South Ossetia

South Ossetia, or Республикӕ Хуссар Ирыстон, Rêšpublika Xuššâr Irešton is a de facto country in the south Caucasus region. It is alterntely named the State of Alania, or Паддзахад Алстон, or Pâddzâxâd Âllonšton. Most other countries regard it as being part of Georgia.


 * South Ossetia was an autonomous oblast in the Soviet Union. South Ossetia declared itself a sovereign state within the USSR in September 1990. With Georgia declaring independence in 1991, it claimed South Ossetia resulting in the 1991-92 South Ossetian War.
 * Meanwhile, bogus overprints on Soviet definitives and various bogus commemorative issues in sheets and souvenir sheets appeared.
 * The first issue appears to be one issued May 1994 of three stamps, inscribed XUSSAR IRYSTON RESPUBLIKA together with РЕСПУБЛИКА ХУССАР ИРЫСТОН.
 * By 1995 the dual inscriptions had become RESPUBLIKÆ XUSSAR IRYSTON and РЕСПУБЛИКA ЮЖИAЯ ОСЕТИЯ.
 * Beginning about 1996, RESPUBLIKÆ XUSSAR IRYSTON was used alone.

РЕСПУБЛИКӔ ХУССАР ИРЫСТОН