Belarus Souvenir Cards
Souvenir cards, Belarus, 1993
This 36-card pack was produced in 1993 by BADPPR (Belarussian Association of Detective, Popular, and Adventure Novels). This publisher can apparently produce novels in a matter of days and today is in the forefront of the pulp novel business. This unusual non-standard pack may reflect the characters of one of their publications. The aces portray “toy-like” castles, while the courts appear to be wearing medieval costumes. The jack of spades is a pig blowing a horn; the king of clubs is a knight in armour; and the queen of spades bares one breast.
Above: Souvenir cards produced by BADPPR (Belarussian Association of Detective, Popular, and Adventure Novels), Belarus, 1993. 36 cards.
By Peter Burnett
United Kingdom • Member since July 27, 2022 • Contact
I graduated in Russian and East European Studies from Birmingham University in 1969. It was as an undergraduate in Moscow in 1968 that I stumbled upon my first 3 packs of “unusual” playing cards which fired my curiosity and thence my life-long interest. I began researching and collecting cards in the early 1970s, since when I’ve acquired over 3,330 packs of non-standard cards, mainly from North America, UK and Western Europe, and of course from Russia and the former communist countries.
Following my retirement from the Bodleian Library in Dec. 2007 I took up a new role as Head of Library Development at the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) to support library development in low-income countries. This work necessitated regular training visits to many sub-Saharan African countries and also further afield, to Vietnam, Nepal and Bangladesh – all of which provided rich opportunities to further expand my playing card collection.
Since 2019 I’ve been working part-time in the Bodleian Library where I’ve been cataloguing the bequest of the late Donald Welsh, founder of the English Playing Card Society.
Related Articles
American President Lines
American President Lines shipping souvenir playing cards, early to mid-1950s.
New York City souvenir
New York City souvenir playing cards with 53 different views of interest, USA, 1915.
Oxford Pubs playing cards
Oxford pubs souvenir playing cards, United Kingdom, 2008
Icelandic picture playing cards / Islensku landslagsspilin
Icelandic picture playing cards with photography by Gudmundur Ingólfsson.
Oxford Gargoyles
Oxford Gargoyles souvenir playing cards published by Chris Donaghue Photography, Oxford, UK.
Wrocław
Wrocław souvenir playing cards designed by Katarzyna Tomala, 2011.
Treasures of the Hermitage / Shedevry Ermitazha
‘Treasures of the Hermitage Museum’ souvenir playing cards (‘Shedevry Ermitazha’), Russia.
Vintage skyscraper playing cards
Vintage skyscraper playing cards published by Inkstone Design, Inc., 2005.
Zamki Polski
Zamki Polski souvenir playing cards with 54 drawings of Polish castles.
Liban Historique et Touristique
“Liban historique et touristique” souvenir of Lebanon playing cards manufactured by Heraclio Fournie...
Maldives pictorial playing cards
Maldives pictorial souvenir playing cards produced by Fantasy, of Malé, Maldives, 1993.
LBJ Texas playing cards
LBJ Texas playing cards, each card contains different historical facts about Texas, USA, 1966.
Souvenir of Panama
A photographic souvenir of Panama consisting of 52 cards and 2 jokers.
Saint Petersburg vintage playing cards
Saint Petersburg vintage photography playing cards.
52 Faces of Nepal playing cards
52 Faces of Nepal playing cards produced by Himalayan MapHouse, Kathmandu.
Hawaiian Souvenir playing cards
Hawaiian Souvenir playing cards, 1901.
Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon
Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon: 52 pictures of Bhutan published by Knowledgecards.
Bahamas in Colour playing cards
Bahamas in Colour playing cards produced by Executive Printers of the Bahamas Ltd., Nassau, 2010.
Peterhof souvenir playing cards
Peterhof souvenir playing cards (Petergof suvenirnye igral’nye karty) published by Mednyi Vsadnik (B...
Treasures of the Russian Museum
Treasures of the Russian Museum / Russkii Muzei : suvenirnye igral’nye karty.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 60 days
