The 1 rouble denomination shows a sea transport, and the vessel depicted has the name Rossia quite clearly shown on the high bow. People familiar with the old Empire Welland may have some difficulty in recognising her from the stamp design, for it is a very poor effort on the artist's part. The Rossia was originally the German "Strength through Joy" liner Patria in which Admiral Doenitz surrendered to Allied officers at the Baltic port of Flensburg in May 1945. She was built at Hamburg by Deutsche Werft A.G., in 1938 and is a diesel driven vessel of 17,770 gross tons, with an overall length of 5623 ft. and a beam of 74 1 ft. Up to the outbreak of war she had only completed five voyages, some of them "Strength through Joy" cruises.
After the German surrender the Patria was sent to the Harland and Wolff yard at Belfast where she was fitted out as a troopship, her conversion costing over £1,000,000 according to some reports; she was claimed to be the most modem troopship afloat. Her two voyages in the peace-time colouring of a British troopship were very happy occasions. On November 24, 1945, she berthed at Liverpool's Princes Landing Stage with 1,400 Belgian troops, due for repatriation, who had been stationed in Belfast, the first stage of their journey home. The vessel then sailed for Oslo, and arrived back in Liverpool on December 10, 1945 bringing home 2,275 Occupation Forces and 42 civilians from Norway, including 19 young Norwegian brides. A fortnight later while she was still lying in Liverpool, a Russian shipping delegation inspected her in Canada Graving Dock; the future of the ship provided much speculation in Merseyside shipping circles. Following the visit of the Soviet delegation of engineers to examine the ship a Russian crew was appointed to the vessel on January 10,1946. A few days later however they left her leaving a few of their officers on board her. After the Russians' departure, fresh British ratings were signed on for a voyage of which the particulars were not divulged to them. Russian engineers, however, made daily visits to the vessel. On January 29 the Empire Welland, together with 49 other former enemy ships, was condemned as a British prize into the custody of the British Procurator General by Lord Merriman in the Admiralty Prize Court, thus giving Britain the right to hold her against any Russian claim to her as part of indemnities.
The next day a fire broke out on board as a result of a mechanical defect in the manifold exhaust. Oil fumes were ignited and flames shot up through the engine-room but prompt action by the crew subdued the outbreak within an hour. During the first week of February 1946, the British crew were once again paid off and a Russian crew took over, following an agreement by the Tri-Partite Merchant Marine Commission sitting at Potsdam, Berlin. Eleven ex-enemy ships then in Merseyside docks were awarded to Russia under the Potsdam Agreement; the temporary British names were: Empire Convention, Empire Welland, Empire Forth, Empire Dovey, Empire Constable, Empire Douglas, Empire Conisborough, Empire Gantry, Empire Gable, and Empire Yare. The 11th vessel retained her original name at the time of handing over; she was the Caribia, originally an American prize.
In May 1946, making her first voyage under the Russian flag and painted in the colours of the U.S.S.R. State passenger services—grey funnel with single red band, and renamed Rossia (Russia), the vessel left Liverpool for New York, her first commercial voyage since being taken over from Germany.
Second stamp shows a Russian vessel making her second appearance on stamps. I am told by an official Russian source that the ship on the 40k. stamp for the Odessa-Batum service is the Rossia, a far more accurate illustration of the vessel than appeared on the 1958 stamp issued by the U.S.S.R. on the occasion of their post office centenary when the ship was chosen to represent sea communications on the 1 rouble value (third stamp). She will be remembered under her former German name-Patria-as the liner in which Admiral Doenitz made his surrender to Allied officers at Flensburg in May 1945.
Built at Hamburg in 1938 as a combined passenger and cargo vessel for the Hamburg - Amerika Line's regular South American West Coast service, she was the largest diesel-electric driven vessel ever built. After the war she was sent to Belfast, fitted out as a troopship and renamed Empire Welland, but awarded to Russia by the Potsdam Commission; a Russian crew took her over in 1946 and renamed Rossia she made her first voyage under the Russian flag in May 1946.
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