№ 329-332. The History of Russia.

The portrait of Vassily III (1479-1533), the Great Prince of Moscow (from 1505), the son of Ivan III (after an engraving by T.Schtimmer, 1575). Vassily III finished to unite Russian lands around Moscow, added Pskov and Ryazan to the Moscow dominion. As a result of his wars with Lithuania, Moscow regained control of Smolensk. The left part of the stamp features the removal of the assembly bell (the symbol of the city's independence) in Pskov (1510) as well as samples of Russian arms of Vassily's reign. The right part of the stamp features the siege of Smolensk by Russian troops (1514), which resulted in return of Smolensk under Moscow's rule, as well as the tower of the Moscow cannon workshop (16c) where cannons for the Russian army were produced.

The portrait of Ivan IV The Terrible (1530-1584), after a statue by M.M.Gerasimov, a distinguished anthropologist and archaeologist (end of the 1940s). Ivan IV was the first Russian Tsar (from 1547). During his reign the Russian centralized state was much strengthened. He annexed the Kazan and the Astrakhan khanats, and introduced Oprichnina to strengthen the autocracy. The left part of the stamp features Ivan's coronation in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (1547), as well as the samples of Russian arms of his era. The right part of the stamp features mass executions during Oprichnina (1570), and the towers of the Moscow Printing Yard (16c) where the first Russian book "Apostle" was printed by Ivan Fedorov in 1564.

The portrait of Fedor Ioannovich (1557-1598), a Russian tsar (from 1584), a son of Ivan IV (after a portrait dating back to the end of 16 c). Fedor Ioannovich was not much involved in the affairs of the state. The actual ruler of Russia was Boris Godunov, who facilitated strengthening of the central power and finally annexed the Siberian khanat. The left part of the stamp features Fedor Ioannovich receiving gifts from the nobles of the annexed Siberian khanat and the Cossaks, as well as the samples of the arms of his era. The right part of the stamp features the election of Iov, the first Russian Patriarch (1589), which started the patriarchy in Russia, as well as samples of patriarch's gown.

The portrait of Boris Godunov (1551-1605), after a painting by unknown artist of the 17c. Boris Godunov was the actual ruler of Russia under tsar Fedor Ioannovich. A Russian tsar from 1598. Godunov conveyed a successful foreign policy, strengthened the southern borders of Russia, established towns in Siberia. The left part of the stamp features Patriarch Iov, the clergy and the people offering Boris Godunov to rule Russia (1598, the Novodevichy Convent), as well as the samples of the Russian arms of the period. The right part of the stamp features distribution of corn and produce to the people during the famine of 1601-1603, and the Monomach's hat, the sceptre, and the orb, the symbols of Russian autocracy.