When my oldest son was growing up, the wife and I endevoured to expose him to as much history and culture as we could manage, that being in short supply in East Texas. Our summer road trips centered around either Virginia or New England, where the history was always close at hand. In 1992, we spent a few days in Washington, DC doing the requisite touristy things. I remember visiting an exhibit hall somewhere, perhaps in the Smithsonian, and being fascinated by a booth promoting Russia, as the U.S.S.R. had finally crumbled only months earlier. I purchased a beautiful over-sized stamp depicting Alexander Nevsky in battle (this was a dozen years before he would be St. Alexander Nevsky to me.) The clerk wrapped it in purple tissue paper.
At my age I've found there is a fine line between serendipity and onset of dementia.... HAHA!
Love this story!