Stamp of Resilience: Rokada Jointly with Partners Cancels Its Own Postage Stamp

The solemn ceremony of canceling its own postage stamp took place in Kyiv with the participation of Natalia Gourjii, Chair of the Board of the Rokada Charitable Foundation, Natalia Mukhina, Head of the Philatelic Products Department of Ukrposhta, and Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.

Stamp of Resilience. Where a Home Grows is a symbolic postage stamp whose mission is to once again remind Ukrainians and the world of the challenges faced by millions of people who have lost their homes due to war, persecution, or natural disasters. About those who need support. Who, despite everything, possess inexhaustible faith and resilience. It is dedicated to refugees and internally displaced Ukrainians.

The initiative to create the Stamp of Resilience belongs to the Rokada Charitable Foundation.

“A heavy loss leaves a deep mark in the heart. But hope lives in everyone, prompting them to start anew: to rebuild a home, to restore a life, to believe in returning. Therefore, the stamp we have issued reminds us of the strength and resilience of those who have gone through these trials. And also about the importance of support. Every day, the Rokada team is alongside these people, helping them on their path to revival. This stamp is about a dream that will surely become a reality thanks to our joint efforts,” noted Natalia Gourjii, Chair of the Board of the Rokada Charitable Foundation.

The postage stamp was released within the framework of the Own Stamp project by Ukrposhta, in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine (UNHCR), as part of an information campaign for World Refugee Day.

“Millions of Ukrainians are separated from their loved ones and have experienced the painful loss of their homes, communities, and habitual sense of safety. This stamp symbolizes the courage and resilience of millions of people whom war has deprived of their homes but failed to break. Behind every refugee and internally displaced person stands a story of survival, stamina, and the desire to recover and build life anew, despite all difficulties. It also reminds us that humanitarian assistance is not only about meeting basic needs. It is about empowering, restoring dignity, supporting, and reminding people that they are remembered and that bonds within society remain strong. Upon receiving a letter or a postcard with the Stamp of Resilience, a person feels this from their own experience. This stamp tells the world: losing a home does not mean losing dignity, a sense of belonging, dreams, and hope,” commented Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.

Mashrabchon Khaidarov, a refugee from Tajikistan, and Liudmyla Barna, an internally displaced person from Kherson, shared their stories of losing their homes. They say that history, pain, and the hope of everyone are united in the Stamp of Resilience.

“Wherever we are, we always think of our loved ones, our home, our roots. Every refugee shares the same pain, and it will never fade. I truly hope that a time will come when everyone can return home… We must be strong and not give up,” says Mashrabchon Khaidarov.

“This stamp will stay for a long time — millions of Ukrainians have lost their home. It is very deeply moving. And the girl depicted on it is our future… Here, both the yellow and blue colors are her heritage… The creation of the stamp is very important. And I am very grateful to you for this,” added Liudmyla Barna.

The postal issue Stamp of Resilience. Where a Home Grows is presented as a sheetlet of 9 stamps with a “U” denomination and a commemorative envelope.

“This is the first stamp issue dedicated to Ukrainians who have lost their homes. Those who dream, who continue to fight and believe… We are very grateful to the Rokada Charitable Foundation for this initiative. Until now, the topic of refugees, the topic of internally displaced people, has not been highlighted. I sincerely hope that the Stamp of Resilience will find its admirers all over the world,” noted Natalia Mukhina, head of the Philatelic Products Department of Ukrposhta.

History of the Stamp’s Creation

On June 20, on World Refugee Day, the Rokada Charitable Foundation announced a public contest to develop a sketch for the Stamp of Resilience. Anyone interested could participate in it. The contest lasted for more than a month and gathered dozens of touching visual stories. The fund’s team selected the best artistic idea through an internal vote.

The winner of the Stamp of Resilience contest was 32-year-old artist and designer Olena Zinchenko. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, together with her daughter, the woman survived the occupation in Bucha, and then was forced to move to the United Kingdom.

The Stamp of Resilience depicts a girl with a pencil sleeping in an embrace pose. She embodies a child who has lost her home but kept her dream. The bright colors represent the contrast between the pain of loss and the power of revival. The house stands for memory and hope. The flowers in the sky are like souls sprouting into a new life. This image is a tribute to the resilience of displaced people and the warmth they carry within themselves.

The prototype of the girl depicted on the stamp was the artist’s daughter, Veronika.

“This contest became very personal for me — I am a displaced person myself. After three weeks in a cold basement in Bucha, my child and I escaped the occupation and went through a difficult journey of recovery. Working on the sketch became a therapy: I wanted to convey the fragility and strength of a child who does not lose hope even after a horrific experience. I am sincerely glad that my experience, my pain, and my path to recovery were heard. I believe they resonate with many Ukrainians. For me, this stamp is a symbol that home is not just a place on a map, but something we keep in our hearts: memory, warmth, hope, and the ability to start anew,” says designer Alona Zinchenko.

Starting from August 18 2025, the Stamp of Resilience. Where a Home Grows can be purchased in the official online store of Ukrposhta at  postmark.ukrposhta.ua – Ukrposhta’s postal marketplace.