"In this second installment of a three part series, Ian continues examining the stamp designs and career of Ivan Dubasov, who for forty years was the head artist producing postage stamps of the Soviet Union. Now into the war years, with deep research and iconic imagery, Ian provides the story behind the story of the patriotic and propagandistic Soviet issues of World War II."
I was pleased to see the article, and learned a good deal from it. It so happens that I have a postcard in my collection franked with the first stamp used to illustrate the article:
I've never had the message translated, assuming it can be translated (it seems unreadable to me!). A member of my stamp club was a small child when Beloruss was occupied, and told me that it seems to postcard was sent by a woman whose family had lost its home and they had had to move because of the occupation.
It's Polish, I assume, but I'm struggling to read any single word to put into Google Translate. (I can see Krakovi in there.) Even Mrs Bierowska's first name is illegible, although maybe a Polish speaker would find it easy enough.
This is russian postcard from Lviv (soviet occupation) to Krakow (Generalgouvernement - german occupation). Lviv was occupied by the Russians since September 1939 to June 1941 as part of the Ribbentrop -Molotov pact. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov%E2%80%93Ribbentrop_Pact
Author of this message asking about what happens with common friends, transmits greetings and wishes you a Merry Christmas.