Iconic Czech singer Marta Kubišová celebrated on special edition of Czech stamps
Marta Kubišová, whose song Prayer for Marta became a symbol of protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968, has become the first Czech singer to appear on a special limited edition of Czech stamps. Their release is scheduled for November 1, the singer’s 83rd birthday.
Marta Kubišová is an icon on the Czech music scene, shining bright during groundbreaking moments in the country’s modern history. In 1968 her song Prayer for Marta became a symbol of protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia and in 1989, after a 20-year-ban on performing imposed by the communist régime, she sung it again to the crowds, standing next to Václav Havel on a balcony in Wenceslas Square.
After the revolution, Kubišová went back on stage touring the country with old and new hits.
Her last studio album, Soul, was released in 2016 and on November 1, 2017, she officially ended her singing career. Since then, she has appeared only rarely – in 2019 at a concert marking 30 years since the fall of communism, and in 2022 during celebrations of her 80th birthday.
Last weekend she took her final bow in Prague’s famous Lucerna Concert Hall, at a goodbye concert exactly 55 years after the communist régime banned her from performing.
The special edition of stamps showcases significant moments in Kubišová’s life. Jaroslav Štefek from Czech Post, which is issuing the collection, said that the stamps are being printed on special self-adhesive paper specifically designed for collectors, as they can easily be unstuck with steam. A total of 1,000 sheets will be printed, each containing 25 stamps.
The series of stamps will be released in a limited edition on November 1st, to mark Marta Kubišová’s 83rd third birthday. In the past five years, similar special stamp editions have featured the late actress Libuše Šafránková, music composer Jiří Šlitr, and film director Miloš Forman.
