The first stamps of czarist Russia appeared in 1857, bearing the coat of arms of Alexander II. In the years after the 1917 revolution, Russia, head of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, became a very active producer of postage stamps. Instead of symbols of royalty, the images on stamps were those of workers, industry – eventually space technology and sports - to portray the ideals and achievements of the communist government. After Communism fell, the country became Russia once more. Stamps began illustrating historic and religious imagery with an emphasis on the heroes, glory, and art heritage of mother Russia. The alphabet on all the country’s stamps is Cyrillic. The letters CCCP stand for USSR.