On June 27, 2025 the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies of the Kyrgyz Republic puts into circulation a series of 2024 Kyrgyz Express Post postage stamps: "Winter Olympic Games, 100th Anniversary".
One hundred years ago, on January 25, 1924, international competitions in winter sports were held in the Alpine town of Chamonix, France. These competitions were later officially recognized as the First Winter Olympic Games. The inaugural Winter Olympics brought together 293 athletes from 16 countries. They competed in 9 sports disciplines and contested 16 sets of medals. Over time, the Winter Olympic Games have grown into one of the most significant sporting events on a global scale.
In the Kyrgyz Republic, winter sports enjoy well-deserved popularity. The country's natural landscape offers excellent conditions for the development of winter disciplines, especially alpine skiing. As an independent state, Kyrgyzstan first competed in the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer (Norway) and has since regularly participated in these prestigious winter Olympic sports competitions.
Figure skating and ice hockey are among the most popular winter sports in Kyrgyzstan. These two disciplines are featured in the new KEP stamp issue. The 150 KGS stamp portrays Kyrgyz figure skater Aleksandra Nesterova, former champion of Kyrgyzstan and former member of the Kyrgyz Republic Olympic team. The 300 KGS stamp features Ersultan Mirbekov - Ice Hockey World Champion Division IIIA. The lower part of both stamps includes the full list of years and host cities of the Winter Olympic Games.
KEP expresses its special gratitude to the Skating Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic and personally to Aleksandra Nesterova, as well as to the Ice Hockey Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic, for providing the photographs used in the preparation of this stamp issue.
As part of this stamp series, KEP is also issuing two postcards for realizing two maximum cards. The postcard dedicated to figure skating features Jasmin Shlaga, the current champion of Kyrgyzstan in figure skating and member of the Kyrgyz Republic Olympic team. The postcard dedicated to ice hockey features Islambek Abdyraev - Ice Hockey World Champion Division IIIA. The FDC depicts the skating rink in front of the Stade Olympique de Chamonix, where the competitions of the first Winter Olympic Games were held in 1924.
