Hughesovka is a Ukrainian city on the banks of the River Don, founded in the Nineteenth Century by the Welsh industrialist John Hughes.  Many have heard of the city, few believe it exists claiming it is purely from the literary invention of Malcolm Pryce (featuring in his excellent book From Aberystwyth With Love).

These stamps were issued in 1981 and show the growth and development of Hughesovka at the start of each decade in the 20th Century. Because the citizen’s favourite pastime is denouncement you occasionally find used examples of the 20k stamps overprinted Денонсации возмещение or Denouncement Indemnity to prevent unauthorised opening of the post looking for evidence of anti-government sympathies. There’s always a police informer lurking ready to denounce someone, and you should be able to spot him on the images.

Most copies of this issue were destroyed by the authorities when it was discovered that the dimensions of the stamps were measured in pre-revolutionary imperialistic units