State emblem of Russia: history and meaning. State emblem of Russia: history and hidden meaning

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.

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

The Russian state emblem is, along with the flag and anthem, one of the main official symbols of our country. Its main element is a double-headed eagle spreading its wings. Officially, the state emblem was approved by decree of the first President of the Russian Federation on November 30, 1993. However, the double-headed eagle is a much more ancient symbol, the history of which is lost in the dark depths of past centuries.

The image of this heraldic bird first appeared in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, during the reign of John III. Since then, transforming and changing, the double-headed eagle has invariably been present in the state symbols of first the Moscow Principality, then the Russian Empire, and, finally, modern Russia. This tradition was interrupted only in the last century - for seven decades the huge country lived under the shadow of the hammer and sickle... The wings of the double-headed eagle helped the Russian Empire take off powerfully and swiftly, however, its fall was completely tragic.

However, despite such a long history, there are many mysterious and incomprehensible moments in the origin and meaning of this symbol, which historians still argue about.

What does the coat of arms of Russia mean? What metamorphoses has it undergone over the past centuries? Why and where did this strange two-headed bird come to us, and what does it symbolize? Were there alternative versions of the Russian coat of arms in ancient times?

The history of the Russian Coat of Arms is indeed very rich and interesting, but before moving on to it and trying to answer the above questions, a brief description of this main Russian symbol should be given.

Coat of arms of Russia: description and main elements

The state emblem of Russia is a red (scarlet) shield, on which there is an image of a golden double-headed eagle spreading its wings. Each of the bird's heads is crowned with a small crown, above which there is a large crown. They are all connected with tape. This is a sign of the sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

In one paw the eagle holds a scepter, and in the other - an orb, which symbolizes the unity of the country and state power. In the central part of the coat of arms, on the chest of the eagle, there is a red shield with a silver (white) rider who pierces a dragon with a spear. This is the oldest heraldic symbol of the Russian lands - the so-called rider - which began to be depicted on seals and coins since the 13th century. It symbolizes the victory of the bright principle over evil, the warrior-defender of the Fatherland, who has been especially revered in Russia since ancient times.

To the above, we can also add that the author of the modern Russian state emblem is the St. Petersburg artist Evgeny Ukhnalev.

Where did the double-headed eagle come from to Russia?

The main mystery of the Russian coat of arms, without a doubt, is the origin and meaning of its main element - an eagle with two heads. In school history textbooks, everything is explained simply: the Moscow prince Ivan III, having married the Byzantine princess and heir to the throne Zoya (Sophya) Paleologus, received the coat of arms of the Eastern Roman Empire as a dowry. And “in addition” is the concept of Moscow as the “Third Rome”, which Russia is still trying (with more or less success) to promote in relations with its closest neighbors.

This hypothesis was first expressed by Nikolai Karamzin, who is rightly called the father of Russian historical science. However, this version does not suit modern researchers at all, because there are too many inconsistencies in it.

Firstly, the double-headed eagle was never the state emblem of Byzantium. He, as such, did not exist at all. The strange bird was the coat of arms of the Palaiologos, the last dynasty to rule in Constantinople. Secondly, it raises serious doubts that Sophia could have conveyed anything to the Moscow sovereign at all. She was not the heir to the throne, she was born in Morea, spent her adolescence at the papal court and was far from Constantinople all her life. In addition, Ivan III himself never made any claims to the Byzantine throne, and the first image of a double-headed eagle appeared only several decades after the wedding of Ivan and Sophia.

The double-headed eagle is a very ancient symbol. It first appears among the Sumerians. In Mesopotamia, the eagle was considered an attribute of supreme power. This bird was especially revered in the Hittite kingdom, a powerful Bronze Age empire that competed on equal terms with the state of the pharaohs. It was from the Hittites that the double-headed eagle was borrowed by the Persians, Medes, Armenians, and then the Mongols, Turks and Byzantines. The double-headed eagle has always been associated with the sun and solar beliefs. In some drawings, the ancient Greek Helios rules a chariot drawn by two double-headed eagles...

In addition to the Byzantine one, there are three more versions of the origin of the Russian double-headed eagle:

Bulgarian;
Western European;
Mongolian

In the 15th century, Ottoman expansion forced many South Slavs to leave their homeland and seek refuge in foreign lands. Bulgarians and Serbs fled en masse to the Orthodox Principality of Moscow. The double-headed eagle has been common in these lands since ancient times. For example, this symbol was depicted on Bulgarian coins of the Second Kingdom. Although, it should be noted that the appearance of Eastern European eagles was very different from the Russian “bird”.

It is noteworthy that at the very beginning of the 15th century, the double-headed eagle became the state emblem of the Holy Roman Empire. It is possible that Ivan III, having adopted this symbol, wanted to equal the power of the strongest European state of his time.

There is also a Mongolian version of the origin of the double-headed eagle. In the Horde, this symbol was minted on coins since the beginning of the 13th century; among the clan attributes of the Genghisids there was a black two-headed bird, which most researchers consider to be an eagle. At the end of the 13th century, that is, long before the marriage of Ivan III and Princess Sophia, the Horde ruler Nogai married the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Euphrosyne Palaiologos, and, according to some historians, officially adopted the double-headed eagle as an official symbol.

Considering the close ties between Muscovy and the Horde, the Mongol theory of the origin of the main Russian symbol seems very plausible.

By the way, we do not know what color the Russian eagle of the “early versions” was. For example, on the royal weapons of the 17th century it is white.

Summarizing all of the above, we can state that we do not know for certain why and where the double-headed eagle came to Russia. Currently, historians consider the “Bulgarian” and “European” versions of its origin to be the most likely.

The very appearance of the bird raises no less questions. Why she has two heads is absolutely unclear. The explanation for turning each head to the East and West appeared only in the middle of the 19th century and is associated with the traditional location of the cardinal points on the geographical map. What if it were different? Would the eagle look north and south? It is likely that they simply took the symbol they liked, without particularly “bothering” with its meaning.

By the way, before the eagle, other animals were depicted on Moscow coins and seals. A very common symbol was the unicorn, as well as a lion tearing a snake.

The horseman on the coat of arms: why it appeared and what it means

The second central element of the Russian national coat of arms is a rider on a horse slaying a serpent. This symbol appeared in Russian heraldry long before the double-headed eagle. Today it is strongly associated with the saint and great martyr George the Victorious, but initially it had a different meaning. And he was most often confused with George by foreigners coming to Muscovy.

For the first time, the image of an equestrian warrior - a “rider” - appears on Russian coins at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries. By the way, this cavalryman was not always armed with a spear. Options with a sword and a bow have reached us.

On the coins of Prince Ivan II the Red, a warrior appears for the first time slaying a snake with a sword. True, he was on foot. After this, the motive for the destruction of various reptiles becomes one of the most popular in Rus'. During the period of feudal fragmentation, it was used by various princes, and after the formation of the Moscow state, it turned into one of its main symbols. The meaning of “rider” is quite simple and lies on the surface - it is the victory of good over evil.

For a long time, the horseman symbolized not the heavenly warrior, but exclusively the prince and his supreme power. There was no talk of any Saint George. So, for example, on the coins of Prince Vasily Vasilyevich (this is the 15th century) there was an inscription next to the rider that clarified that this was really a prince.

The final change in this paradigm occurred much later, already during the reign of Peter the Great. Although, they began to associate the horseman with St. George the Victorious already in the time of Ivan the Terrible.

Russian sovereign eagle: flight through centuries

As mentioned above, the double-headed eagle became the official Russian symbol under Ivan III. The first evidence of its use that has survived to this day was the royal seal that sealed the exchange document in 1497. Around the same time, an eagle appeared on the walls of the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin.

The double-headed eagle of that time was very different from its later “modifications”. His paws were open, or, translating from the language of heraldry, there was nothing in them - the scepter and orb appeared later.

It is believed that the placement of the rider on the chest of the eagle is associated with the existence of two royal seals - the Greater and the Lesser. The latter had a double-headed eagle on one side and a rider on the other. The great royal seal had only one side, and in order to place both state seals on it, they simply decided to combine them. For the first time such a composition is found on the seals of Ivan the Terrible. At the same time, a crown with a cross appears above the eagle’s head.

During the reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan IV, the so-called Calvary cross appears between the heads of the eagle - a symbol of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ.

Even False Dmitry I was involved in the design of the Russian state emblem. He turned the rider in the other direction, which was more consistent with the heraldic traditions accepted in Europe. However, after his overthrow, these innovations were abandoned. By the way, all subsequent impostors gladly used the double-headed eagle, without trying to replace it with anything else.

After the end of the Time of Troubles and the accession of the Romanov dynasty, changes were made to the coat of arms. The eagle became more aggressive, attacking - it spread its wings and opened its beaks. Under the first sovereign of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, the Russian eagle first received a scepter and orb, although their image had not yet become mandatory.

During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the eagle for the first time receives three crowns, which symbolize the three new recently conquered kingdoms - Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian, and the scepter and orb become mandatory. In 1667, the first official description of the state coat of arms appeared (“Decree on the Coat of Arms”).

During the reign of Peter I, the eagle becomes black, and its paws, eyes, tongue and beak become gold. The shape of the crowns also changes, they acquire a characteristic “imperial” look. The dragon became black, and St. George the Victorious - silver. This color scheme will remain unchanged until the 1917 revolution.

Russian Emperor Paul I was also the Supreme Master of the Order of Malta. He tried to immortalize this fact in the state emblem. A Maltese cross and crown were placed on the eagle’s chest under a shield with a rider. However, after the death of the emperor, all these innovations were canceled by his successor Alexander I.

Loving order, Nicholas I began standardizing state symbols. Under him, two state emblems were officially approved: standard and simplified. Previously, inappropriate liberties were often taken in the images of the main sovereign symbol. The bird could hold in its paws not only a scepter and an orb, but also various wreaths, torches, and lightning. Her wings were also depicted in different ways.

In the mid-19th century, Emperor Alexander II carried out a major heraldic reform, which affected not only the coat of arms, but also the imperial flag. It was led by Baron B. Kene. In 1856, a new small coat of arms was approved, and a year later the reform was completed - medium and large state emblems appeared. After it, the eagle’s appearance changed somewhat; it began to look more like its German “brother.” But, most importantly, now St. George the Victorious began to look in a different direction, which was more in line with European heraldic canons. Eight shields with the coats of arms of the lands and principalities that were part of the empire were placed on the eagle’s wings.

Whirlwinds of revolution and modern times

The February Revolution overturned all the foundations of the Russian state. Society needed new symbols that were not associated with the hated autocracy. In September 1917, a special commission was created, which included the most eminent experts in heraldry. Considering that the issue of a new coat of arms was primarily political, they proposed temporarily, until the convening of the Constituent Assembly, to use the double-headed eagle of the period of Ivan III, removing any royal symbols.

The drawing proposed by the commission was approved by the Provisional Government. The new coat of arms was in use throughout almost the entire territory of the former empire until the adoption of the Constitution of the RSFSR in 1918. From that moment until 1991, completely different symbols fluttered over 1/6 of the land...

In 1993, by presidential decree, the double-headed eagle again became the main state symbol of Russia. In 2000, parliament adopted a corresponding law regarding the coat of arms, in which its appearance was clarified.

February 12th, 2013

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.

Coats of arms appeared a very long time ago. The predecessors of coats of arms can be considered the totems of primitive tribes. 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, and water.

The Double-Headed Eagle is one of the oldest heraldic figures. There is still a lot of uncertainty about the appearance of the double-headed eagle as a symbol. It is known, for example, that he was depicted in the Hittite state, a rival of Egypt, which existed in Asia Minor in the second millennium BC. In the 6th century BC. e., as archaeologists testify, the image of a double-headed eagle can be traced in Media, east of the former Hittite kingdom.

From the end of the 14th century. The golden double-headed Eagle, looking to the West and East, placed on a red field, becomes the state symbol of the Byzantine Empire. He personified the unity of Europe and Asia, divinity, greatness and power, as well as victory, courage, faith. Allegorically, the ancient image of a two-headed bird could mean a still-waking guardian who sees everything in both the east and the west. The golden color, meaning wealth, prosperity and eternity, in the latter meaning is still used in icon painting.

There are many myths and scientific hypotheses about the reasons for the appearance of the double-headed eagle in Russia. According to one hypothesis, the main state symbol of the Byzantine Empire - the double-headed Eagle - appeared in Rus' more than 500 years ago in 1472, after the marriage of the Grand Duke of Moscow John III Vasilyevich, who completed the unification of the Russian lands around Moscow, and the Byzantine princess Sophia (Zoe) Paleologue - nieces of the last Emperor of Constantinople, Constantine XI Palaiologos-Dragas.

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 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.

Double-headed eagle of the Byzantine Empire, ca. XV century

Nevertheless, the opportunity to become equal with all European sovereigns prompted Ivan III to adopt 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, at the same time a shield with the image of the icon of St. George the Victorious appeared on the eagle's chest. In 1480, the Tsar of Moscow became Autocrat, i.e. independent and self-sufficient. This circumstance is reflected in the modification of the Eagle; a sword and an Orthodox cross appear in its paws.

The twinning of dynasties not only symbolized the continuity of power of the Moscow princes from Byzantium, but also put them on a par with European sovereigns. The combination of the coat of arms of Byzantium and the more ancient coat of arms of Moscow formed a new coat of arms, which became a symbol of the Russian state. However, this did not happen immediately. Sophia Paleologus, who ascended the Moscow grand-ducal throne, brought with her not a golden Eagle - the emblem of the Empire, but a black one, signifying the family coat of arms of the dynasty.

This eagle had not an imperial crown over its heads, but only a Caesar’s crown and did not hold any attributes in its paws. The eagle was woven in black silk on a gold banner, which was carried at the head of the wedding train. And only in 1480 after the “Standing on the Ugra”, which marked the end of the 240-year Mongol-Tatar yoke, when John III became autocrat and sovereign of “all Rus'” (in a number of documents he is already called “tsar” - from the Byzantine “Caesar” ), the former Byzantine golden double-headed eagle acquires the significance of a Russian state symbol.

The Eagle's head is crowned with the autocratic cap of Monomakh; he takes into his paws a cross (not a four-pointed Byzantine one, but an eight-pointed one - Russian) as a symbol of Orthodoxy, and a sword, as a symbol of the ongoing struggle for the independence of the Russian state, which only the grandson of John III, John IV, manages to complete ( Grozny).

On the Eagle's chest is an image of St. George, who was revered in Rus' as the patron saint of warriors, farmers and the entire Russian land. The image of the Heavenly Warrior on a white horse, striking the Serpent with a spear, was placed on the grand ducal seals, banners (banners) of princely squads, on the helmets and shields of Russian soldiers, coins and seal rings - insignia of military leaders. Since ancient times, the image of St. George has adorned the coat of arms of Moscow, because St. George himself has been considered the patron saint of the city since the time of Dmitry Donskoy.

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Liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke (1480) was marked by the appearance of the now Russian double-headed eagle on the spire of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. A symbol that personifies the supreme power of the sovereign-autocrat and the idea of unifying the Russian lands.

Double-headed eagles found in coats of arms are not that uncommon. Since the 13th century, they appear in the coats of arms of the counts of Savoy and Würzburg, on Bavarian coins, and are known in the heraldry of the knights of Holland and the Balkan countries. At the beginning of the 15th century, Emperor Sigismund I made the double-headed eagle the coat of arms of the Holy Roman (later German) Empire. The eagle was depicted black on a gold shield with gold beaks and claws. The Eagle's heads were surrounded by halos.

Thus, an understanding of the image of the double-headed Eagle as a symbol of a single state, consisting of several equal parts, was formed. After the collapse of the empire in 1806, the double-headed eagle became the coat of arms of Austria (until 1919). Both Serbia and Albania have it in their coats of arms. It is also in the coats of arms of the descendants of the Greek emperors.

How did he appear in Byzantium? In 326, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great adopted the double-headed eagle as his symbol. In 330, he moved the capital of the empire to Constantinople, and from that time on, the double-headed eagle was the state emblem. The empire splits into western and eastern, and the double-headed eagle becomes the coat of arms of Byzantium.

The collapsed Byzantine Empire makes the Russian Eagle the successor of the Byzantine one and the son of Ivan III, Vasily III (1505-1533) places one common autocratic Monomakh's Cap on both heads of the Eagle. 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 comic modification.

It should be noted that the year of the creation of the State Emblem of Russia is considered to be 1497, despite its quarter-century distance from the marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Paleologus. This year dates back to the letter of grant from Ivan III Vasilyevich to his nephews, the Volotsk princes Fyodor and Ivan Borisovich, in the Buigorod and Kolp volosts in the Volotsk and Tver districts.

The diploma was sealed with a double-sided hanging red wax seal of the Grand Duke, which was perfectly preserved and has survived to this day. On the front side of the seal there is a picture of a horseman slaying a serpent with a spear and a circular inscription (legend) “John by the grace of God, the ruler of all Rus' and the great prince”; on the reverse there is a double-headed Eagle with outstretched wings and crowns on their heads, a circular inscription listing its possessions.

Seal of Ivan III Vasilyevich, front and back, late 15th century.

One of the first to draw attention to this seal was the famous Russian historian and writer N.M. Karamzin. The seal differed from previous princely seals, and most importantly, for the first time (from the material sources that have come down to us) it demonstrated the “reunion” of the images of the double-headed Eagle and St. George. Of course, it can be assumed that similar seals were used to seal letters earlier than 1497, but there is no evidence for this. In any case, many historical studies of the last century agreed on this date, and the 400th anniversary of the Russian coat of arms in 1897 was celebrated very solemnly.

Ivan IV turns 16 years old, and he is crowned king and immediately the Eagle undergoes a very significant change, as if personifying the entire era of the reign of Ivan the Terrible (1548-1574, 1576-1584). But during the reign of Ivan the Terrible there was a period when he renounced the Kingdom and retired to a monastery, handing over the reins of power to Semyon Bekbulatovich Kasimovsky (1574-1576), and in fact to the boyars. And the Eagle reacted to the events taking place with another change.

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? One can only guess about this. True, in fairness it should be noted that this Eagle was quickly canceled by Ivan the Terrible.

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. Another coat of arms of Fyodor Ivanovich is also known, which is somewhat different from the above.

Boris Godunov (1587-1605), who replaced Fyodor Ivanovich, could be the founder of a new dynasty. His occupation of the throne was completely legal, but popular rumor did not want to see him as a legitimate Tsar, considering him a regicide. And Orel reflects this public opinion.

The enemies of Rus' took advantage of the troubles and the appearance of False Dmitry (1605-1606) in these conditions was quite natural, as was the appearance of a new Eagle. It must be said that some seals depicted a different, clearly not Russian Eagle. Here events also left their mark on Orel and in connection with the Polish occupation, Orel becomes very similar to Polish, differing, perhaps, in having 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 Quiet" - 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.

The next stage of changing the State Emblem came after the Pereyaslav Rada, the entry of Ukraine into the Russian state. At the celebrations on this occasion, a new, unprecedented three-headed Eagle appears, which was supposed to symbolize the new title of the Russian Tsar: “Tsar, Sovereign and Autocrat of All Great and Small and White Rus'.”

A seal was attached to the charter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Bogdan Khmelnitsky and his descendants for the city of Gadyach dated March 27, 1654, on which for the first time a double-headed eagle under three crowns is depicted holding symbols of power in its claws: a scepter and an orb.

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.

In 1654, a forged double-headed eagle was installed on the spire of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin.

In 1663, for the first time in Russian history, the Bible, the main book of Christianity, came out of the printing press in Moscow. It is no coincidence that it depicted the State Emblem of Russia and gave a poetic “explanation” of it:

The eastern eagle shines with three crowns,
Shows faith, hope, love for God,
Krile stretches out, embraces all the worlds of the end,
North, south, from the east all the way to the west of the sun
With outstretched wings it covers goodness.

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's autocrat, His Tsarist 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 grooves (claws) there is a scepter and an apple, and reveals the most merciful Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor.”

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich dies and the short and unremarkable reign of his son Fyodor Alekseevich (1676-1682) begins. The three-headed Eagle is replaced by the old two-headed Eagle and at the same time does not reflect anything new. After a short struggle with the boyars’ choice for the kingdom of the young Peter, under the regency of his mother Natalya Kirillovna, a second king, the weak and limited John, was elevated to the throne. And behind the double royal throne stands Princess Sophia (1682-1689). The actual reign of Sophia brought into existence a new Eagle. However, he did not last long. After a new outbreak of unrest - the Streletsky revolt - a new Eagle appears. Moreover, the old Eagle does not disappear and both of them exist for some time in parallel.

In the end, Sophia, having suffered defeat, goes to a monastery, and in 1696 Tsar John V also dies, the throne goes solely 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 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 next year the Order of St. Andrew is placed on the eagle, around a shield with a rider.

From the first quarter of the 18th century, the colors of the double-headed eagle became brown (natural) or black.

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.”

During the short reign of Catherine I (1725-1727), the Eagle again changed its forms, the ironic nickname “Marsh Queen” was everywhere and, accordingly, the Eagle simply could not help but change. However, this Eagle lasted for a very short period of time. Menshikov, paying attention to it, ordered it to be removed from use, and by the day of the coronation of the Empress, a new Eagle appeared. 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.”

Under Empress Catherine I, the color scheme of the coat of arms was finally established - black Eagle on a gold (yellow) field, white (silver) Horseman on a red field.

State Banner of Russia, 1882 (Reconstruction by R.I. Malanichev)

After the death of Catherine I during the short reign of Peter II (1727-1730), the grandson of Peter I, Orel remained virtually unchanged.

However, the reign of Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740) and Ivan VI (1740-1741), the great-grandson of Peter I, did not cause practically any change in the Eagle, with the exception of the body being exorbitantly elongated upward. However, the accession to the throne of Empress Elizabeth (1740-1761) entailed a radical change in the Eagle. Nothing remains of the imperial power, and St. George the Victorious is replaced by a cross (besides, not an Orthodox one). The humiliating period of Russia added the humiliating Eagle.

Orel did not react in any way to the very short and extremely offensive reign of Peter III (1761-1762) for the Russian people. In 1762, Catherine II “The Great” (1762-1796) ascended the throne and the Eagle changed, acquiring powerful and grandiose forms. In the coinage of this reign there were many arbitrary forms of the coat of arms. The most interesting form is the Eagle, which appeared during the time of Pugachev with a huge and not entirely familiar crown.

The Eagle of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801) appeared long before the death of Catherine II, as if in contrast to her Eagle, to distinguish the Gatchina battalions from the entire Russian Army, to be worn on buttons, badges and headdresses. Finally, he appears on the standard of the crown prince himself. This Eagle is created by Paul himself.

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.

As a result of the conspiracy, on March 11, 1801, Paul fell at the hands of the palace regicides. 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 (according to the official version) dies in Taganrog and Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855), strong-willed 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.

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.

Another Eagle of Emperor Alexander II (1855-1881) is also known, where the shine of gold returns to the Eagle. The scepter and orb are replaced by a torch and a wreath. During the reign, the wreath and torch are replaced several times by the scepter and orb and return several times.

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 large Russian state emblem, Supremely approved on November 3, 1882, contains a black double-headed eagle in a golden shield, crowned with two imperial crowns, above which is the same, but larger, crown, with two fluttering ends of the ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew. The state eagle holds a golden scepter and orb. On the eagle's chest is the coat of arms of Moscow. The shield is topped with the helmet of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. Black and gold mantle. Around the shield is a chain of the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called; On the sides there are images of Saints Archangel Michael and Archangel Gabriel. The canopy is golden, crowned with the imperial crown, dotted with Russian eagles and lined with ermine. On it is a scarlet inscription: God is with us! Above the canopy is a state banner with an eight-pointed cross on the pole.

On February 23, 1883, the Middle and two versions of the Small coat of arms were approved. 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, but with all its strict contours it is the most elegant.

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.”

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 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.

It seemed that the double-headed eagle had been finally retired, but as if doubting this, the authorities were in no hurry to remove the eagles from the towers of the Moscow Kremlin. This happened only in 1935, when the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks decided to replace the previous symbols with ruby stars.

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.

The eagles were removed from the Kremlin towers in 1935. The revival of the Russian Eagle became possible after the collapse of the USSR and with the return of true statehood to Russia, although the development of state symbols of the Russian Federation had been going on since the spring of 1991, during the existence of the USSR.
Moreover, there were three approaches to this issue from the very beginning: the first was to improve the Soviet symbolism, which was alien to Russia but had become familiar; the second is the adoption of fundamentally new, without ideology, symbols of statehood (birch leaf, swan, etc.); and finally, the third is the restoration of historical traditions. The image of the double-headed Eagle with all its traditional attributes of state power was taken as the basis.

However, the symbolism of the coat of arms has been rethought and received a modern interpretation, more in line with the spirit of the times and democratic changes in the country. In the modern meaning, the crowns on the State Emblem of the Russian Federation can be considered in the same way as symbols of the three branches of government - executive, representative and judicial. In any case, they should not be identified with symbols of empire and monarchy. The scepter (originally as a striking weapon - a mace, the pole - a symbol of military leaders) can be interpreted as a symbol of the protection of sovereignty, a power - symbolizes the unity, integrity and legal nature of the state.

The Byzantine Empire was a Eurasian power; Greeks, Armenians, Slavs, and other peoples lived in it. The eagle in her coat of arms with heads looking to the West and the East symbolized, among other things, the unity of these two principles. This is also true for Russia, which has always been a multinational country, uniting the peoples of Europe and Asia under one coat of arms. The sovereign eagle of Russia is not only a symbol of its statehood, but also a symbol of our ancient roots and thousand-year history.

Back at the end of 1990, the Government of the RSFSR adopted a Resolution on the creation of the State Emblem and State Flag of the RSFSR. Many specialists were involved in the preparation of proposals on this issue. In the spring of 1991, officials came to the conclusion that the State Emblem of the RSFSR should be a golden double-headed Eagle on a red field, and the State Flag should be a white-blue-red flag.

In December 1991, the Government of the RSFSR at its meeting reviewed the proposed versions of the coat of arms, and the approved projects were sent for revision. Created in February 1992, the State Heraldic Service of the Russian Federation (since July 1994 - State Heraldry under the President of the Russian Federation) headed by the Deputy Director of the State Hermitage for Scientific Work (State Master of Arms) G.V. Vilinbakhov had one of her tasks to participate in the development of state symbols.

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.

The restoration of the centuries-old historical symbol of our Fatherland - the Double-Headed Eagle - can only be welcomed. However, a very important point should be taken into account - the existence of the restored and legalized coat of arms in the form in which we now see it everywhere imposes considerable responsibility on the state.

A.G. writes about this in his recently published book “The Origins of Russian Heraldry”. Silaev. In his book, the author, based on a painstaking study of historical materials, very interestingly and widely reveals the very essence of the origin of the image of the Double-Headed Eagle, its basis - mythological, religious, political.

In particular, we are talking about the artistic embodiment of the current coat of arms of the Russian Federation. Yes, indeed, many specialists and artists were involved in the work on creating (or recreating) the coat of arms of the new Russia. A large number of beautifully executed projects were proposed, but for some reason the choice fell on a sketch made by a person who was actually far from heraldry. How else can we explain the fact that the current depiction of the double-headed eagle contains a number of annoying flaws and inaccuracies that are noticeable to any professional artist.

Have you ever seen narrow-eyed eagles in nature? What about parrot beaks? Alas, the image of a double-headed eagle is not decorated with very thin legs and sparse plumage. As for the description of the coat of arms, unfortunately, from the point of view of the rules of heraldry, it remains inaccurate and superficial. And all this is present in the State Emblem of Russia! Where, after all, is the respect for one’s national symbols and one’s own history?! Was it really so difficult to more carefully study the heraldic images of the predecessors of the modern eagle - ancient Russian coats of arms? After all, this is a wealth of historical material!

sources

http://ria.ru/politics/20081130/156156194.html

http://nechtoportal.ru/otechestvennaya-istoriya/istoriya-gerba-rossii.html

http://wordweb.ru/2011/04/19/orel-dvoeglavyjj.html

And I'll remind you

The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Almost every country in the world has its own coat of arms. Depending on the basis on which the state arose, its history can be either centuries old or completely absent, and the symbol of the state itself can only be a more or less modern creation that takes into account the current political situation in the country and the peculiarities of its emergence. The eagle on the coat of arms of Russia appeared a very long time ago, and although such a symbol was not used for a long time during the existence of the Soviet Union, now the situation has changed, and it has returned to its rightful place.

History of the coat of arms

In fact, the eagle appeared on the coats of arms of many princes long before it became the official symbol of the state. It is officially believed that in a version that is as similar as possible to the modern one, the coat of arms first began to appear around the time of Ivan the Terrible. Before this, the same symbol was present in the Byzantine Empire, which was considered the Second Rome. The double-headed eagle on the coat of arms of Russia is intended to show that it is the direct successor of Byzantium and the Third Rome. In different periods, right up to the appearance of the large coat of arms of the Russian Empire, this symbol was constantly modified and acquired various elements. The result was the most complex coat of arms in the world, which existed until 1917. Historically, the Russian flag with a coat of arms was used in many situations, from the personal standard of the sovereign to the designation of state campaigns.

The meaning of the coat of arms

The main element is a double-headed eagle, which is intended to symbolize Russia's orientation to both the West and the East, while it is understood that the country itself is neither West nor East and combines their best qualities. The rider on a horse, killing a snake, located in the middle of the coat of arms, has a fairly ancient history. Almost all ancient princes in Rus' used similar images on their symbols. It was understood that the rider himself was the prince. Only later, already in the time of Peter the Great, it was decided that the horseman was St. George the Victorious.

An interesting fact is that on some of the coats of arms of the ancient princes images of foot soldiers were also used, and the direction in which the rider was located also changed. For example, on the coat of arms of False Dmitry the horseman is turned to the right, which is more consistent with the traditional symbolism of the West, while previously he was turned to the left. The three crowns that are located on top of the coat of arms did not appear immediately. At different periods of time there were from one to three crowns, and only the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was the first to give an explanation - the crowns symbolized three kingdoms: Siberian, Astrakhan and Kazan. Later, crowns were recognized as symbols of the state's independence. There is a sad and interesting moment associated with this. In 1917, by decree of the provisional government, the coat of arms of Russia was once again changed. The crowns, which were considered symbols of tsarism, were removed from it, but from the point of view of the science of heraldry, the state independently renounced its own independence.

The orb and scepter that the double-headed eagle holds in its paws traditionally symbolize a unified empire and state power (and these were also removed in 1917). Despite the fact that traditionally the eagle was depicted in gold on a red background, during the times of the Russian Empire, without thinking twice, they took the colors traditional not for our state, but for Germany, so the eagle turned out to be black and on a yellow background. Eagle gold symbolizes wealth, prosperity, grace and so on. The red color of the background symbolized in ancient times the color of sacrificial love, in a more modern interpretation - the color of courage, bravery, love and blood that was shed during the battles for the homeland. The Russian flag with its coat of arms is also sometimes used.

Coats of arms of Russian cities

In most cases, coats of arms exist not for cities, but for constituent entities of the Russian Federation. However, there are some exceptions, for example: Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sevastopol. They bear little resemblance to the official coat of arms of Russia. All of them are considered cities of federal significance and have the right to their own coat of arms. In Moscow, this is a rider on a horse stabbing a snake, similar to the one located on state symbols, but still somewhat different. The currently existing image is as close as possible to the one that existed among Moscow and its princes back in the days of Ancient Rus'.

St. Petersburg's coat of arms is much more complex. It was approved back in 1730 and relatively recently returned to exactly the state in which it was originally adopted. The prototype of this symbol was the coat of arms of the Vatican. The scepter with the state eagle and the crown symbolize the fact that this city was the capital of the Russian Empire for a long time. Two crossed anchors indicate that St. Petersburg is both a sea and river port, and the red background symbolizes the blood shed during the war with Sweden.

USSR coat of arms

After the emergence of the USSR, the standard version of the coat of arms with a double-headed eagle was abandoned, and from 1918 to 1993 a different symbol was used, which was gradually refined and modified. At the same time, many coats of arms of Russian cities were significantly altered or even completely changed. The main colors are red and gold, traditions in this regard were respected, but everything else changed dramatically. In the center, against the background of the sun's rays, there is a crossed hammer and sickle; at the top there is a red star (it was not in the first variations of the coat of arms). On the sides there are ears of wheat, and below the symbol on a red background in black letters it says “Workers of all countries, unite!” In this version, the coat of arms of Russia, or rather the Soviet Union, was used for a very long time, right up to its collapse, and is still used in one form or another by various communist parties.

Modern coat of arms of the Russian Federation

In the version in which the coat of arms of Russia currently exists, it was adopted in 1993. The symbolism and general meaning remained approximately the same as long before the emergence of the USSR, the only thing being that the blood shed during the wars was added to the interpretation of the color red.

Results

In general, the coat of arms of Russia has a very long history, and specific reasons for using this particular symbolism were invented rather after the fact of its use. The reasons why they were chosen by a certain ancient ruler are unlikely to ever be established for certain.