We have received some postcards published by Osnova Society at the Higher Polytechnic School. Among the areas of public work of the Society a prominent place was occupied by fundraising for «Native School». For this purpose, members of the Society published and distributed Christmas and Easter postcards among the Ukrainian population. Christmas cards from Osnova Society were non-profit, as evidenced by the inscription on each of them: «Edition of Osnova Society» and «93% of income for «Native School».
The earliest (canceled stamp from August 1908) are 3 colour postcards: «St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv», «Wallachian Church in Lviv» and «Monument to Markiyan Shashkevych». As Iryna Kotlobulatova writes in her book «Lviv on an Ancient Postcard», today they are kept in private collections.
One of the early postcards by Osnova Society is a black-and-white card «Merry Holidays», which depicts a carved triple candlestick with lighted candles. It was kept in the collection of Ukrainian deltiologist Mykhailo Zabochen. The author of the picture is Hnat Koltsuniak, a young and later famous artist who worked in the genre of decorative and applied art. His signature can be read in the lower right corner of the composition. On the address side of the card there is an inscription: «Published by Osnova Society».
Later, in 1911, the Society published 11 types of postcards in six series based on the works by Olena Kulchytska, drawn in the late nineteenth century. «The report on the activities of the Ukrainian Student Union in Lviv» states that the total circulation was 14,391 copies. There are various plots on the postcards: «In Memory of Shashkevych» – 436, «View of Lviv» – 7390, «Christmas» – 587, «Easter» – 12, «Patterns of Easter Eggs» – 5466, «Bust of Shevchenko» – 702 copies.
Next year, 1912, the Society’s publishing commission continued to publish postcards based on Olena Kulchytska’s works. Three editions of three thousand cards were issued. At the same time, more than 5,000 copies of postcards were distributed.
Galician press of that time wrote that Ukrainian art is characterized by a synthesis of iconographic traditions and the topical slogan with agitation. Porcelain work «Christ is Risen! Ukraine will also rise!» by Hnat Koltsuniak was transferred to a postcard. At the same time, Osnova Society released 3 more Easter cards «Patterns of Easter eggs».
The first attempts to improve the Ukrainian greeting card, to increase its artistic and educational level we see on the example of such well-known cards as «Christmas» (Angels sing), «Star of Bethlehem» and «Carolers».