The philatelic catalogue
Pirates. Bandits. Adventurers
A bit odd topic for a stamp catalogue, isn’t it? At first it was dedicated only to pirates. There are a lot of stamps about them, their life and deeds are romanized by books and movies. That’s why in collection “Pirates” and in the catalogue (it’s logical follow-up) is nothing strange. But when sea bandits began to pull in ot the catalogue after them their lend colleagues the questions appeared.
By some reason people (and town’s postal states) think much more easily about men who killed and plundered while on ship’s deck and having Jolly Roger on their mast, then about the people who did the same horrible deeds but on the dry land. At least there are small number of stamps about usual murderers and robbers. Usually stamps are dedicated to the criminals, who were famous for anything more than their criminal deeds. For example when former bandits became leaders of the rebellions (Spartacus, Razin, and Žižka) and appeared on postal miniatures as national heroes (thanks to the Marks’ ideology). In 20th century people with criminal past made ideological background for their crimes and appeared as revolutionaries (Kotovsky, Krasin). There were criminals, famed for poetry (François Villon) or as religious doers (pope Johann XXIII or Maltese Order). So it was difficult for a man with criminal past to appear on a stamp. But finding such people on postal stamps is difficult but also interesting. That’s why this catalogue appeared.
When idea formulated appeared two more groups of people who were suitable for company of pirates and bandits. First – people who in their pursuit of riches used any method and were in an inch from the title of bandit. I called them “Adventurers”. It is a very narrow border. In fact any explorer is an adventurer, but if you look on Columbus, who also wanted to become rich, and Pissarro, who destroyed entire nations for gold, – you can see the difference. Also here are impostors who used other’s names for their own needs or just doubtful historical persons like Rasputin or Lady Hamilton, who never stopped in the sake of wealth. Even if they never crossed the law, but this is not because of their moral, but because of they had no chance to do so.
In fact, many revolutionaries can be in this part (Lenin can be called an adventurer). But I thought that I should stop on the crimes against personality and possessions. State crimes will be out of this catalogue.
Finally, the last category of criminals I put here are “virtual” criminals, I mean people who never existed, fictional. But because of the fact that pirate, criminal or adventurer from literature goes to my literature catalogues, I made this section for characters from other kinds of art: myths, paintings, cinema and comic books. In this section theme is used a bit wider. I included here movies, cartoons and comic books that can be named as “adventure”.
In every chapter characters are ordered chronologically by birth dates, movie and comic book names in order of Russian alphabet.
Of course this catalogue is opened for advices, corrections and additions. If anyone notices a character that would fit on this “Board of shame” – you are welcome. Any candidates will be made out. But remember, perhaps this character is known to me and just waiting for his time, because work on this catalogue is in process.
The Catalogue is in a stage of formation.
