History of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan post has a long historic tradition.  According to information from Tsarist Russia postal and telegraphy archives, the first postal station in Verny, present Almaty was established in 1860.  Later, the station was transformed into a postal and telegraphic office.  In 1883, it had 14 postal branches and bureaus.  Later, more postal stations and offices were set up:  Postal Station in Perovsk Town (River Syrdariya), which particular station reported to the Syrdarya Oblast Postal Office in Tashkent, Naryn-Perskovsk Postal Station of the Rostov Telegraph Precinct at Station Ryn-Pesky (Khan’s Headquarters), Uralsk Province Postal and Telegraphic Office, and Petropavlovsk Parish Postal Station.

There were only 250 postal and telegraphic offices, stations and bureaus in the vast territory of pre-Revolution Kazakhstan and those organizations delivered services to colonial administration officials, gendarmerie and local elite.  With some rare exceptions, there was no post outside big communities.  For postal authorities to choose to set up their offices and stations in rural areas, local dwellers would have to commit to maintain postal traffic themselves, on free of charge basis and for the period of three years, as well as provide housing for postal offices, procure all necessary equipment and, rather often – pay salaries to postal operators.

To make postal communication cheaper, postal authority established ancillary service stations under Mounted Post Stations and Parish Administration Offices, in which bodies the administration of postal activity was assigned to Parish Superintendents and Record Clerks. The total length of such Mounted Postal Tracts was some 20,000 kilometers.

First World War undermined the economy of the Russian Empire, and the subsequent Revolution, Civil War and Intervention put into full retro-gradation. Postal correspondence ceased to operate accordingly. Elimination of local self-rule bodies resulted in reduction of postal tract traffic, because postal stations lost horses.

After Civil War, Soviet regime took a series of actions regarding the withdrawal of postal industry from total depression and put it in operation for support of the needs of population and popular economy.  In the lights of such approach, Soviet regime established the free of charge forwarding of regular letters (weight below 15 grams) and subscription and retail press marketing, as well as liberated all postal and telegraphic enterprises from mobilization of horses and personnel for needs of war and revolution

In early 20-s of the XX century, The Orenburg Kyrgyz War Committee Postal and Telegraphic Administration was transformed into Kyrgyz Postal and Telegraphic District, which district was  transformed into Kazakh Territorial Communication Administration of the Popular Commissariat of Post and Telegraph of USSR in 1925. Same year, and for the first time in the history of post, Soviet postal authorities introduced the function of Rural Postman and the closed-circle Mounted Postal traffic for delivery of mail and postal items to remote rural communities.  In urban communities, postal transportation was motorized.  Besides, postal administration bought mail scooters and railroad means. In 1929, the first Kazakh aviation mail line was set up, connecting Almaty and Tashkent. Be the beginning of 1930, Kazakhstan had 1,250 postal and telegraphic enterprises and the length of postal tracts totaled 42 thousand kilometers.

In 1932, Popular Commissariat of Posts and Telegraphs under the Council of People’s Commissars of Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was renamed into Popular Commissariat of Communication. In 1940, there were  1,987 postal enterprises in Kazakhstan and more than 20 thousand kilometers of postal tracts were mechanized.

Great Patriotic War required from post regular and reliable post delivery between frontlines and back-front. Special challenges were due to the fact that many qualified telecom operators were drafted to war.

In March 1946, the Commissioner of the Popular Commissariat of Communication of USSR under Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic Council of People’s Commissars was renamed into Commissioner of the USST Ministry of Communication under the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.  In 1950, there were 2,438 postal enterprises in Kazakhstan, including 2,038 in  the rural areas.

On 25 December 1954m the Administration of Commissioner of the USSR Ministry of Communication was transformed into the Ministry of Communication of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Postal and electric means of communication were united into one industry called Communication, which industry was delegated under the jurisdiction of the new Ministry.  There were 4,000 postal enterprises operating in Kazakhstan in the middle 60-s of the XX Century.  They delivered the full spectrum of postal services to population.  During that period, the national post was profitable and all revenues were invested into development of electric communication.  The main part of incomes was raised from delivery of pensions and telephone and telegraph services. Following acquisition of the national independence, a sharp and a drastic alteration happened in the industry. Post, likewise all industries faced certain problems, for liberalization of prices taking place in line with fundamental changes in the country economy and collapse of evolutionarily developed system of postal communication of the former USSR. It resulted in reduced number of postal shipments and closure of many postal offices and stations all over Republic.

History of Postal Stamps, Some Facts

First Russian postal stamp that cost 10 Kopeks was released for letters with the weight of 1 lot in December 1857. The stamp did not have tangs and it would take to use scissors to detach it from host paper.

 In the beginning, stamps were cancelled by means of crossing, and later round calendar puncheons were introduced in practice.  In 1858, the second release of stamps took place.  Those stamps were with tangs.

First Soviet stamps were issued in 1918.  The second issuance was in 1921.

In addition to their designation – payment for correspondence delivery, postal marks are pieces of art of small form.