210 years since the Takovo Uprising

The Second Serbian Uprising is one of the most significant events in the process of creating the modern Serbian state in the 19th century. The uprising, the beginning of which was officially marked on the Palm Sunday, April 23, 1815 in Takovo, was the third and last in a series of armed movements within the Serbian Revolution (1804–1833). Its successful outcome created the foundations for negotiations with the Ottoman Empire, which were crowned a decade and a half later with the establishment of the autonomous Principality of Serbia.

The Takovo Uprising was prompted by the difficult living conditions of the Serbian population in the area of the Belgrade Pashalik in the years following the collapse of the First Serbian Uprising (1804–1813) and the failure of the Hadži Prodan’s Rebellion (1814). In response to the Ottoman violence, the national elders decided in the spring of 1815 to launch an uprising, led by the voivode and senior-chief Miloš Obrenović. After taking the ceremonial oath in front of the church log cabin in Takovo, the insurgents set off to battle. In the following weeks and months, a series of major battles followed, among which the battles of Čačak and Ljubić, the battles of Palež and Požarevac, and the Battle of Dublje stood out for their significance.

The rapid occupation of almost the entire territory of the Pashalik, excluding fortified cities, as well as the humane treatment of Turkish civilians and soldiers, enabled the Serbian leader Miloš to reach an oral agreement with the Turkish military commander Marashli Ali Pasha at the end of July 1815, which guaranteed the Serbs self-government in the Belgrade Pashalik. This agreement served as the basis for a long-standing diplomatic struggle for autonomy, which ended with the Sultan’s issuance of three hatt-i sharifs, in 1829, 1830, and 1833, by which Serbia acquired the status of a vassal principality of the Ottoman Empire.

190 years since the Sretenje Constitution

The first constitution of the Principality of Serbia was ceremonially proclaimed at the Great National Assembly in Kragujevac on Sretenje (the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple) – 15 February, 1835. Its adoption was the epilogue of long-term efforts to limit the personal power of Prince Miloš Obrenović and establish the foundations of a legal state in Serbia. The success of the so-called Mileta’s Rebellion, at the turn of 1834 and 1835, forced Prince Miloš to accelerate the process of adopting the constitution, the author of which was selected to be the Prince’s secretary, Dimitrije Davidović.

Davidović’s draft constitution in principle envisaged the division of power into legislative, executive and judicial branches. According to the letter of the constitution, legislative and executive power was divided between the Prince and the institution of the State Council, while judicial power was entrusted to independent courts, which had yet to be established. The constitution was also remembered for codifying general national rights and freedoms, such as equality before the law and the inviolability of person and property. A special civilizational step forward was represented by the constitutional articles that prohibited slavery in Serbia and abolished the last relics of feudalism.

Inspired by Belgian and French models, the first Serbian constitution seemed too liberal to its contemporaries, and it soon encountered resistance from the Great Powers. Due to the liberal principles it proclaimed, it was displeasing to the so-called old order powers, Austria and Russia, while Ottoman representatives saw it as an act of violating the Sultan’s sovereignty. As a result, this “French seedling in the Turkish forest”, as the travel writer Cyprien Robert called it, was abolished 55 days after its adoption. Three years later, it was succeeded by a much more conservative, so-called Turkish constitution, adopted with the consent of the Turkish Sultan and under the patronage of the Russian Emperor.

Professional cooperation: Boris Marković, curator historian of the Historical Museum of Serbia
Artistic realization of the issue: Jakša Vlahović, Academic Graphic Artist

Technical details
Date of issue: 12. 02. 2025.
Number of stamps in set: 2
Denomination:
1369: 60.00 RSD
1370: 60.00 RSD
Printrun: 15.000
FDC: 2
Sheet of: 10
Dimensions of stamp: 31,9 x 42 mm
Artistic realization: Jakša Vlahović
Subject: The state-building path of Serbia
1369: Miloš Obrenović with flag of Takovo uprising, the wooden church in Takovo dedicated to Saint George, 1795.
1370: Dimitrije Davidović, front page of the Sretenje Constitution, Sretenje flag Perforations: 13 3/4
Printer: Forum Novi Sad

Chinese culture, thousands of years old, has given the world and humanity a precious cultural heritage and spiritual wealth. The Chinese horoscope is one of the oldest known horoscopes, including the mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. They correspond to twelve astrological branches, with a twelve-year cycle. In addition to the Chinese horoscope, the elements are also very important: metal, wood, water, fire and earth. The personality traits of a person are often closely associated with the characteristics of the Chinese horoscope linked to their birth year.

The year 2025 will be the year of the Wood Snake. The Snake is known for its enigmatic and introspective nature, analytical mind, and ability to deal with complex situations, and heralds a year full of opportunities for financial growth and new romances.

The Chinese Lunar year of the Wood Snake begins on January 29, 2025, marking the beginning of the fifteen-day Spring Festival celebrated by Chinese people around the world.

The material for the realization of the commemorative postage stamp was provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China. Professional cooperation: Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade. Graphic realization: Nadežda Skočajić, Academic Graphic Artist

Technical details .
Date of issue: 28. 01. 2025..
Number of stamps in set: 1.
Denomination:.
1363: 120.00 RSD.
Printrun: 25.000.
FDC: 1.
Sheet of: 10.
Dimensions of stamp: 31,9 x 42 mm.
Artistic realization: Nadežda Skočajić.
Subject: Chinese Tradition: Lunar Horoscope – Year of the Snake.
1362: Snake, Chinese zodiac sign for 2025 Perforations: 13 3/4.
Printer: Forum Novi Sad