Animals in the coats of arms of Russian cities

In a silver field on an azure extremity, burdened with two pairs of facing silver fish, one above the other, supported on the sides by two black bears, a golden chair with a red cushion and a back, crowned with a golden candlestick with three silver candles burning with scarlet flames; on the pillow are placed a crossed golden scepter and a cross crowned with a cross.

Approved on August 16, 1781. Description of the coat of arms: At the top of the shield is the coat of arms of Vladimir. At the bottom are two hares sitting in a green field, of which there are many animals in the vicinity of this city.

The coat of arms depicts two golden herrings in a black field “as a sign that this smoked fish is being traded.”

The Rybinsk coat of arms is a red shield divided into two parts. At the top there is a bear with an ax coming out from behind the river, showing that the city belongs to the Yaroslavl region. At the bottom there are two sterlets, indicating an abundance of water and fish. There are two staircases leading up the hill from the water, marking the pier.

The heraldic symbol of this regional center near Moscow has been the peacock for more than 200 years! At the end of the 18th century, by order of the already mentioned Empress Catherine, a campaign began in the country to massively assign coats of arms to cities; the then chief herald of the empire, Count Francisco Santi, sent out questionnaires to all corners of the country, wanting to find out what special thing each city and town had - so that it then display it on the coat of arms. In the response received from Serpukhov, Santi’s attention was attracted by the phrase: “in one monastery peacocks will be born...” (This meant the Vysotsky Monastery, to whose monks back in 1691 the okolnichy Mikhail Kolupaev gave a peacock and a peacock as a contribution, from which the Serpukhov peacock family began.) Such an insignificant remark in the questionnaire became the reason for the “enshrinment” of the peacock on the coat of arms of Serpukhov.

Approved on September 21, 1781. Description of the coat of arms: At the top of the shield is the coat of arms of Voronezh. At the bottom there is an animal called a ferret, in a golden field, of which there are a lot in the vicinity of this city.

The silver shield is crossed diagonally by a blue ribbon-sash, on which three flying partridges are depicted. The coat of arms was approved in February 1992 by the city Council of People's Deputies.

Approved on January 8, 1780. Description of the coat of arms: In the first part is the coat of arms of Kursk. In the second part of the shield, an animal called a ferret is in a golden field, for the reason that many of them are caught in the vicinity of this city.

LGOV, in the Kursk region, regional subordination, regional center, 85 km west of Kursk. Located in the southern part of the Central Russian Upland, along the banks of the river. Seim (tributary of the Desna).

A black fox in a golden field is a sign that the inhabitants of that city are practicing catching those animals. Approved October 2, 1781

Black sable and marten

Golden shield holders - bear and sable with collars made of squirrel fur, with a silver druse of five crystals. The bear is a symbol of the European part of Russia, the sable is the symbol of the Asian part. Under the Demidovs, sable was a mark of Ural metal.

In a silver field on green ground there is a black stump with a branch with green leaves extending to the right; on the stump there is a scarlet woodpecker sitting with its wings raised and turned to the left, having golden eyes and a beak.

Coat of arms of Cheboksary. At the top of the shield is the Kazan coat of arms. At the bottom are five wild ducks flying in a golden field, as a sign that they are very abundant in the vicinity of this city. Supremely approved 10/18/1781

Marten. Often, marten furs were used by the population to exchange with southern tribes for iron and other necessary things.

Description (1785) At the top of the shield is the coat of arms of Tobolsk. At the bottom, in a golden field, is a bundle of different animal skins, on which lies the Mercury Rod: as a sign that in this city there is a major trade in furs, to which merchants come from all over the world.

The silver bear is a symbol of the natural resources surrounding the city of endless lands, containing many “metals, salt mines, multi-colored marbles and other stones” and “full of forests”, in which “there are a considerable number of various kinds of wild animals”

Each city in Russia and even small towns and villages have their own distinctive sign - a coat of arms, which is a kind of painted “passport” of the territory. The word “greb” itself has Polish roots, and translated means “heritage”. Indeed, coats of arms are passed down from generation to generation and are not changed unnecessarily.
The coat of arms eloquently tells the history of the city and reveals its past. However, some coats of arms are puzzling: why exactly THIS is depicted on it? We present to your attention the most unusual and interesting, in our opinion, coats of arms of Russian cities.

Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk is the cast iron capital of our homeland. It would seem, what does the camel have to do with it? But it is this handsome two-humped man who is depicted on the city’s coat of arms, and this has its justification. Many centuries ago, the route of “ships of the desert” passed through Chelyabinsk, along which goods from Asia were delivered to the capital and cities of the European part of our country.

Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk region

Everyone is familiar with Malevich’s “Black Square”. But not everyone saw the Black Triangle depicted on the coat of arms of Magnitogorsk. The description of the coat of arms is very laconic: “There is a black pyramid in a silver field.” The image can be interpreted in different ways: it is the tent in which the first builders of the city lived, Magnitnaya Mountain, and a reminder that Magnitogorsk is the center of ferrous metallurgy.

Serpukhov, Moscow region

But in Serpukhov everything is much happier and more cheerful: on the coat of arms of the city there is a handsome peacock with his tail outstretched. In the 18th century, Empress Catherine ordered “all cities to have a coat of arms,” and a small questionnaire was sent to each, where it was necessary to indicate the exclusive and unique feature of the settlement. The answer came from Serpukhov: “in one monastery peacocks will be born...”. As it turned out later, a pair of these strange birds was presented to the Vysotsky Monastery as an offering, from which the entire Serpukhov peacock family descended. However, this insignificant note became the reason for the appearance of a tailed bird on the main symbol of the city.

Shuya, Ivanovo region

The first acquaintance with the Shuya coat of arms can be confusing. What is it: a brick in honor of the builders or a parallelepiped indicating geometry and correct forms? Everything is much simpler - this is a piece of ordinary soap, “meaning the glorious soap factories of the city.” But the current description of the coat of arms is much more prosaic: the piece of soap turned out to be just a “golden bar with three sides.”

Irkutsk

Many coats of arms feature animals, and all of them are easily recognizable. But what kind of animal is on the coat of arms of Irkutsk is difficult to figure out: an African-American tiger with webbed paws and a beaver tail, tightly holding a killed sable in its teeth? Initially, the coat of arms actually depicted a tiger, but it was rarely seen in those places, and the name “tiger” itself did not take root among the Siberians, and the strong striped cat was called “babr.” Over time, officials, who did not have much knowledge in the field of exotics, confused the bAbra with the beaver and “painted” the Irkutsk tiger’s hind legs and tail like a beaver, and repainted the striped skin black.

Snezhnogorsk, Murmansk region

Perhaps the cutest thing is the coat of arms of Snezhnogorsk. It depicts a somewhat cartoonish seal as a symbol of the local shipyard of the same name. On the other hand, this coat of arms is a real classic in heraldry: snowflakes directly speak of the name of the city, thereby making the coat of arms “semi-vocal.”

Epifan village, Tula region

By modern standards, the coat of arms of Epifani can be compared to prohibited propaganda: it depicts hemp. Based on the ancient description, on the coat of arms “you can see a field from which three hemp epics grow like a shield.” Naturally, our ancestors had no idea about the intoxicating properties of these “epics,” and hemp was cultivated exclusively for the production of ropes and oil.

Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk region

A bear tearing apart an atom... It sounds strong and even threatening. However, such a bear is depicted on the coat of arms of Zheleznogorsk. According to the description, it is a symbol of the unity of the forces of nature and human thought.

For the creators of coats of arms, the name of the city often serves as a “clue”. It is not difficult to guess what the coats of arms of the two cities of the Penza region of Verkhniy Lomov and Nizhny Lomov look like.

Now try to imagine for yourself what you would draw on the coat of arms of the city of Dukhovshchina, which is located in the Smolensk region? Naturally, “in an open field there is a rose bush with a pleasant spirit”!

The coat of arms is the business card of any city, its face and, in modern language, a barcode. Some of them are real works of art, while others sometimes look funny and unusual, but this in no way detracts from their importance for residents.

One of the indispensable attributes of any state, along with the flag and anthem, is the coat of arms. Few people know what this short word, borrowed from the Polish language, meant in the old days. That is why you will probably be interested to know the history of such images. Also arousing curiosity is the interpretation of some of the symbols that adorn this or that famous coat of arms.

What's happened?

In Polish, “coat of arms” sounds like “herb”. This expression is a corruption of a German word that translates as "emblem". They were originally used to designate a distinctive sign that was passed down through generations. The coat of arms depicted objects symbolizing its owner (person, clan, class, city or country).

Story

Heraldry, a science that originated in the Middle Ages, studies the origin of a particular coat of arms. This is a serious historical discipline that precisely determines what symbols can be applied to a state or family coat of arms, etc., and also explains the meaning of certain figures.

Many will probably be surprised to learn about the coat of arms, that such an image is on the shield, weapons and began to be worn because of the need to fight in a helmet with a visor. It made it difficult to see the person and recognize him as an enemy or ally, so something was needed that could identify the warrior. This was especially important during the Crusades, when the army of knights who arrived from Europe consisted of representatives of different countries.

Since shields were most often painted with symbols indicating the country and the affiliation of a particular aristocratic family, many coats of arms to this day have a similar shape.

The first image of this kind dates back to 1127 (possibly 1128). This is a shield with 6 golden lions on an azure field. It is believed that it was received by Geoffrey the Fifth of Anjou as a wedding gift from King Henry the First of England.

Elements

In the old days, the symbols of a coat of arms could tell a lot about its owner and served as a kind of passport for their owner. They could be very different, while the basic elements usually remained unchanged. The following terminology is used to denote them:

• helmet - an element of the coat of arms located above the shield;
• heraldic shield - the basis on which the main symbols and figures are depicted;
• mantle, i.e., a helmet cover torn into shreds, usually having the upper side of the same color as the main enamel of the coat of arms;
• crest - a figure above the helmet;
• crown - an image located above the shield and indicating the feudal status of the owner;
• shield holders - human, mythical (capricorn, vulture, dragon, etc.) or animal figures located on the sides of the coat of arms;
• mantle;
• motto.

Tamga

Coats of arms are a European invention. However, ancestral identifying images were also used by Alans and Turkic peoples. They were in the form of symbols and were called tamga. Among the most famous coats of arms of this kind are the family signs of Tamerlane and the Crimean Gerai. They are radically different from European ones, more laconic and usually represent a combination of simple geometric shapes.

Russian coat of arms

This most important symbol of our statehood is a 4-cornered red heraldic shield. It depicts a golden one raising his spread wings upward. It is crowned with 2 small crowns. Above them there is another one - a large one. In the right paw of the bird there is a scepter, and in the left the eagle holds an orb. On his chest in a red shield is depicted a silver rider on the same horse. He is wearing a blue cloak, and he strikes with a spear a black dragon trampled by a horse.

It just so happens that the flag, coat of arms, and anthem of our country were created in different centuries. And this is very symbolic, as it means the continuity of different eras of Russian statehood.

Coats of arms of some republics of the Russian Federation

Russia is a federal state. It includes 21 republics. All of them have coats of arms.

• One of the largest subjects of the Russian Federation is Tatarstan. The coat of arms of the republic is round in shape, it depicts a winged leopard, which in ancient times was the patron saint of children and the deity of fertility among the Volga Bulgars. The background is a red sun, symbolizing happiness and life. On the side of the leopard there is an aster depicting longevity.
• It is worth telling about it. It also has a round shape. It depicts an equestrian monument to Salavat Yulaev against the backdrop of the rising sun, and below is the inflorescence of kurai, considered a symbol of the courage of peoples.
• The coat of arms of Kalmykia depicts 4 joined circles, which symbolizes the tribal union of the ancestors of the Kalmyks. A red tassel is visible on it. It is called Ulan Zala, and in the 15th century, the ruler Togon-taisha ordered all Kalmyks to wear it on their headdress. In addition, there is a white scarf on the coat of arms. It is an offering by believers in the temple as a sign of peaceful intentions, goodness, generosity and abundance.
• The coat of arms of Dagestan is a round white heraldic shield. In its center there is an image Above the bird there is an image of the sun, bordered by an ornament. At the base of the heraldic shield are painted white and gold snowy mountain peaks, sea and plain. Even lower is a handshake, and on both sides there is a heraldic ribbon on which is written “Republic of Dagestan.”
• The image of the coat of arms of Kabardino-Balkaria has the shape of a traditional scarlet shield. It depicts a golden eagle with an azure eye. There is a crossed shield on the bird's chest. Above is an image of a silver mountain with two peaks in an azure field, and below is a golden trefoil on a green field.
• is a circle bordered by a narrow golden stripe. The three-headed peak of Mount Belukha is depicted on a blue background. Below (in the center of the circle) there is a white griffin with the head of a bird on the body of a lion. At the bottom of the coat of arms the Katun and its tributaries are depicted. Between them is a golden tripod.

Now you know the terminology with which you can describe the coat of arms. You also know what heraldry is and why the knights painted their shields, and you will be able to amaze your acquaintances with your knowledge and maintain small talk.

The culmination of city coats of arms in the Western European tradition dates back to the 15th century. In Russia, we can only talk about city coats of arms as symbols of self-government since the 18th century. According to well-known experts in the field of heraldry, in Rus' in the pre-Mongol period there were emblems - the “progenitors” of city coats of arms.

The term “city coat of arms” first appeared in a royal decree of 1692 in connection with the coat of arms of the city of Yaroslavl.

coat of arms of the city of Yaroslavl from the Great State Book - “Titular Book” of 1672:

The coat of arms depicted a bear with a protazan. It is believed that this image is associated with the ancient cult of the bear, characteristic of the Upper Volga region back in the 9th-10th centuries. Perhaps the image corresponds to the legend about the founding of Yaroslavl on the site where Yaroslav the Wise killed a bear with an axe.

It has already been mentioned that the appearance of Russian city coats of arms dates back to the appanage period and their origin is associated with signs of property and princely dignity of the owners of appanages. A typical diagram illustrating this situation is as follows:

Sign of the prince's property ---- Sign of the land ---- Sign of the main city of this land ---- Signs of princely families from this land.

Coat of arms of the city of Vladimir.

This ancient city coat of arms not only of Rus', but also of Europe arose in the 12th century.

In the 12th century, during the pre-Mongol period, the city of Vladimir became the first unifying center of appanage Rus' - the capital of the Vladimir-Suzdal princes. The inevitability of the appearance of the capital's coat of arms is due to the rise of this city. The Grand Dukes of Vladimir Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod Yurievich the Big Nest needed a symbol larger than the personal heraldic sign of the Rurikovichs of the previous (Kyiv) period - a trident and a bident. The new symbol was the lion. According to a number of researchers, the lion was the emblem of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky.

A lion - personified power, courage, strength, mercy, generosity.

In Christian symbolism, the lion is a symbol of the Evangelist Luke and, according to biblical tradition, the tribe of Judah; a symbol of the royal, God-given power of the great princes; symbol of defeated evil; a symbol of a claim to royal power and a symbol of evidence of royal power.

This symbolism coincided both with the policy pursued by the Grand Dukes of Vladimir, which had a clear ideological design, and with their self-esteem.

The ancient coat of arms of the city of Vladimir, the description of which is given in the “Titular Book” of 1672, represented a lion walking on its hind legs in profile, with an ancient crown on its head and a long 4-pointed cross in its front paws. From the point of view of the rules of heraldry, the ancient Vladimir lion had an incorrect heraldic pose, since it did not “attack” the enemy, but “ran away” from him. This heraldic inaccuracy was eliminated in the 18th century.

The lion on the coat of arms of the city of Vladimir was not a single symbol. His cultural surroundings were the white stone carvings of the 12th-13th century cathedrals of Vladimir, Suzdal, and Yuryev Polsky.

Currently, some specialists in the field of heraldry give the Vladimir coat of arms the status of the first state emblem in the history of the fatherland.

Coat of arms of the city of Vladimir from the Great State Book - “Titular Book” of 1672:

Coat of arms of the city of Moscow.

All versions of the history of the coat of arms of the city of Moscow indicate a long period of its formation.

Originally it was an image of a white horse on a scarlet field. The horse will remain a permanent figure in the Moscow coat of arms.

Horse- a cult creature with many sacred functions, which include: the courage of a lion, the vigilance of an eagle, the speed of a deer, the agility of a fox. The horse is sensitive, loyal, noble.

It is known that the Moscow ideological tradition placed this city as the successor of Kyiv through Vladimir. Then the lion of Vladimir would be logical for the emblem of Moscow. He may have been the main figure or somehow featured on the coat of arms. Experts in the field of heraldry explain the absence of a lion for two reasons. Firstly, the Moscow princes under the Mongol-Tatar yoke were more modest than the pre-Mongol Andrei Bogolyubsky and Vsevolod Yuryevich the Big Nest. Secondly, Vladimir, with the symbol of a lion, nevertheless ended up under the Tatars, with whom Moscow, from the end of the 14th century, learned to wage a successful fight.

Then in the coat of arms of the city of Moscow appeared rider on horseback. The rider saddled and subjugated to his will not just an animal, but a cult creature - a horse. Hence the status of the rider is very high. After the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, the rider was personified with St. George on horseback, slaying the serpent. Later - with an equestrian warrior with a sword, then - with a horseman with a spear (rider), then - with an equestrian warrior striking a winged serpent or dragon with a spear, as a symbol of independence from the Tatars. At the same time, “portrait” princely features gradually began to appear in the silhouette of the equestrian warrior. During the reign of Prince Vasily II the Dark (1425-1462), who had the title “Sovereign of All Rus',” the horseman turns into a prince. Under Ivan III (1462-1505), a rider in armor, in a flowing cloak, stabs a snake stretched out under the hooves of his horse with a spear. This is already the coat of arms of the Moscow sovereigns, the sovereigns of all Rus'. It is very close to the state one. Heraldry experts believe that the Moscow princes were looking for a more state symbol than a dynastic one. During the reign of Ivan III, after his marriage to Sophia Palaeologus in 1472, a second, in addition to the horseman, image of a crowned double-headed eagle appeared on the state double-sided seal in 1497. Ivan III already had the title “By the grace of God, Lord of All Rus', Grand Duke.” And the Grand Duke of Vladimir, Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov, Tver, Ugric, Vyatka, Perm, Bulgaria.” So the Moscow coat of arms came even closer to the state one. In the 16th-17th centuries there was a clear interpretation of the horseman as a grand duke, king or heir.

The city coat of arms is the same symbolic image, an identification and legal sign, drawn up according to certain rules and fixed by the supreme authority, just like the state coat of arms. But if the state coat of arms reflected the power of the state, its international image, then the city coat of arms pursued much more modest goals. The city coat of arms most often reflected the peculiarities of the region, the concerns with which the population lives.

The coat of arms was used primarily in seals and documents. Painted according to the rules of heraldry, it decorated the letter of grant. If a city minted its own coin, it was depicted on the coin. The coat of arms was hung on the walls of the town hall and on city buildings.

The symbolic image is compiled on the basis of certain rules of heraldry. The coat of arms usually consists of the following elements: shield, helmet, mantle, crown, crest, shield holders. The shield is the main component of the coat of arms. In terms of shape, they differ into the following types: German (with a notch on the side), English, Spanish, Italian, Polish, oblique, Byzantine (round) and square. The images on the shield are made using heraldic enamel (colors), metals and furs. A helmet is a heraldic sign, placed above the shield. The mantle is the decorations coming out of the helmet, the crest is the upper part of the helmet on which the figures were mounted. Shield holders are figures of people, animals or fantastic animals.

The appearance of the coat of arms is very significant for the city. By receiving a coat of arms, the city became an independent, self-governing administrative unit and began to enjoy privileges represented by the supreme power. Which means it was gaining strength. Its representatives enjoyed special respect.

History of the city coat of arms

Scientists have repeatedly tried to answer the question: when did city coats of arms first appear in Russia? The above-mentioned A.B. Lakier looked for them in “ancient Russian life.” Not everyone agreed with him. For example, the famous heraldist V.K. At the beginning of our century, Lukomsky declared without a shadow of a doubt that we can talk about coats of arms, including city ones, in the Russian state no earlier than the 17th century.

The evolution of urban heraldry is determined primarily by the patterns of development of a particular country. If we talk about Russia, then the origins of urban symbols here date back to the pre-Mongol period. Thus, the image of a lion is known as a personal sign of the Vladimir-Suzdal and Galician princes, which later becomes the main figure in the coats of arms of Vladimir and Lvov. The Mongol-Tatar invasion slowed down the development of emblems and symbols in Rus', but did not completely destroy them. This is evidenced by numerous emblems on Russian coins of the 14th - 15th centuries, still poorly studied, emblems of princely seals, as well as images on surviving city seals. The Mongol-Tatar yoke also affected the evolution of Russian cities in the 14th - 15th centuries, the political system of which did not reach such maturity and completeness as in some countries of Western Europe. Under these conditions, city coats of arms as symbols of city self-government and evidence of some special privileges could not become widespread. It should also be taken into account that the need to get rid of the Golden Horde yoke led to the strengthening of the grand ducal power. Russian urban population in the XIV - XV centuries. not only did it not receive a privileged legal status, as was the case in Western European countries, but even the rudiments of city self-government were eliminated. Consequently, the absence of city coats of arms in Rus' at a time when this phenomenon begins to flourish in many Western countries is due to the peculiarities of its historical development.

Well, officially for the first time the term “city coat of arms” appeared in the royal decree of 1692 regarding the seal of Yaroslavl, on which, in addition to the royal title, the inscription was depicted: “Seal of the city of Yaroslavl.” In the center of this seal was a drawing of the city's coat of arms - a bear with a protazan on its shoulder. This bear became the basis of the coat of arms of Yaroslavl. And already in the same year, Yaroslavl felt the tsar’s care. It was transferred from the Kostroma quarter to the department of the Discharge Order - one of the largest central government institutions. Rostov and Pereslavl-Zalessky came to the department of the Yaroslavl governor. The official hut of Yaroslavl was renamed the Chamber. And all this led to the expansion of trade and production. In a word, to strengthen the city and improve the lives of the population. And if we talk about the time of the appearance of the first city coat of arms, then we must take into account that it could not have arisen with the wave of a wand or the hand of an emperor or empress. The coat of arms took a long time to come into being.