Ancient mail routes of Russia

Russia Post released a stamp on the Ancient mail routes of Russia under the Europa set on 15th January 2020 depicting Kholmogorsky postal tract (Arkhangelsk - Vologda - Yaroslavl - Moscow) and the Europa logo, which is the first stamp for this year.

The Kholmogorsky postal tract was known at the end of the 15th century, but only a part of it was mastered - before Vologda. The first proposals to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on the establishment of a post office in Arkhangelsk appeared in the middle of the 17th century. At that time, the postal tract was located almost where Moscow-Arkhangelsk motorway passes today: through Posad Troitsky Monastery, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky, Yaroslavl, Danilov, Vologda, Velsk, Shenkursk, Kholmogory. The oldest Russian regular mail service between Arkhangelsk and Moscow appeared under Peter I in 1693.