The coat of arms of Russia is one of the main state symbols of Russia, along with the flag and anthem. The modern coat of arms of Russia is a golden two-headed eagle on a red background. Three crowns are depicted above the eagle’s heads, now symbolizing the sovereignty of both the entire Russian Federation and its parts, the subjects of the Federation; in the paws there is a scepter and an orb, personifying state power and a unified state; on the chest is an image of a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear. This is one of the ancient symbols of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, and the defense of the Fatherland.
History of changes to the coat of arms
The first reliable evidence of the use of the double-headed eagle as a state emblem is the seal of John III Vasilyevich on the exchange document of 1497. During its existence, the image of the double-headed eagle has undergone many changes. In 1917, the eagle ceased to be the coat of arms of Russia. Its symbolism seemed to the Bolsheviks a symbol of autocracy; they did not take into account the fact that the double-headed eagle was a symbol of Russian statehood. On November 30, 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the Decree on the State Emblem. Now the double-headed eagle, as before, symbolizes the power and unity of the Russian state.
15th century
The reign of Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505) was the most important stage in the formation of a unified Russian state. Ivan III managed to finally eliminate dependence on the Golden Horde, repelling the campaign of Khan Akhmat against Moscow in 1480. The Grand Duchy of Moscow included Yaroslavl, Novgorod, Tver, and Perm lands. The country began to actively develop ties with other European countries, and its foreign policy position strengthened. In 1497, the first all-Russian Code of Law was adopted - a unified set of laws of the country.
It was at this time - the time of successful construction of Russian statehood - that the double-headed eagle became the coat of arms of Russia, personifying supreme power, independence, what was called “autocracy” in Rus'. The very first surviving evidence of the use of the image of a double-headed eagle as a symbol of Russia is the grand-ducal seal of Ivan III, which in 1497 sealed his “exchange and allotment” charter for the land holdings of appanage princes. At the same time, images of a gilded double-headed eagle on a red field appeared on the walls of the Garnet Chamber in the Kremlin.
Mid-16th century
Beginning in 1539, the type of eagle on the seal of the Grand Duke of Moscow changed. In the era of Ivan the Terrible, on the golden bull (state seal) of 1562, in the center of the double-headed eagle, an image of a horseman (“rider”) appeared - one of the oldest symbols of princely power in “Rus”. The “rider” is placed in a shield on the chest of a double-headed eagle, crowned with one or two crowns surmounted by a cross.
End of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century
During the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, between the crowned heads of the double-headed eagle, the sign of the passion of Christ appears: the so-called Calvary cross. The cross on the state seal was a symbol of Orthodoxy, giving a religious connotation to the state emblem. The appearance of the “Golgotha cross” in the coat of arms of Russia coincides with the establishment of the patriarchate and ecclesiastical independence of Russia in 1589.
In the 17th century, the Orthodox cross was often depicted on Russian banners. The banners of foreign regiments that were part of the Russian army had their own emblems and inscriptions; however, an Orthodox cross was also placed on them, which indicated that the regiment fighting under this banner served the Orthodox sovereign. Until the middle of the 17th century, a seal was widely used, in which a double-headed eagle with a rider on its chest is crowned with two crowns, and an Orthodox eight-pointed cross rises between the heads of the eagle.
30-60s of the 18th century
By decree of Empress Catherine I of March 11, 1726, the description of the coat of arms was fixed: “A black eagle with outstretched wings, in a yellow field, with a rider on it in a red field.”
But if in this Decree the rider on the coat of arms was still called a rider, then among the drawings of coats of arms presented in May 1729 by Count Minich to the Military Collegium and which received the highest approval, the double-headed eagle is described as follows: “The State Coat of Arms in the old way: double-headed eagle, black , on the heads of the crown, and at the top in the middle is a large Imperial crown in gold; in the middle of that eagle, George on a white horse, defeating the serpent; the cap and spear are yellow, the crown is yellow, the snake is black; the field is white all around, and red in the middle.” In 1736, Empress Anna Ioannovna invited the Swiss engraver Gedlinger, who by 1740 engraved the State Seal. The central part of the matrix of this seal with the image of a double-headed eagle was used until 1856. Thus, the type of double-headed eagle on the State Seal remained unchanged for more than a hundred years.
Turn of the 18th-19th centuries
Emperor Paul I, by decree of April 5, 1797, allowed members of the imperial family to use the image of a double-headed eagle as their coat of arms.
During the short reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), Russia pursued an active foreign policy, faced with a new enemy - Napoleonic France. After French troops occupied the Mediterranean island of Malta, Paul I took the Order of Malta under his protection, becoming the Grand Master of the Order. On August 10, 1799, Paul I signed a Decree on the inclusion of the Maltese cross and crown in the state emblem. On the eagle’s chest, under the Maltese crown, was a shield with St. George (Paul interpreted it as the “indigenous coat of arms of Russia”), superimposed on the Maltese cross.
Paul I made an attempt to introduce the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire. On December 16, 1800, he signed the Manifesto, which described this complex project. Forty-three coats of arms were placed in the multi-field shield and on nine small shields. In the center was the above-described coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross, larger than the others. The shield with coats of arms is superimposed on the Maltese cross, and under it the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called again appears. The shield holders, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, support the imperial crown over the knight's helmet and mantle (cloak). The entire composition is placed against the background of a canopy with a dome - a heraldic symbol of sovereignty. From behind the shield with coats of arms emerge two standards with a double-headed and a single-headed eagles. This project has not been finalized.
Soon after ascending the throne, Emperor Alexander I, by Decree of April 26, 1801, removed the Maltese cross and crown from the coat of arms of Russia.
1st half of the 19th century
Images of the double-headed eagle at this time were very diverse: it could have one or three crowns; in the paws are not only the already traditional scepter and orb, but also a wreath, lightning bolts (peruns), and a torch. The wings of an eagle were depicted in different ways - raised, lowered, straightened. To a certain extent, the image of the eagle was influenced by the then European fashion, common to the Empire era.
Under Emperor Nicholas I, the simultaneous existence of two types of state eagle was officially established.
The first type is an eagle with spread wings, under one crown, with the image of St. George on the chest and with a scepter and orb in its paws. The second type was an eagle with raised wings, on which the titular coats of arms were depicted: on the right - Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian, on the left - Polish, Tauride, Finland. For some time, another version was in circulation - with the coats of arms of the three “main” Old Russian Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod lands) and three kingdoms - Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian. An eagle under three crowns, with St. George (as the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow) in a shield on the chest, with a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, with a scepter and an orb in its paws.
Mid-19th century
In 1855-1857, during the heraldic reform, which was carried out under the leadership of Baron B. Kene, the type of state eagle was changed under the influence of German designs. At the same time, St. George on the eagle’s chest, in accordance with the rules of Western European heraldry, began to look to the left. The drawing of the Small Coat of Arms of Russia, executed by Alexander Fadeev, was approved by the highest on December 8, 1856. This version of the coat of arms differed from the previous ones not only in the image of an eagle, but also in the number of “title” coats of arms on the wings. On the right were shields with the coats of arms of Kazan, Poland, Tauride Chersonese and the combined coat of arms of the Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod), on the left were shields with the coats of arms of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland.
On April 11, 1857, the Supreme approval of the entire set of state emblems followed. It included: Big, Middle and Small, coats of arms of members of the imperial family, as well as “titular” coats of arms. At the same time, drawings of the Large, Middle and Small state seals, arks (cases) for seals, as well as seals of the main and lower official places and persons were approved. In total, one hundred and ten drawings lithographed by A. Beggrov were approved in one act. On May 31, 1857, the Senate published a Decree describing the new coats of arms and the rules for their use.
Large State Emblem, 1882
On July 24, 1882, Emperor Alexander III in Peterhof approved the drawing of the Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, on which the composition was preserved, but the details were changed, in particular the figures of the archangels. In addition, imperial crowns began to be depicted like real diamond crowns used at coronations.
The design of the Great Coat of Arms of the Empire was finally approved on November 3, 1882, when the coat of arms of Turkestan was added to the title coats of arms.
Small State Emblem, 1883-1917.
On February 23, 1883, the Middle and two versions of the Small coat of arms were approved. On the wings of the double-headed eagle (Small Coat of Arms) were placed eight coats of arms of the full title of the Emperor of Russia: the coat of arms of the kingdom of Kazan; coat of arms of the Kingdom of Poland; coat of arms of the kingdom of Chersonese Tauride; combined coat of arms of the Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod great principalities; coat of arms of the kingdom of Astrakhan, coat of arms of the kingdom of Siberia, coat of arms of the kingdom of Georgia, coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland. In January 1895, the highest order was given to leave unchanged the drawing of the state eagle made by academician A. Charlemagne.
The latest act - “Basic provisions of the state structure of the Russian Empire” of 1906 - confirmed all previous legal provisions relating to the State Emblem.
Coat of arms of Russia, 1917
After the February Revolution of 1917, on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, a Special Meeting on Arts was organized. In March of the same year, it included a commission under the executive committee of the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, which, in particular, was preparing a new version of the coat of arms of Russia. The commission included famous artists and art historians A. N. Benois and N. K. Roerich, I. Ya. Bilibin, and heraldist V. K. Lukomsky. It was decided to use images of a double-headed eagle on the seal of the Provisional Government. The design of this seal was entrusted to I. Ya. Bilibin, who took as a basis the image of the double-headed eagle, deprived of almost all symbols of power, on the seal of Ivan III. This image continued to be used after the October Revolution, until the adoption of the new Soviet coat of arms on July 24, 1918.
State emblem of the RSFSR, 1918-1993.
In the summer of 1918, the Soviet government finally decided to break with the historical symbols of Russia, and the new Constitution adopted on July 10, 1918 proclaimed in the state emblem not land, but political, party symbols: the double-headed eagle was replaced by a red shield, which depicted a crossed hammer and sickle and an ascending the sun as a sign of change. Since 1920, the abbreviated name of the state - the RSFSR - was placed at the top of the shield. The shield was bordered by ears of wheat, secured with a red ribbon with the inscription “Workers of all countries, unite.” Later, this image of the coat of arms was approved in the Constitution of the RSFSR.
Even earlier (April 16, 1918), the sign of the Red Army was legalized: a five-pointed Red Star, a symbol of the ancient god of war, Mars. 60 years later, in the spring of 1978, the military star, which by that time had become part of the coat of arms of the USSR and most republics, was included in the coat of arms of the RSFSR.
In 1992, the last change to the coat of arms came into force: the abbreviation above the hammer and sickle was replaced by the inscription “Russian Federation”. But this decision was almost never carried out, because the Soviet coat of arms with its party symbols no longer corresponded to the political structure of Russia after the collapse of the one-party system of government, the ideology of which it embodied.
State emblem of the Russian Federation, 1993
On November 5, 1990, the Government of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the creation of the State Emblem and State Flag of the RSFSR. A Government Commission was created to organize this work. After a comprehensive discussion, the commission proposed to recommend to the Government a white-blue-red flag and a coat of arms - a golden double-headed eagle on a red field. The final restoration of these symbols occurred in 1993, when by Decrees of President B. Yeltsin they were approved as the state flag and coat of arms.
On December 8, 2000, the State Duma adopted the Federal Constitutional Law “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation.” Which was approved by the Federation Council and signed by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on December 20, 2000.
The golden double-headed eagle on a red field preserves historical continuity in the colors of the coats of arms of the late 15th - 17th centuries. The eagle design goes back to images on monuments from the era of Peter the Great.
The restoration of the double-headed eagle as the State Emblem of Russia personifies the continuity and continuity of Russian history. Today's coat of arms of Russia is a new coat of arms, but its components are deeply traditional; it reflects different stages of Russian history and continues them on the eve of the third millennium.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
Coat of arms of Russia
On April 11, 1857, Emperor Alexander II approved the state emblem of Russia - the double-headed eagle
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Coat of arms of the Moscow kingdom from the time of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich
Coat of arms of Russia from the time of Boris Godunov
Coat of arms of Russia from the time of Paul I
Coat of arms of Russia from the time of Alexander I
The last coat of arms of the Russian Empire
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In January 1472, the Russian embassy went to Constantinople to pick up the bride of the Grand Duke. On November 12, 1472, Zoya Paleologue entered Moscow. She was met by the Metropolitan and the highest clergy. Zoya Paleolog became Grand Duchess Sophia Fominichnaya. She brought the coat of arms of Byzantium to Rus' - a double-headed eagle. Its combination with the Moscow coat of arms in the form of St. George the Victorious became the coat of arms of the Russian state, which was then united under the hegemon of Moscow.
But if on the seal of Ivan III both emblems appeared as if on equal terms, each occupying its own side, then from the next century the double-headed eagle became the main emblem of the Russian coat of arms. As royal power strengthened, new attributes were added to the eagle and rider.
In the 17th century, the eagle already held in its paws a scepter and an orb - the regalia of royal and imperial power, generally accepted in all monarchical states.
In general, the coat of arms of Russia was modified under many kings. This happened under Ivan the Terrible, Mikhail Fedorovich, Peter I, Paul I, Alexander I and Nicholas I. Each of these monarchs made some changes to the state emblem.
For example, during the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich “the Blessed” (1584-1587), the sign of the passion of Christ appears on the coat of arms of Russia between the crowned heads of the double-headed eagle: the so-called Calvary cross. The cross on the state seal was a symbol of Orthodoxy, giving a religious connotation to the state emblem. The appearance of the “Golgotha cross” in the coat of arms of Russia coincides with the establishment of the patriarchate and ecclesiastical independence of Russia in 1589.
And during the reign of the first king of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645), the double-headed eagle was first depicted under three crowns, and St. George the Victorious returned on the chest in the form of a shield. In 1645, under the son of Mikhail Fedorovich - Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich - the first Great State Seal appeared, on which a double-headed eagle with a rider on his chest was crowned with three crowns. From that time on, this type of image was constantly used.
During the short reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), Russia pursued an active foreign policy, faced with a new enemy - Napoleonic France. After French troops occupied the Mediterranean island of Malta, Paul I took the Order of Malta under his protection, becoming the Grand Master of the Order. On August 10, 1799, Paul I signed a Decree on the inclusion of the Maltese cross and crown in the state emblem. On the eagle’s chest, under the Maltese crown, was a shield with St. George (Paul interpreted it as the “indigenous coat of arms of Russia”), superimposed on the Maltese cross. But this draft coat of arms was never finally approved. As a result of a Masonic conspiracy, March 11, 1801. The young Emperor Alexander I “The Blessed” (1801-1825) ascends the throne. By the day of his coronation, a new Eagle appears, without the Maltese emblems, but, in fact, this Eagle is quite close to the old one. The victory over Napoleon and almost complete control over all processes in Europe causes the emergence of a new Eagle. He had one crown, the eagle’s wings were depicted lowered (straightened), and in his paws were not the traditional scepter and orb, but a wreath, lightning bolts (peruns) and a torch.
In 1825, Alexander I dies in Taganrog and Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855), strong in will and aware of his duty to Russia, ascends the throne. Nicholas contributed to a powerful, spiritual and cultural revival of Russia. This revealed a new Eagle, which changed somewhat over time, but still carried the same strict forms.
But the most serious heraldic reform was carried out during the reign of Alexander II in 1855-1857. At his order, specifically for work on coats of arms, the Department of Heraldry of the Senate created the Armorial Department, which was headed by Baron B. Kene. He developed a whole system of Russian state emblems (Big, Middle and Small), focusing in their artistic embodiment on the generally accepted norms of European monarchical heraldry.
Also, under the leadership of Kene, the design of the eagle and St. George was changed, and the state coat of arms was brought into compliance with international rules of heraldry.
On April 11, 1857, Alexander II approved the coat of arms of the Russian Empire - the double-headed eagle. The entire set of state emblems was also approved - Large, Middle and Small, which were supposed to symbolize the unity and power of Russia. In May 1857, the Senate published a Decree describing new coats of arms and the norms for their use, which existed until 1917 without any significant changes.
By the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars “On the abolition of estates and civil ranks” (1917), Russian insignia, orders, flag and coat of arms were abolished. The double-headed eagle returned to the country's coat of arms only in 1993, when a new state emblem was introduced by Presidential Decree - a double-headed eagle, the design of which was based on the coat of arms of the Russian Empire.
Acceptance date: 30.11.1993, 25.12.2000
In a scarlet field there is a golden double-headed eagle, crowned with two golden imperial crowns and above them the same imperial crown with infulas, holding a golden scepter in his right paw, a golden orb in his left, having a shield on his chest, in the scarlet field of which a facing riding silver rider in azure cloak, striking with a silver spear a turned, overturned and trampled by a horse black dragon.
Official description in constitutional law:
The state emblem of the Russian Federation is a quadrangular red heraldic shield with rounded lower corners, pointed at the tip, with a golden double-headed eagle raising its spreading wings upward. The eagle is crowned with two small crowns and - above them - one large crown, connected by a ribbon. In the eagle's right paw is a scepter, in the left is an orb. On the eagle’s chest, in a red shield, is a silver rider in a blue cloak on a silver horse, striking with a silver spear a black dragon, overturned on its back and trampled by its horse.
Reproduction of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation is permitted without a heraldic shield (in the form of the main figure - a double-headed eagle with all attributes).
Since 2000, the saddle under the rider is usually depicted in red, although this is not specified in the description (but exactly this image is given in Appendix 1 to the Federal Constitutional Law “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation”). Before this, the saddle was usually depicted in white.
Approved Decree of the President of the Russian Federation (#2050) “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation” dated November 30, 1993; Federal Constitutional Law (#2-FKZ) “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation”, adopted on December 8, 2000 by resolution (#899-III) of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, approved on December 20, 2000 by the Federation Council and signed by the President of the Russian Federation on December 25, 2000 of the year.
Rationale for symbolism:
The coat of arms of the Russian Federation is based on the historical coat of arms of the Russian Empire. The golden double-headed eagle on a red field preserves historical continuity in the colors of the coats of arms of the late 15th - 17th centuries. The eagle design goes back to images on monuments from the era of Peter the Great. Above the heads of the eagle are depicted three historical crowns of Peter the Great, symbolizing in the new conditions the sovereignty of both the entire Russian Federation and its parts, the subjects of the Federation; in the paws there is a scepter and an orb, personifying state power and a unified state; on the chest is an image of a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear. This is one of the ancient symbols of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, and the defense of the Fatherland. The restoration of the double-headed eagle as the State Emblem of Russia personifies the continuity and continuity of Russian history. Today's coat of arms of Russia is a new coat of arms, but its components are deeply traditional; it reflects different stages of Russian history and continues them on the eve of the third millennium.
A people that does not know its past is doomed. Our ancestors knew about this and, fortunately, we remember. After all, the experience of past generations is a huge layer of information that settles in the collective unconscious, as Jung called it, and shapes our reality, our idea of ourselves and our place in the world. In other words, any events of the past, rituals and symbolism of our ancestors still influence us on an unconscious level. It is wise of you to want to decipher and evaluate this impact.
For example, have you ever wondered what a coat of arms means? Various symbolic images have been known since time immemorial, the human desire to stand out among fellow humans is inherent in nature, nothing has changed over the past few thousand years. However, these distinctive symbols were not constant in use. It is believed that the coat of arms as a distinctive sign expressing the place and significance of the owner in the history of the state first appeared in the 10th century. The science of heraldry studies the role, essence and affiliation of coats of arms in history. Thanks to the revival of interest in history, today it is experiencing a boom.
- A double-headed eagle, looking in different directions, covering Europe and Asia with its gaze, is a symbol of the unity of these two principles, which very accurately reflects the multinational structure of both Byzantium and Russia. He is a symbol of the unification and unity of Russian lands.
- Three crowns symbolize today the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, previously the conquered Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian kingdoms.
- The scepter and orb represent state power.
- St. George the Victorious is a symbol of the victory of good over evil and the defense of the Fatherland.
Previously, the horseman was perceived as an image of the sovereign; it was replaced with St. George under Ivan the Terrible, thus introducing Orthodox symbols and establishing the power of Moscow.
Today there is a service for ordering and designing your own family coat of arms. You can use archival books and special websites to find out if you belong to the family that originally had a family coat of arms. Talented people have the opportunity to express themselves - to submit an application on a competitive basis to develop state symbols. Tenders are sometimes held by local authorities.Can be downloaded here.
The coat of arms of Russia is one of the main state symbols of Russia, along with the flag and anthem. After the RSFSR was renamed the Russian Federation on December 25, 1991, the country continued to use the old pre-revolutionary coat of arms with the image of a double-headed eagle.
The word coat of arms comes from the German word Erbe, which means inheritance. A coat of arms is a symbolic image that shows the historical traditions of a state or city. The coats of arms themselves appeared a very long time ago; the totems of primitive tribes can be considered their predecessors. Coastal tribes had figurines of dolphins and turtles as totems, steppe tribes had snakes, forest tribes had bears, deer, and wolves. A special role was played by the signs of the Sun, Moon, earth and water...
The reign of Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505) is the most important stage in the formation of a unified Russian state. Ivan III managed to finally eliminate dependence on the Golden Horde, repelling the campaign of Khan Akhmat against Moscow in 1480. The Grand Duchy of Moscow included Yaroslavl, Novgorod, Tver, and Perm lands. The country began to actively develop ties with other European countries, and its foreign policy position strengthened. In 1497, the all-Russian Code of Law was adopted - a single set of laws of the country - the prototype of the Constitution and codes. Actually, the time of formation of the symbols of Russian statehood can be counted from the reign of Ivan III.
Ivan III married the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologus and, to increase his authority in relations with foreign states, adopted the family coat of arms of the Byzantine kings - a double-headed eagle. The double-headed eagle of Byzantium personified the powerful Roman-Byzantine Empire, covering significant lands in both the East and the West. Emperor Maximilian II, however, spared Sophia his Imperial eagle; the eagle depicted on the banner of Sophia Paleologus did not have the Imperial crown, but only the Caesar's crown.
Nevertheless, the opportunity to become equal with all European sovereigns prompted Ivan III to accept this coat of arms as the heraldic symbol of his state. Having transformed from the Grand Duke into the Tsar of Moscow and taking a new coat of arms for his state - the Double-Headed Eagle, Ivan III in 1472 placed Caesar's crowns on both heads.
After the death of Vasily III, because his heir Ivan IV, who later received the name Grozny, was still small, the regency of his mother Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538) began, and the actual autocracy of the boyars Shuisky, Belsky (1538-1548) began. And here the Russian Eagle undergoes a very comical modification.
When Ivan IV turns 16 years old and is crowned king, the Eagle immediately undergoes a very significant change, as if personifying the entire era of the reign of Ivan the Terrible (1548-1574, 1576-1584).
The return of Ivan the Terrible to the throne causes the appearance of a new Eagle, the heads of which are crowned with one, common crown of a clearly Western design. But that’s not all, on the Eagle’s chest, instead of the icon of St. George the Victorious, an image of a unicorn appears. Why and why? One can only guess about this. True, in fairness it should be noted that this Eagle was quickly canceled by Ivan the Terrible. Apparently the tsar realized that such a fairy-tale zoo was inappropriate on the state emblem.
Ivan the Terrible dies and the weak, limited Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich “Blessed” (1584-1587) reigns on the throne. And again the Eagle changes its appearance. During the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, between the crowned heads of the double-headed eagle, the sign of the passion of Christ appears: the so-called Calvary cross. The cross on the state seal was a symbol of Orthodoxy, giving a religious connotation to the state emblem. The appearance of the “Golgotha cross” in the coat of arms of Russia coincides with the establishment of the patriarchate and ecclesiastical independence of Russia in 1589.
In the 17th century, the Orthodox cross was often depicted on Russian banners. The banners of foreign regiments that were part of the Russian army had their own emblems and inscriptions; however, an Orthodox cross was also placed on them, which indicated that the regiment fighting under this banner served the Orthodox sovereign. Until the middle of the 17th century, a seal was widely used, in which a double-headed eagle with a rider on its chest is crowned with two crowns, and an Orthodox eight-pointed cross rises between the heads of the eagle.
In connection with the Polish occupation, the Eagle becomes very similar to the Polish one, differing only in its two heads.
The shaky attempt to establish a new dynasty in the person of Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), the painters from the official hut reflected in Orel, deprived of all the attributes of sovereignty, and as if in mockery, from the place where the heads are fused, either a flower or a cone will grow. Russian history says very little about Tsar Vladislav I Sigismundovich (1610-1612); however, he was not crowned in Rus', but he issued decrees, his image was minted on coins, and the Russian State Eagle had its own forms with him. Moreover, for the first time the Scepter appears in the Eagle’s paw. The short and essentially fictitious reign of this king actually put an end to the Troubles.
The Time of Troubles ended, Russia repelled the claims to the throne of the Polish and Swedish dynasties. Numerous impostors were defeated, and the uprisings that flared in the country were suppressed. Since 1613, by decision of the Zemsky Sobor, the Romanov dynasty began to rule in Russia. Under the first king of this dynasty - Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645), popularly nicknamed "The Quietest" - the State Emblem changes somewhat. In 1625, for the first time, a double-headed eagle was depicted under three crowns; St. George the Victorious returned on the chest, but no longer in the form of an icon, in the form of a shield. Also, in icons, St. George the Victorious always galloped from left to right, i.e. from west to east towards the eternal enemies - the Mongol-Tatars. Now the enemy was in the west, the Polish gangs and the Roman Curia did not abandon their hopes of bringing Rus' to the Catholic faith.
In 1645, under the son of Mikhail Fedorovich - Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich - the first Great State Seal appeared, on which a double-headed eagle with a rider on his chest was crowned with three crowns. From that time on, this type of image was constantly used.
In contrast to the Byzantine model and, perhaps, under the influence of the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, the double-headed eagle, starting in 1654, began to be depicted with raised wings. And then the eagle “flew up” onto the spiers of the Moscow Kremlin towers.
In 1667, after a long war between Russia and Poland over Ukraine, the Truce of Andrusovo was concluded. To seal this agreement, a Great Seal was made with a double-headed eagle under three crowns, with a shield with a rider on the chest, with a scepter and an orb in its paws.
In the same year, the first in the history of Russia Decree of December 14 “On the royal title and on the state seal” appeared, which contained the official description of the coat of arms: “The double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of all Great and Lesser and White Russia autocrat, His Royal Majesty of the Russian reign, on which three crowns are depicted signifying the three great Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms. On the chest (chest) there is an image of the heir; in the claws (claws) there is a scepter and an apple, and reveals the most gracious Sovereign, His Royal Majesty Autocrat and Possessor."
In 1696, the throne went to Peter I Alekseevich “the Great” (1689-1725). And almost immediately the State Emblem dramatically changes its shape. The era of great transformations begins. The capital is moved to St. Petersburg and Oryol takes on new attributes. Crowns appear on the heads under one common larger one, and on the chest there is an order chain of the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called. This order, approved by Peter in 1798, became the first in the system of highest state awards in Russia. The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, one of the heavenly patrons of Peter Alekseevich, was declared the patron saint of Russia.
The blue oblique St. Andrew's Cross (at the bottom of the eagle's plumage) becomes the main element of the insignia of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and the symbol of the Russian Navy. Since 1699, there have been images of a double-headed eagle surrounded by a chain with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew. And already next year the Order of St. Andrew is placed around a shield with a rider.
It is also important to say about another Eagle, which Peter painted as a very young boy for the banner of the Amusing Regiment. This Eagle had only one paw, for: “Whoever has only one land army has one hand, but whoever has a fleet has two hands.”
With minor or significant, but short-term, changes, this image of the coat of arms of Russia existed until the beginning of the reign of Paul I (1796-1801), who made an attempt to introduce the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire. On December 16, 1800, he signed the Manifesto, which described this complex project. Forty-three coats of arms were placed in the multi-field shield and on nine small shields. In the center was the above-described coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross, larger than the others. The shield with coats of arms is superimposed on the Maltese cross, and under it the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called again appears. The shield holders, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, support the imperial crown over the knight's helmet and cloak. The entire composition is placed against the background of a mantle with a dome - a heraldic symbol of sovereignty. From behind the shield with coats of arms emerge two standards with a double-headed and a single-headed eagles... This project, thank God, was not approved.
In 1855-1857, during the heraldic reform, which was carried out under the leadership of Baron B. Kene, the type of state eagle was changed under the influence of German designs. The drawing of the Small Coat of Arms of Russia, executed by Alexander Fadeev, was approved by the highest on December 8, 1856. This version of the coat of arms differed from the previous ones not only in the image of an eagle, but also in the number of “title” coats of arms on the wings. On the right were shields with the coats of arms of Kazan, Poland, Tauride Chersonese and the combined coat of arms of the Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod), on the left were shields with the coats of arms of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland.
On April 11, 1857, the Supreme approval of the entire set of state emblems followed. It included: Big, Middle and Small, coats of arms of members of the imperial family, as well as “titular” coats of arms. At the same time, drawings of the Large, Middle and Small state seals, arks (cases) for seals, as well as seals of the main and lower official places and persons were approved. In total, one hundred and ten drawings were approved in one act, which we, of course, will not present.
With minor changes introduced in 1882 by Alexander III, the coat of arms of Russia existed until 1917.
The Commission of the Provisional Government came to the conclusion that the double-headed eagle itself does not carry any monarchical or dynastic characteristics, therefore, deprived of a crown, scepter, orb, coats of arms of kingdoms, lands and all other heraldic attributes, it was “left in service” - absolutely naked ...
The Bolsheviks had a completely different opinion. By decree of the Council of People's Commissars of November 10, 1917, along with estates, ranks, titles and old regime orders, the coat of arms and flag were completely abolished. But making the decision turned out to be easier than implementing it. State bodies continued to exist and function, so for another six months the old coat of arms was used where necessary, on signs indicating government bodies and in documents.
The new coat of arms of Russia was adopted along with the new constitution in July 1918. Initially, the ears of corn were not crowned with a five-pointed star; it was introduced a few years later as a symbol of the unity of the proletariat of the five continents of the planet.
The double-headed eagle was finally retired, leaving only to “sit” on the towers of the Moscow Kremlin. The Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks replaced them with ruby stars only in 1935.
In 1990, the Government of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the creation of the State Emblem and State Flag of the RSFSR. After a comprehensive discussion, the Government Commission proposed to recommend to the Government a coat of arms - a golden double-headed eagle on a red field. In 1993, by decree of President B.N. Yeltsin, the double-headed Eagle was re-approved as the state emblem. And only in 2000 the double-headed Eagle was finally approved by the State Duma. The modern coat of arms is based on the coat of arms of Peter I. But the double-headed eagle is gold in color, not black, and it is placed on a red heraldic shield.
Throughout the history of our state, each ruler contributed to the formation of the coat of arms, and, often, the historical events taking place at that moment were reflected on it. His character and political views were also reflected in his portrayal. All the details of the formation of the state wallpaper can be found in the history of its state symbols...
The eagle originally appeared in Russia from the collapsed mighty Roman Empire. It was necessary for the then still very young Russian state, as a symbol of power. The stronger Russia became, the more confident and powerful the eagle on the coat of arms looked.
Over time, having become a huge and independent state, Russia acquired all the attributes of statehood and power on its coat of arms: a crown, a scepter and an orb, which even now partly personify the modern Russian state.
The final version of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation was approved by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 30, 1993. The author of the sketch of the coat of arms is artist E.I. Ukhnalev.
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