Charity Lot in Support of Ukrainian War Orphans

As part of the 63rd auction of the Christoph Gärtner Auction House, a special charity lot will once again be auctioned on October 15, 2025, at 9 a.m. All proceeds, as in the previous year, will be donated to the Blau-Gelbes Kreuz e.V. (Blue-Yellow Cross), which supports Ukrainian orphans.

This remarkable lot features a registered letter from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, sent on June 23, 2025, to Italy, where it arrived on July 15, 2025. The cover is franked with several highly symbolic stamps — including the first issue of the famous “Russian Warship – F* Off” stamp**, the Banksy stamp, the “Tractor Pulling Tank” issue, and the Kherson “Watermelon” stamp, which has become a symbol of the region’s liberation.

A particularly interesting detail is the postmark dated June 23, 2015 — a rare coincidence, as this cancel had apparently not been used for years and is normally inscribed in Cyrillic.

The origin of this letter gives the lot a deeply moving significance:

Kherson was the scene of fierce fighting during the first days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and was temporarily occupied by Russian forces. It was only on November 11, 2022, that Ukrainian troops succeeded in liberating the city — a moment that came to symbolize hope, resilience, and the reclaiming of freedom. The later-issued “Watermelon” stamp still commemorates this symbolic victory and the region’s return to its roots.

As in the previous auction, this is a pure charity initiative: both the consignor and the auction house waive all fees and commissions. The entire auction proceeds will be donated to Blau-Gelbes Kreuz e.V., in support of Ukrainian orphans. More information can be found at: www.bgk-verein.de