RIX Riga Airport 50th anniversary stamp

"While creating the design of the Riga Airport anniversary stamp, it was important for me to find and capture the iconic features of the airport building with a picturesque lightness. During the process, I was looking for the ideal turns, fragments and compositions to capture the spirit of the building from different angles in this small-scale artwork — both the façade that we see when we arrive at the airport and the aerodrome side of the building that greets and accompanies travellers. I wanted to create visual images that had both a special nostalgic and design value," says artist Ritums Ivanovs.

"In 50 years, Riga Airport has grown from a small local airport in the 1970s to the largest airport in the Baltics and a modern hub for international traffic. The airport is also currently undergoing major changes, and in a few years' time the building will no longer look as we have known it so far - the passenger terminal will be expanded, which will allow Riga Airport to operate at an even higher capacity. That is the reason why we wanted to immortalise the iconic building in this stamp, symbolically saying goodbye to its familiar silhouette," says Laila Odiņa, Chairperson of the Board of RIX Riga Airport.

"International parcel delivery has been the basis for successful cooperation between Latvijas Pasts and Riga Airport for many years. We have a lot in common - a logistics industry, customer-oriented services and a clear development path, which intersects in the air if not on the ground. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the airport, we are honoured to reveal its uniqueness to the whole world in a special way - in a message on a stamp. A stamp is not just a way to pay for parcels, it is a story about our values and traditions, about our country's identity and openness. Riga Airport, like every stamp, is a runway for Latvia in the world and the world in Latvia," said Andris Puriņš, Acting Chairperson of the Board of Latvijas Pasts, congratulating Riga Airport on its 50th anniversary.

The Riga Airport 50th anniversary stamp will be issued in a mintage of 10 000 copies, and the first-day covers in 500 copies. The stamp has a face value of €2.30 and is intended for different combinations of tariffs. The Riga Airport stamp will initially be available at the post office on Elizabetes Street, as well as in the Latvijas Pasts e-shop https://veikals.pasts.lv/.

Riga Airport is a fast-growing Northern European air traffic hub, connecting the Baltic countries with European business centres and popular holiday destinations. Being aware of its role and responsibility in the national economy of Latvia, Riga Airport develops sustainable services and infrastructure, taking care of its employees and the environment, and keeping pace with society and the local community. By joining the Net Zero 2050 initiative, Riga Airport has committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Latvijas Pasts (Latvian Post) is a state-owned company that offers postal, logistics and financial services. The company specialises in domestic and international deliveries, ranging from e-commerce and parcel shipments to press, letter correspondence and personalised logistics solutions. Latvijas Pasts provides services to both private and business customers through reliable air, water and land transit connections. The team of the national postal operator consists of around 2200 employees.

Ritums Ivanovs is a well-known Latvian artist who has gained international recognition for his contemporary artwork. He has been given the important task of creating representative portraits for three Presidents of Latvia. Ivanovs explores human existence through personal insights, incorporating elements of pop culture, eroticism, and symbolism of death. His unique artistic style combines the traditions of both Pop Art and Photorealism, using a unique self-created linear brushstroke technique. The artist has had 28 solo exhibitions around the world. In 2009, Ivanovs made history in Latvian art by selling his painting, Frame05, at Sotheby's auction in London. He regularly participates in international art fairs and his works can be found in public and private art collections in Latvia and other countries.

See more: Latvian Post and RIX