Philatelic exhibition
- Philately
- wikt: philatelist
Notes (edit)
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ilyushin A.S. Philately. Megabook. Mega-encyclopedia of Cyril and Methodius. M .: Company "Cyril and Methodius". Retrieved October 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Kisin B.M. Country Philately. - M .: Education, 1969 .-- 240 p. (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- Shpagin M. Postal phenomenon / World of adventure: almanac. - M .: Children's literature, 1987 .-- S. 575-606.
- See, for example, the interpretation of English terms on the site "Dictionaries and Encyclopedias on Academician". (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- in particular, the journal of the British National Philatelic Society is called "Stamp Lover". (English) (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- Philatelist's calendar for 1973. - M .: Communication, 1972 .-- July 16-22.
- Hahn, Calvet M. Part II. The Beginning of Philately. Pioneer Collectors. Intertwining of Philatelic and Social History. The New York Chapter of the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society. Retrieved January 3, 2011. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012.
- Affectionate nickname for Marx's daughter.
- K. Marx and F. Engels. Works, ed. 2, v. 30, p. 283.
- Companion of the philatelist and bonist: Reference notebook-calendar for 1924-25. First year of publication. - M .: Ed. Commissioner for Philately and Bonds in the USSR, 1924. - 656 p.
- Mueller L. Yu. Philatelist. A guide to general collecting postage stamps. - L., 1925.
- Ozolin J. The Philatelist's Companion. - Riga: Latvian state. publishing house. - 1964 .-- 120 p.
- Stalbaum B.K. What a philatelist needs to know. - M .: CFA "Soyuzpechat", 1968. (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- Sokolov M.P., Niselevich L.M., Smyslov A.M. - M .: Svyaz, 1971. - 188 p. (See book cover photo. (Retrieved January 7, 2009))
- Sokolov M.P., Niselevich L.M.The philatelist's companion. - 2nd ed., Add. and revised / All-Union Society of Philatelists. - M .: Communication, 1974 .-- 241 p. (See photos of the book design:,. (Retrieved January 7, 2009))
- Sokolov M.P., Niselevich L.M. - M .: Communication, 1979 .-- 152 p.
- This, however, can only be learned from the full version of the novel, which is not very well known to a wide range of readers.
- Ilf I., Petrov E. Twelve chairs. - M .: Vagrius, 1998 .-- 544 p.
- Langer F. Pink Mercury. What the brands told about. - M .: Communication, 1969 .-- 224 p.
- The writer is known as a passionate philatelist.
- Sinyakin S. Stamps of our destiny // Collection "Fantasy-2000". - M .: Publishing house "AST", 2000.
- Mogilevskaya S.A. Mark of the country of Gondelupa. The story. - M .: Detgiz, 1958 .-- 192 p. (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
- Bulychev K. Travel of Alice. - M .: Armada-Press Bustard, 2001 .-- 240 p.
- Petrosyan G. Odyssey of Sidang's stamps. Story // World of Adventures: Sat. fantastic and adventure stories and stories. For middle and older age / Comp. M. Alexandrova. - M .: Children's literature, 1989. (Retrieved November 5, 2010)
- Sukhanov V. I. Mini-football on Maroseyka. Story // World of Adventures: Sat. fantastic and adventure stories and stories. For middle and older age / Comp. M. Alexandrova. - M .: Children's literature, 1989. (Retrieved November 5, 2010)
- Grandsons N.A.Rose Guiana. Stories. - Ed. 2nd. - M .: Children's literature, 1976 .-- 110 p. (Retrieved November 5, 2010)
- Pukk H. Villu is a philatelist. Stories / Per. with est. L. Rannamaa. - M .: Children's literature, 1980 .-- 158 p.
- Trivia (eng.). Charade (1963). IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
- Moraes, Frank. Just Philately. LMNucleus. Frankly Curious (27 August 2011). Retrieved 5 February 2015. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015.
- Fights. Death test. (Film 1). Program Guide. Mon, 13.12. Rambler-TV; Rambler.13 December 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2010. Archived from the original February 26, 2012.
- Fights. Death test. (Film 2). Program Guide. Tue, 14.12. Rambler-TV; Rambler (December 14, 2010). Retrieved December 15, 2010. Archived from the original February 26, 2012.
Literature
- Bugrov V. Fantasy and philately // Ural pathfinder: journal. - 1978. - No. 8. - S. 61-62.
- Dyachenko A. Philatelist, stamp, film frame // Russian Post. - 2006. - No. 5. (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- Ronen O. Stamps // Star. - 2008. - No. 3. (Retrieved January 14, 2009)
- Philatelic Dictionary / Comp. O. Ya. Basin. - M .: Communication, 1968 .-- 164 p. (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- All-Union Philatelists Society / A. A. Mil // Ulyanovsk - Frankfort. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1977. - (Great Soviet Encyclopedia: / Ch. Ed. A.M. Prokhorov; 1969-1978, vol. 27). (Retrieved October 4, 2015) Archived from the original on October 4, 2015.
Links
- "World of Philately" - an electronic book by V. A. Novoselov (Smolensk) on the website of the Union of Philatelists of Russia "World of m @ rock", including chapters (Retrieved January 7, 2009):
- "Famous philatelists"
- "Celebrities - philatelists"
- Definition of philatelist (eng.). Webster's Online Dictionary with Multilingual Thesaurus Translation. Www.websters-online-dictionary.org. Retrieved November 6, 2010. Archived from the original February 26, 2012.
- Official site of the International Federation of Philately (English) (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- Website of the Society of Philatelists of St. Petersburg (Retrieved January 7, 2009)
- Philatelist Tips at Linn's Stamp News (US) (Retrieved January 14, 2009):
- “Where to start if you’re just starting out” - Article by Michael Baadke
- “Storing stamps. Handle and store your collection with care "- article by Michael Baadke
- “New Year’s resolutions that help collectors enjoy the hobby” - article by Michael Baadke
- "Imposing order on chaos: processing large lots and collections" - article by Janet Klug
- “Stamp collecting basics: stock books, albums and mounts” - article by Janet Klug
- "Some stampy tips on how to be a good collection curator" - article by Janet Klug
Philately | ||
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The main concepts |
Carving · Postage sign: International Reply Coupon · Postage Stamp · Postage Block · Provisional · Frankotype · Classification · Collection · Coupon · Approval Sheet · Mancolist · Markophilia · Overprint · Omnibus Issue · Variety · Joint Issue · Special Cancellation · Special Postmark · Souvenir leaf · Philatelic exhibition · Philatelic geography · Philatelic mixture · Philatelic expertise · Philatelic dealer · Philatelic carte |
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Whole and whole things |
Maximum Card · Crash Mail · Envelope · First Day Cover · Original Stamped Envelope · Pre-stamped Postcard · Pre-Stamped Postcard · One-Sided Postcard with Original Stamp · Postcard · Last Day Letter · Postcard · Mailing List · Service Envelope · Shipping Address · Artistic marked envelope Whole item Whole item |
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Accessories |
Album for stamps · Jagger · Klemmtash · Stockbook · Magnifier · Vintage sticker · Tweezers |
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Related themes |
Stamps · Legendary brands · World stamps · Thematic philately · Non-postage stamps · Postmarks and cancellation · Catalogs and publications · Personalities · mail · Polygraphy · Organizations and companies · Philatelic and postal holidays |
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Collection types · Exhibitions · · Mail history · Literature · All articles on philately and mail · Project: Philately and mail |
Post and philately: personalities | |||||||
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Officials and reformers |
G. Archer R. Bandinelli N. Bezac G. Bishop E. Borel A. Vinius E. Garbani-Nerini W. Dokrey F. Klyucharyov L. Kosheer D. Palmer J.-J. Renoir de Vilaye da Silva G. von Stefan C. Treffenberg Thurn and Taxis J. Farley W. von Podbelsky R. Hill J. Chalmers F. Chuchin |
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Publishers and dealers |
O. Berger-Levrault The Zenf brothers S. Gibbons V. Zagorskiy N. Seebek U. Klein A. Morey J. Scott G. Stolov D. Feldman T. Champion H. Yuen |
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Popularizers |
B. Balashov V. Beckton A. Gdalin K. Lindenberg J. McKay F. Melville E. Pontes A. Potique S. Rossiter N. Slavinsky V. Solovyov T. Steinway A. Strygin M. Syuzumov U. Tower I. Chekhov J. Erpen |
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Falsifiers |
R. Blum P. Winter L.-A. Mercier B. Secula J. de Sperati Z. Friedl F. Fournier J. Fouret |
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On stamps |
Brezhnev Gagarin Gogol M. Jackson Lenin Medvedev Putin Stalin Chekhov |
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Outstanding |
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Painters |
Postage stamp artists Postcard artists from Russia and the USSR philatelist, philatelist lawlessness, philatelist ru, philatelist this, philatelists from v. tarnovo, philatelicism, philatelic forum, philatelists Philatelist Information AboutWho among us did not go to school with a little stockbook and exchange stamps with friends during recess? This is probably familiar to many. After all, a hobby that was fashionable in the past does not lose its popularity today. And now there are his supporters all over the world. These are philatelists. Philately is a hobby that teachesWith the introduction of the first postage stamp in England, a new field of hobby emerged. The name for this new type of collecting - philately - was invented by the French collector Georges Erpen in 1864. Objects of philatelic collecting include all postal materials and signs issued, printed or pasted at the time of delivery in connection with their acceptance and forwarding by the respective authorities of the individual postal enterprises. Almost immediately after the appearance of postage stamps, the first enthusiasts and devotees of a tiny strip of paper appeared. Philatelists are people thanks to whom unique letters with the first stamps have been preserved. Philately as a way of lifeCollecting postage stamps and interest in this hobby poses some requirements for collectors. Philatelic knowledge is not only knowledge of the price list or catalog, but also history, as well as mastering philatelic terminology. Philately is not only a pleasure, but also a great benefit for every collector. A postage stamp is an important educational and cultural factor from which you can learn to learn about life, history and changes taking place at home and in other countries. The artistically executed postage stamp is a kind of symbol of the country. Philatelists are unique people, in a sense they can be called the keepers of history. And their hobby is more than just collecting stamps. It's a way of life. To imbue the knowledge of what is painted on the postage signs, previously philatelists spent a lot of time in libraries and reading rooms, today they successfully work on the Internet: they are looking for information about the postage signs themselves and what is depicted on them. Yes, this activity is tedious, time-consuming, but extremely important, because this is how history is learned. What are collectiblesAbsolutely all postage signs are collected by philatelists. Stamps, postcards, forms, postage forms with dates, envelopes and postcards with a printed return address, telegrams, draft stamps, their samples and samples, postage stamps and stamps. Philately is a hobby of collecting almost everything related to the work of post offices. At the same time, collectors often encounter fakes. After all, modern printing methods make it possible to almost perfectly forge symbols and postage forms. With this in mind, philatelists have their own experts who study scientifically and issue certificates or guarantees of authenticity. Today, every self-respecting philatelist will not buy a stamp without a guarantee or a certificate. Interaction and knowledge sharingSuch collectors communicate closely with each other, exchange their exhibits. They regularly meet at meetings in philatelists' clubs, at retreats, seminars and exhibitions. Few people know that many events and events, such as sports, are accompanied by philatelic exhibitions. For example, there is a well-known exhibition organized on the occasion of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. After it, some collectors took away more "gold" than many athletes. Philatelists also present their exhibits at events organized on the occasion of the World and European Football Championships or athletics competitions. There is also mutual assistance between collectors. They know who is interested in who, who collects what in the philatelist's album - sometimes they will find something for themselves, share something with their comrades, and at other times they will advise where exactly to look for the “prey” of interest. Without a doubt, today in many homes, stock books filled with postage stamps are kept on shelves, as a kind of memory of childhood and youth, of the interests of our parents. It's time to air these collections and show them to the younger generation. Philately is not only a hobby, it is education. Each image placed on the stamp contains some kind of knowledge that inspires a deeper understanding of it. Vintage, collector Dictionary of Russian synonyms. philatelist noun, number of synonyms: 2 collector (16) ... Synonym dictionary - [te], philatelist, husband. Philately collector. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary - [te], ah, husband. A person who is engaged in philately. | wives philatelist, and. | adj. philatelic, oh, oh. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary philatelist- a, m. philatéliste m. Anyone who is engaged in philately. ALS 1. Several special editions maintain interest in auctions and collections of philatelists. Urusov Articles 2 55. We are like cutting and sewing courses, Philatelists and Philocartists. How ... ... Historical Dictionary of Russian Gallicisms philatelist- philatelist, philately. Pronounced [philatelist], [philately] ... Dictionary of pronunciation and stress difficulties in modern Russian Philately. New dictionary of foreign words. by EdwART, 2009. Philatelic philatelist The Big Dictionary of Foreign Words. Publishing house "IDDK", 2007 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language M. Anyone who is engaged in philately, is fond of collecting postage and revenue stamps, as well as other signs of postage. Efremova's Explanatory Dictionary. T.F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova Philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist, philatelist (Source: "Full accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak") ... Forms of words philatelist- philatel ist, and ... Russian spelling dictionary philatelist- (2 m); pl. philatel / stov, R. philatel / stov ... Spelling dictionary of the Russian language Books
The content of the article PHILATELY, a hobby of collecting stamps and learning about the history, functioning and use of mail. Philately fans regard it as both a science and a creative activity: a science because it involves the systematic study and classification of materials, and a creative activity because the principles of organizing and displaying a collection reflect the individual taste of the collector. It is not known exactly how many philatelists exist on Earth now. According to some estimates, there are from 6 to 8 million, according to others - 45 million; the specific figure depends on the assessment method. In any case, philately is one of the most popular types of collecting in almost all countries of the world. It is also a huge commercial area selling multi-million dollar merchandise every year. Philately also represents a major source of revenue for the governments of many countries. If, for example, until 1965 the US Post Office sold through its philatelic agency about $ 3.5 million annually, now collectors buy stamps annually through local post offices for many times greater amounts. ELEMENTS OF PHILATELYWhat philatelists collect. The first postage stamp was issued by the British government in 1840. The purpose of this stamp, popularly called "Penny Black" ("penny black"), was to serve as a convenient means of prepaid postage and postage accounting, defining further criteria for evaluating stamps issued. There are two types of ordinary postage stamps: 1) standard, used for a certain period of time and periodically reprinted as their stock becomes depleted; 2) commemorative, issued once to commemorate a date associated with any person, place or event, and automatically withdrawn from circulation after depletion from the original stock. Commemorative stamps are generally more attractive and varied in appearance, and are especially popular with collectors. In 1871, Peru issued a commemorative stamp dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the opening of the railway between Lima and the port city of Callao on the Pacific coast. The first commemorative stamp in the United States was a stamp issued in 1876 on the centenary of the founding of the United States Postal Service. No less interesting was the stamp issued in 1893 in honor of Christopher Columbus and the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. In Russia, postage stamps were introduced in 1858, the first commemoratives were issued at the beginning of the 19th century. The first Soviet stamp was issued in 1918, three years later, in 1921, the first Soviet commemorative stamps appeared. Common postage stamps were soon followed by a variety of stamps intended for special postage use. One of them, the registration stamp (first issued in Spain in 1850), indicated an additional payment for guaranteed delivery of the mail item and especially careful handling of it. Another similar type of stamp was the now common airmail stamp (first introduced by Italy in 1917); Airmail stamps are one of the most popular categories of collectible stamps. Less popular are the types of stamps that indicate prepaid services such as special treatment, special delivery and transport of parcels. In some countries there are special stamps for paying for the postage of newspapers. There are stamps called service stamps that are only used in the government postal system. Semi-postage stamps are stamps for which there is an additional charge, above and beyond the cost of postage; additional fees are charged for some special reason, such as charity. Debt postage stamps, which serve to compensate for incomplete prepayment of services, constitute another group. Despite such a variety of valid postage stamps, some philatelists also collect non-postage objects. Among them are revenue stamps, which are marks used for special financial purposes, for example, for financial transactions with guaranteed payment of taxes; telegraph stamps used to pay for telegraph services; charity aid signs. Some hobbyists even collect prints and tapes from postage calculating machines. All of these types of philatelic objects are collected in a variety of forms. After single stamps, the most common forms are blocks, sheets, booklets and envelopes with postage marks. COLLECTION METHODS.Regardless of the material that the philatelist collects and studies, he usually follows one of four basic plans. General... The general collecting method represents the first step in philately. Delighted with literally everything he sees, the enthusiast collects everything that looks like a postage stamp. For the first few decades after the release of Penny Black, philatelists were able to include almost all of the stamps issued at that time in their collections. As the number of produced stamps grew, which now exceeded 200,000, the formation of a complete collection had to be abandoned as an unrealistic goal. The general collection, containing stamps grouped by country and arranged in order of release date, has become just an indicative collection. For serious philatelists, general collecting is only a preparatory stage for stricter forms of collecting. Selective. The second collecting plan is selective, associated with a large number of restrictions set by the collector himself. On the basis of his own experience, he may conclude that he has an addiction to a certain type of brand or to brands of certain countries or groups of countries. Guided by this focus, the collector is able to create a collection that is more complete than just indicative. Favorite countries for this type of collecting are the United States of America, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, the Vatican and some African states, especially Ghana. Popular country groups include the British Commonwealth of Nations, the countries occupied by Japan during World War II, and the minor Germanic states prior to their unification. UN stamps are also a common collectible. Selected collections of special types of stamps are usually limited to the categories already mentioned, in particular airmail stamps and postage debt stamps.
Thematic... The fourth collectible plan is probably the newest. Thematic collecting is associated with the formation of a collection of materials selected and systematized according to a specific object, and not according to the country of issue or the type of postal service provided. The most popular themes for this type of collecting are religion, art, sports, rail transport, birds, flowers, cards, and animals. This type of collecting is conducive to the careful design of the collection. For example, a collector might try to compile a thematic collection of eminent biologists, including envelopes redeemed in the homeland of objects, and accompany it with stamps showing objects of biological research. BUYING BRANDS.Aspiring collectors can collect stamps from letters sent to them by acquaintances who travel abroad, or buy stamps through local post offices, philatelic agencies, or postal offices. In addition to informal purchases or exchanges among collectors, the best source of obtaining most stamps is from a specialist store. The philately trade is well established around the world, for example by traders represented by the American Stamp Association or (in the UK) the Society of Philately Dealers. Most of the significant philatelic objects, some of which rival the finest works of art, are sold at auctions. In Europe, the first philatelic auction took place in Paris in 1866. In 1991, there were already 244 philatelic auction companies operating in the world, most of them were located in Germany, Switzerland, England and the USA. Recently, you can take part in many auctions and in absentia, using the capabilities of the Internet. CATALOGS.One of the most remarkable achievements of philately was the compilation of catalogs including all stamps ever issued. Few hobbies can boast of such literature. From the simple brochures of the 1860s to today's voluminous editions of 2,500 or more pages, catalogs have always been and remain the main guide for philatelists. Catalogs provide collectors with essential identifying information and relative valuations of items. Most of the catalogs also contain historical and other information. British philatelists prefer to use Stanley Gibbons' catalog due to its reasonable price and detailed list of stamps. First published as a 16-page pamphlet in 1865, this general catalog is now available in three large volumes. In the US, the first and still most popular is Scott's catalog. First published in 1867, it is still produced today by a special department of a large magazine publishing firm. The numbering system developed for Scott's catalog is accepted as standard for virtually all American philatelic literature and commerce. The second and newer catalog using a different numbering system is Minkus New World-Wide. First released in 1954, it has gained significant popularity thanks to its extensive commentary on the decoration and history of stamps. In continental Europe, the Swiss Zumstein catalog, the German Michel and the French Yvert are the most respected. Most publishers also compile specialized catalogs for individual countries or groups of countries, which in this respect are more detailed than general catalogs. OTHER LITERATURE.The first stamp magazine, The Monthly Advertiser, appeared in England between 1862 and 1864. The first American magazine, The Stamp Collectors Review, was first published in 1864. American Philatelic Magazine ( The American Journal of Philately) (1968) was the first serious publication at the level of science journalism. Contemporary British publications include the popular Stamp Lover and the scholarly London Philatelist, an organ of the Royal Philatelic Society. In the United States, its counterpart is the Collectors Club Philatelist, published by the New York Collectors' Club. American Philatelist, the journal of the American Philatelic Society, has been published without interruption since 1887. ALBUMS.Albums for storing stamps were first published by Justin Lallier in Paris in 1862. In principle, they differed little from those that are used now. The printed album contains pages with printed country names and stamps in the correct order. Illustrative edition illustrations are purposefully positioned throughout the book to provide a basis for organizing stamp placement. The quality of print albums ranges from inexpensive paperback editions for teenagers to “worldwide” albums that can hold 100,000 stamps and serial albums of 30 or more books covering almost all major series. Envelopes and stationery are more difficult to store than adhesive stamps, but they can be placed in albums containing transparent collectibles; they can also be attached to pages with paper strips and photo corners. The blank scrapbook is the vehicle that philatelists use to transform stamp collecting from simple collecting to art. An album is usually a flip-flop book that is completely blank or contains barely printed corners to facilitate placement of stamps. Working with a clean album, the collector can organize the arrangement of stamps and make inscriptions and decorations to his liking. The collector strives to arrange his material in such a way that he, as it were, tells a story. Almost all exhibits in competitive screenings are placed on blank album pages. HANDLING OF BRANDS.Although stamps are only vulnerable pieces of paper, if handled carefully, they can last for centuries. The most important tool for a stamp collector is a pair of tweezers specially made for working with stamps. New acquisitions and duplicates are stored in storage albums with transparent pockets into which stamps are inserted. Stamps must be protected from direct sunlight, high temperature and humidity. In no case should they be glued with adhesive tape or non-specialized glue. If they are attached with strips of paper, a minimum amount of moisture must be used to secure them firmly. If they fit in a transparent pocket, then it must be large enough so that the edges of the stamp are not damaged and that there is nothing to obstruct the entry of air to prevent the adhesive from sticking. THE APPEARANCE OF PHILATELIAFirst brands... Although postal systems already existed during the time of the Babylonian Empire, postal historians considered it a great success when they found postage items related to the 14th century, postage stamps and philately - innovations of the 19th century. In England, the educator Rowland Hill laid the foundations for both of these subjects in 1837 with the publication of a pamphlet entitled Postal service reform: its implications and feasibility... The key points of Hill's program were prepayment of postage and the constancy of domestic tariffs for the weight of correspondence, regardless of the distance it was sent. Previously, postage was determined by the distance a letter was sent and the number of sheets of paper enclosed in an envelope. Hill has shown convincingly that it is the complexity of mail handling, not the distance it can be sent, that accounts for much of the cost of postage. He also concluded that when tariffs are reduced to more acceptable levels, the volume of correspondence will increase, which will offset the cost of shipping. To facilitate processing, he devised a prepayment system to replace the previous rule that the addressee paid for postage. Hill proposed two innovations: first, a form of prepaid envelope and, second, an adhesive postage stamp. The first, called the Mulready envelope (after its graphic designer William Mulready), fell out of use very quickly due to its appearance, which caused much controversy among contemporaries. The second, the austere black stamp depicting the young Queen Victoria, was enthusiastically received from its first day on May 1, 1840, and its first day of use, May 2, 1840. In the United States, the first two stamps, a 5-cent depicting Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent George Washington stamp, were issued on July 1, 1847. The first years of philately... People living in Europe in the 1840s soon began to pay attention to stamps, which improved the previously monotonous appearance of their letters. Already in 1842, according to Punch magazine, "extremely idle English aristocrats" began to collect stamps to paste over the walls of their rooms. Collecting stamps for strictly philatelic purposes came into vogue about ten years later. Miss Adelaide Lucy Fenton wrote notes on stamps for the first philatelic editions under a pseudonym. Classic stamps... Many of the most famous and valuable stamps were issued between 1840 and 1875. Some of the earliest such classics were trial temporary stamps issued in the United States by the enterprising postmasters of the country's eastern cities and St. Louis before the federal government took care of issuing its own stamps. in 1847. Also in 1847, the British colony on Mauritius in the Indian Ocean issued a set of two stamps depicting the profile of Queen Victoria and the words "Post Office" instead of "Post Paid" on all subsequent releases. In 1969, a pair of Post Office stamps, along with an envelope, sold for $ 380,000. Another famous British colonial issue is the 1848 stamp bearing the Bermuda Perot inscription. William B. Perot, Postmaster of the City of Hamilton, printed a round postmark stamp on sheets of paper and handwritten the value. Also round were the stamps of British Guiana, issued in 1850 and entered into force after the postmaster inscribed their initials on them. This colony also issued 1 cent red stamps in 1856; the only copy of those stamps has survived. It is spoiled by cut corners and an ugly lettering, but it is considered the most valuable brand in the world. In 1980 it was sold at auction for $ 935,000. After the establishment of the Confederate States of America, various cities in the south of the country issued so-called temporary stamps. Many of them look very unsightly, but are highly prized these days. Despite the novelty of the stamp-making craft, the mistakes of the classical period are not as numerous as one might expect. Among the best known are the 15, 24, and 30 cent inverted copies of the 1869 American painting edition. In Sweden, some copies of the first state stamp, 1855, worth 3 era, were accidentally printed in yellow instead of bluish green. This error is one of modern philatelic rarities. FAMOUS COLLECTORS AND COLLECTIONS.Classics and other valuable brands are often featured prominently in famous collections. Probably one of the most magnificent was the collection of Philippe la Renotiere von Ferrari, an Austro-Italian aristocrat with seemingly limitless financial possibilities. Ferrari was born in 1848 and began collecting stamps at the age of 10. He hired a special man to run the collection, who sometimes bought stamps worth $ 10,000 a week, and kept the collection in two rooms of his large Parisian mansion. Among its treasures was a unique 1 cent red British Guiana stamp. Ferrari died in 1917 and bequeathed his collection to the Reichspost Museum in Berlin. The French government confiscated this collection and sold it at a series of auctions between 1921 and 1925 for an unimaginable $ 2 million by the standards of the day. Ferrari's achievements were contested in the mid-20th century. Maurice Bury, a tobacco grower from Alsace. The Bury collection is believed to be worth $ 5 million. In the United States, textile manufacturer Arthur Hind put together a collection that sold for nearly $ 1 million during the Great Depression. It also included a one-cent red British Guiana stamp, which was subsequently sold to a hitherto unknown collector for more than $ 45,000. Colonel Edward H.R. Green, son of the extraordinarily wealthy Getty Green, focused on exotic objects such as 24- upside-down 1918 US airmail cents, now selling for approximately $ 7,500 apiece. Collected by Alfred G. Caspari, an unsystematic collection of stamps from around the world was sold for almost $ 3 million in the late 1950s.
MODERN PHILATELIUMThe activities of these well-known collectors in print had little impact on the disposition of the ordinary collector. Modern philately is not guided by the collection of extremely rare and expensive stamps. The interests of the modern collector are primarily directed towards moderately priced stamps that are available through the usual retail network and information media, the ever-growing volume of new stamp issues, which first attract him to this type of hobby, and then often lead to the abandonment of the general method of collecting. Some philatelists, of course, promote stamp collection as an investment. They cite previous increases in their value and predict similar increases in the future for those collectors who are able to intensively buy stamps, and then wait for the right moment to sell them. The value of stamps did rise, but the actual auction prices for some of the popular classic stamps fell short of the expectations of those who tend to equate philatelic rarities with money. The age of a brand does not by itself create its value. The ever-changing popularity of certain countries or editions, the condition of the brands, and the harsh laws of supply and demand are more important indicators. Nevertheless, a true collector who remains faithful to his hobby for twenty or more years and systematically replenishes the collection rarely experiences financial losses when summing up the final assessment and often wins. Interest in philately as a means of investing money is increasingly accompanied by attention to the cultural side of this hobby. A postage stamp as a work of art is a collector's item of study and a government concern. Posts in many countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, form public expert groups to select aesthetically flawless stamps. These groups are made up of artists, historians, printers and philatelists. The history of mail is now recognized as a section of the history of communications and even general history. By analyzing envelopes and postage stamps, the philatelist studies subjects such as the functioning of the urgent horse mail in the American West and the transport of letters during the Civil War. Museum expositions are also of great interest. There are excellent philatelic collections at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the Royal Philatelic Society in London, as well as dozens of other cities. A. Chekhov, A. Blok and M. Gorky, academicians I. Bardin and I. Pavlov, commander of the Varyag cruiser V. F. Rudnev, US President F. Roosevelt, singer E. Caruso and many others. K. Marx and F. Engels were also interested in postage stamps; Marx's daughter Eleanor was a keen philatelist:
The second famous philatelist in the largest collection was the Englishman Thomas Tapling (1855-), the third - the Russian collector F.L.Breitfuss (-), who lived in St. Petersburg. Another outstanding Russian philatelist was A.K. Faberge, who owned a unique collection of stamps and solid things of the Russian Empire. Famous philatelic collections were made by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, Prince Rainier III of Monaco and other famous people. From time to time, parts of their collections are exhibited in the Honorary Class at the world philatelic exhibitions organized by the International Federation of Philately, which have been held since 1927. Of the Russian philatelists, the most titled at these exhibitions is the Moscow collector L. Ya. Melnikov; his collection "Airmail of the USSR" was repeatedly awarded large gold medals of world philatelic exhibitions. Philatelic accessoriesIn the process of creating and working with their collections, collectors operate with a special set of philatelic accessories and tools. Philatelic literatureIn the process of accumulating and systematizing the collection material and designing the collection, philatelists resort to the help of catalogs and other reference and periodical literature. Examples of the latter include the following Soviet publications: Philatelists in cultureIn literatureImages of philatelists are widespread in fiction. Among the numerous literary works in which there are philatelic characters, one can mention:
In the visual artsIn cinematographyIn cinematography, philatelists have repeatedly become protagonists of films, as a rule, with criminal plots, for example: Heads of Countries | ||||||
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Excerpt from Philatelist
"N" est ce pas? [Isn't that so?] - said the princess, sighing. - So can he drink?Lorrain considered.
- Did he take the medicine?
- Yes.
The doctor looked at the Breguet.
- Take a glass of boiled water and put une pincee (he showed with his thin fingers what une pincee means) de cremortartari ... [a pinch of cremortartar ...]
“Don't drink, listen,” the German doctor said to the aide-de-camp, “that the shiv remained with the third blow.
- And what a fresh man he was! - said the adjutant. - And who will this wealth go to? He added in a whisper.
“There will be an okotnik,” the German answered, smiling.
All again looked at the door: it creaked, and the second princess, having made the drink shown by Lorrain, carried it to the patient. The German doctor went up to Lorrain.
- Still, maybe it will reach tomorrow morning? Asked the German, speaking badly in French.
Lorrain pursed his lips and waved his finger sternly and negatively in front of his nose.
“Tonight, not later,” he said quietly, with a decent smile of self-satisfaction that he clearly knows how to understand and express the patient’s position, and walked away.
Meanwhile, Prince Vasily opened the door to the princess's room.
The room was half dark; only two lamps burned in front of the images, and they smelled good of incense and flowers. The whole room was installed with small furniture, wardrobes, cupboards, tables. Behind the screens were the white bedspreads of the high down bed. The dog barked.
"Oh, is that you, mon cousin?"
She got up and straightened her hair, which always, even now, was so unusually smooth, as if it had been made from one piece with the head and varnished.
- What, something happened? She asked. “I’m already so scared.
- Nothing, everything is the same; I just came to talk to you, Katish, about the matter, ”said the prince, wearily sitting down on the chair from which she had risen. - How hot you are, however, - he said, - well, sit down here, causons. [let's talk.]
- I thought, hadn’t something happened? - said the princess, and with her unchanging, stone-stern expression on her face, she sat down opposite the prince, preparing to listen.
“I wanted to sleep, mon cousin, but I can't.
- Well, what, my dear? - said Prince Vasily, taking the princess's hand and bending it down, according to his habit.
It was evident that this "well, that" referred to many things that, without naming, they both understood.
The princess, with her incongruously long legs, dry and straight waist, looked straight and dispassionately at the prince with bulging gray eyes. She shook her head and looked at the images with a sigh. Her gesture could be explained both as an expression of sadness and devotion, and as an expression of fatigue and hope for a speedy rest. Prince Vasily explained this gesture as an expression of weariness.
- And then, - he said, - do you think it is easier? Je suis ereinte, comme un cheval de poste; [I'm worn out like a mail horse;] but all the same, I need to talk to you, Katish, and very seriously.
Prince Vasily fell silent, and his cheeks began to twitch nervously to one side or the other, giving his face an unpleasant expression that was never shown on the face of Prince Vasily when he was in the drawing rooms. His eyes, too, were not the same as always: they looked insolently jokingly, then they looked around in fright.
The princess, holding the dog on her knees with her dry, thin hands, looked attentively into the eyes of Prince Vasily; but it was evident that she would not break the silence with a question, even if she had to remain silent until morning.
“You see, my dear princess and cousin, Katerina Semyonovna,” continued Prince Vasily, apparently, not without an inner struggle, starting to continue his speech, “at such moments as now, you need to think about everything. We need to think about the future, about you ... I love you all as my children, you know that.
The princess gazed at him with the same dullness and motionlessness.
“Finally, we need to think about my family,” Prince Vasily continued angrily pushing the table away from him and not looking at her, “you know, Katish, that you, three Mamontov sisters, and my wife, are the direct heirs of the count. I know, I know how hard it is for you to talk and think about such things. And it’s not easier for me; but, my friend, I'm in my sixties, I have to be ready for anything. Do you know that I sent for Pierre, and that the count, pointing directly to his portrait, demanded him to come to him?
Prince Vasily looked inquiringly at the princess, but could not understand whether she was thinking what he had told her, or simply looking at him ...
- I never cease to pray to God for one thing, mon cousin, - she answered, - that he would have mercy on him and let his beautiful soul leave this ...
- Yes, that is so, - Prince Vasily continued impatiently, rubbing his bald head and again angrily pulling the table that was pulled back to him, - but finally ... finally the point is, you yourself know that last winter the count wrote a will, according to which he had the entire estate , in addition to direct heirs and us, he gave to Pierre.
- You never know he wrote wills! - said the princess calmly. - But he could not bequeathed to Pierre. Pierre is illegal.
“Ma chere,” Prince Vasily said suddenly, pressing the table to him, perking up and starting to speak quickly, “but what if the letter was written to the emperor, and the count asks to adopt Pierre? You see, according to the count's merits, his request will be respected ...
The princess smiled, as do people who think that they know the business more than those with whom they are talking.
“I’ll tell you more,” Prince Vasily continued, grabbing her hand, “the letter was written, although it was not sent, and the emperor knew about it. The only question is whether it was destroyed or not. If not, then how soon everything will end - Prince Vasily sighed, making it clear that he meant everything would end by words - and the count's papers will be opened, the will with the letter will be handed over to the emperor, and his request will probably be respected. Pierre, as a legitimate son, will receive everything.
- And our part? - asked the princess, smiling ironically, as if everything, but not this, could happen.
- Mais, ma pauvre Catiche, c "est clair, comme le jour. [But, my dear Katish, this is as clear as day.] Then he is the only legitimate heir to everything, and you will not get any of this. You should know, my dear, were the will and the letter written, and were they destroyed. And if for some reason they are forgotten, then you must know where they are and find them, because ...
- It was just lacking! - the princess interrupted him, smiling sardonically and without changing the expression of her eyes. - I am a woman; according to you we are all stupid; but I know so well that an illegitimate son cannot inherit ... Un batard, [Illegal,] - she added, believing with this translation to finally show the prince his groundlessness.
- How do you not understand, finally, Katish! You are so smart: how do you not understand - if the count wrote a letter to the emperor, in which he asks him to recognize his son as legitimate, therefore, Pierre will not be Pierre, but Count Bezukhoi, and then he will receive everything according to his will? And if the will and the letter are not destroyed, then you, except for the consolation that you were virtuous et tout ce qui s "en suit, [and everything that follows from this] will have nothing left. This is true.
- I know that the will has been written; but I also know that it is not valid, and you seem to regard me as a complete fool, mon cousin, ”said the princess with the expression with which women speak, believing that they have said something witty and insulting.
“My dear Princess Katerina Semyonovna,” Prince Vasily began impatiently. - I came to you not to dive with you, but to talk about your interests as with a dear, good, kind, true dear. I tell you for the tenth time that if the letter to the sovereign and the will in favor of Pierre is in the count's papers, then you, my dear, and your sisters, are not the heiress. If you don’t believe me, then believe people who know: I just spoke with Dmitry Onufriich (he was a lawyer at home), he said the same.
Apparently, something suddenly changed in the princess's thoughts; her thin lips turned pale (her eyes remained the same), and her voice, as she spoke, burst out in such rumblings as she apparently did not expect herself.
“That would be nice,” she said. - I didn’t want anything and I don’t want anything.
She kicked her dog off her knees and straightened the folds of her dress.
“Here is gratitude, here is gratitude to the people who sacrificed everything for him,” she said. - Wonderful! Very good! I don't need anything, prince.
- Yes, but you are not alone, you have sisters, - answered Prince Vasily.
But the princess did not listen to him.
- Yes, I knew this for a long time, but I forgot that, apart from baseness, deception, envy, intrigue, except ingratitude, the blackest ingratitude, I could not expect anything in this house ...
- Do you know or do not know where this will? Prince Vasily asked with even more twitching of his cheeks than before.
- Yes, I was stupid, I still believed in people and loved them and sacrificed myself. And only those who are mean and disgusting succeed. I know whose intrigue it is.
The princess wanted to get up, but the prince held her hand. The princess looked like a man who was suddenly disillusioned with the whole human race; she glared at her interlocutor.
“There’s still time, my friend. Do you remember, Katish, that all this happened by accident, in a moment of anger, illness, and then forgotten. It is our duty, my dear, to correct his mistake, to facilitate his last moments in order to prevent him from doing this injustice, not to let him die thinking that he made those people unhappy ...
“Those people who sacrificed everything for him,” the princess picked up, trying to get up again, but the prince did not let her in, “which he never knew how to appreciate. No, mon cousin, ”she added with a sigh,“ I will remember that in this world one cannot expect a reward, that in this world there is neither honor nor justice. One must be cunning and evil in this world.
- Well, voyons, [listen,] calm down; I know your beautiful heart.
- No, I have an evil heart.
“I know your heart,” the prince repeated, “I appreciate your friendship and would like you to have the same opinion of me. Calm down and parlons raison, [let's talk really,] while there is time - maybe a day, maybe an hour; tell me everything you know about the will, and most importantly where it is: you must know. We will now take it and show it to the Count. He probably forgot about him and wants to destroy him. You understand that my only desire is to sacredly fulfill his will; then I just came here. I'm only here to help him and you.
- Now I understand everything. I know whose intrigue it is. I know, - said the princess.
“That’s not the point, my soul.
- This is your protegee, [darling,] your dear Princess Drubetskaya, Anna Mikhailovna, whom I would not wish to have as a maid, this vile, disgusting woman.
- Ne perdons point de temps. [Let's not waste time.]
- Ax, don't say! Last winter she rubbed herself in here and said such nasty things, such nasty things to the count on all of us, especially Sophie — I can't repeat — that the count became ill and did not want to see us for two weeks. At this time, I know that he wrote this disgusting, disgusting paper; but I thought this paper meant nothing.
- Nous u voila, [This is the point.] Why didn't you tell me anything before?
“In the mosaic briefcase he keeps under his pillow. Now I know, - said the princess without answering. “Yes, if there is a sin behind me, a great sin, then it’s hatred of this scum,” the princess almost shouted, completely changed. - And why is she rubbing herself in here? But I'll tell her everything, everything. The time will come!
While such conversations were taking place in the reception room and in the princess's rooms, the carriage with Pierre (for whom it was sent) and with Anna Mikhailovna (who found it necessary to go with him) drove into the courtyard of Count Bezukhoi. When the wheels of the carriage softly sounded on the straw laid under the windows, Anna Mikhailovna, turning to her companion with comforting words, made sure that he was sleeping in the corner of the carriage, and woke him up. Waking up, Pierre followed Anna Mikhailovna out of the carriage and then only thought of the meeting with his dying father that awaited him. He noticed that they had arrived not at the front door, but at the back entrance. While he was stepping off the step, two men in bourgeois clothes hurriedly ran away from the entrance to the shadow of the wall. Pausing, Pierre saw in the shadow of the house on both sides several more people of the same kind. But neither Anna Mikhailovna, nor the footman, nor the coachman, who could not help seeing these people, paid attention to them. Therefore, this is so necessary, Pierre decided with himself, and followed Anna Mikhailovna. Anna Mikhailovna hurried up the dimly lit narrow stone staircase, beckoning Pierre who was behind her, who, although he did not understand why he had to go to the count at all, and even less why he had to go up the back staircase, but judging by Anna Mikhailovna's confidence and haste, he decided to himself that it was necessary. Halfway down the stairs, they were nearly knocked off their feet by some people with buckets, who, with their boots knocking, ran to meet them. These people pressed against the wall to let Pierre and Anna Mikhailovna pass, and did not show the slightest surprise at the sight of them.
- Are half princesses here? - Anna Mikhailovna asked one of them ...
“Here,” the footman answered in a bold, loud voice, as if now everything was possible, “the door is to the left, mother.
“Maybe the count didn’t call me,” said Pierre as he walked out onto the platform, “I would have gone to my place.
Anna Mikhailovna stopped to catch up with Pierre.
- Ah, mon ami! - she said with the same gesture as with her son in the morning, touching his hand: - croyez, que je souffre autant, que vous, mais soyez homme. [Believe me, I suffer as much as you do, but be a man.]
- Right, I'll go? - asked Pierre, affectionately looking through his glasses at Anna Mikhailovna.
- Ah, mon ami, oubliez les torts qu "on a pu avoir envers vous, pensez que c" est votre pere ... peut etre al "agonie. - She sighed. - Je vous ai tout de suite aime comme mon fils. Fiez vous a moi, Pierre. Je n "oublirai pas vos interets. [Forget, my friend, what was wrong against you. Remember that this is your father ... Maybe in agony. I immediately fell in love with you as a son. Trust me, Pierre. I will not forget your interests.]
Pierre understood nothing; again it seemed to him even more strongly that all this should be so, and he obediently followed Anna Mikhailovna, who had already opened the door.
The door opened into the forward reverse. In the corner sat an old servant of the princes, knitting a stocking. Pierre had never been in this half, had never even imagined the existence of such chambers. Anna Mikhailovna asked the girl who was overtaking them with a decanter on a tray (calling her sweet and dear) about the health of the princesses and drew Pierre further along the stone corridor. From the corridor, the first door to the left led into the living rooms of the princesses. The maid, with a decanter, in a hurry (as everything was done in a hurry at this moment in this house) did not close the doors, and Pierre and Anna Mikhailovna, passing by, involuntarily glanced into the room where, talking, the elder princess sat close to each other with Prince Vasily. Seeing the passers-by, Prince Vasily made an impatient movement and leaned back; The princess jumped up and, with a desperate gesture, slammed the door with all her might, closing it.
This gesture was so unlike the princess's usual calmness, the fear expressed on the face of Prince Vasily was so unusual for his importance that Pierre, stopping inquiringly through his glasses, looked at his leader.
Anna Mikhailovna did not express surprise, she only smiled slightly and sighed, as if showing that she had expected all this.
- Soyez homme, mon ami, c "est moi qui veillerai a vos interets, [Be a man, my friend, I will look after your interests.] - she said in response to his glance and walked even faster down the corridor.
Pierre did not understand what the matter was, and even less what it meant veiller a vos interets, [to look after your interests,] but he understood that all this should be so. They went through the corridor into a semi-lighted room adjoining the count's reception room. It was one of those cold and luxurious rooms that Pierre knew from the front porch. But even in this room, in the middle, there was an empty bathtub and water was spilled over the carpet. A servant and a clerk with a censer came out to meet them on tiptoe, not paying attention to them. They entered the reception room, familiar to Pierre, with two Italian windows, access to the winter garden, with a large bust and full-length portrait of Catherine. All the same people, in almost the same positions, sat whispering in the waiting room. They all fell silent and looked back at Anna Mikhailovna, who had come in, with her tear-stained, pale face, and at the fat, big Pierre, who, bowing his head, obediently followed her.
Anna Mikhailovna's face expressed the realization that the decisive moment had arrived; she, with the receptions of a Petersburg lady, entered the room, not letting go of Pierre, even bolder than in the morning. She felt that since she was leading the one whom the dying wished to see, her reception was assured. Quickly looking around everyone in the room, and noticing the count's confessor, she, not only bending down, but suddenly becoming smaller, swam up to the confessor with a small amble and respectfully accepted the blessing of one, then another clergyman.
“Thank God that we had time,” she said to the clergyman, “we all, relatives, were so afraid. This young man is the son of a count, ”she added more quietly. - Awful minute!
Having said these words, she went to the doctor.
“Cher docteur,” she said to him, “ce jeune homme est le fils du comte ... y a t il de l" espoir? [This young man is the son of a count ... Is there any hope?]
The doctor silently, with a quick movement, raised his eyes and shoulders. Anna Mikhailovna lifted her shoulders and eyes in exactly the same movement, almost closing them, sighed and walked away from the doctor to Pierre. She addressed Pierre with a particularly respectful and gentle sadness.
- Ayez confiance en Sa misericorde, [Trust His mercy,] - she said to him, showing him a sofa to sit down to wait for her, she herself silently went to the door, at which everyone was looking, and after the barely audible sound of this door disappeared behind her.
Pierre, having decided to obey his leader in everything, went to the sofa, which she had indicated to him. As soon as Anna Mikhailovna disappeared, he noticed that the gazes of everyone in the room, more than curiosity and sympathy, were directed at him. He noticed that everyone was whispering, pointing at him with their eyes, as if with fear and even with servility. He was shown respect that had never been shown before: a lady unknown to him, who spoke to the clergy, got up from her seat and invited him to sit down, the adjutant picked up the glove dropped by Pierre and handed it to him; the doctors were respectfully silent as he passed them, and stepped aside to make room for him. Pierre wanted to first sit down in another seat so as not to embarrass the lady; he wanted to lift his glove himself and bypass the doctors, who did not even stand on the road; but he suddenly felt that it would be indecent, he felt that this night he was a person who was obliged to perform some terrible and expected rite, and that therefore he had to accept services from everyone. He silently accepted the glove from the adjutant, sat down in the lady's place, putting his large hands on symmetrically exposed knees, in the naive pose of an Egyptian statue, and decided to himself that all this should be so, and that he should not to get lost and not do stupid things, one should not act according to one's own considerations, but one must leave oneself completely to the will of those who led him.