Flags and emblems of different countries. The most unusual coats of arms of Russian cities. Snezhnogorsk, Murmansk region

Humanity is structured in such a way that symbolism of various kinds, as well as signs, occupy an important place in the life of mankind from their very appearance. In developing a sense of national unity among citizens, state symbols certainly play an important role. Like any tradition, it does not just develop over centuries and millennia; it requires respect.

The coats of arms of the countries of the world are considered one of the national symbols; the coat of arms is on a par with the anthem, state flag and motto. It has long been believed that the first coats of arms began to appear thousands of years ago, they were considered distinctive marks for their owner and later they began to be passed on to inheritance.
Time passed, society changed and transformed, the institution of power improved and, as a result, for the state itself, the state emblem also became an integral part and main attribute.

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The coat of arms and list of coats of arms of world countries with names and photos is clear evidence that in many countries state and national symbols, which did not appear yesterday, have largely remained virtually unchanged until today. Take a look and see for yourself. We will show you all the world's coats of arms with high quality photos. Improve yourself, study the countries of the world and their symbols easily and accessible.

Coats of arms - messengers of the history of the state

what is a coat of arms? A coat of arms is a sign that is passed down from generation to generation and symbolizes its owner, in our situation the country. Basically, the coat of arms consists of helmets, shields, birds (eagles), shield holders and other details.

Having gone through a huge series of wars, social upheavals, revolutions, these state symbols were able to survive and are now entering the new century, indicating the inextricable connection between generations and time, the powerful historical memory of the nation as a whole and their veneration of their traditions.

Many of the coats of arms shown remained the same as they once were, others suffered certain changes, and others, having disappeared for a while from the world map, were restored (Eastern European countries, for example).

Our resource shows the coats of arms of all countries of the world:
Coats of arms of European countries;
Coats of arms of Asian countries;
Emblems of African countries;
Coats of arms of North American countries;
Coats of arms of South American countries;
Coats of arms of the countries of Australia and Oceania.

Every 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 calling 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.

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This is a special emblem made in accordance with heraldic canons.

It represents an interconnected system of images and colors, which carries the idea of the integrity of the state and is inextricably linked with its history, traditions and mentality.

The appearance of this official sign is enshrined in the Constitution.

Brief description and meaning of the symbols of the coat of arms of Russia

This state insignia is a red heraldic shield, in the middle of which there is a golden double-headed eagle. The bird holds an orb in its left clawed paw, and a scepter in its right.

On each of the heads there is a crown, and on top there is another, larger one. All three royal decorations are connected by a gold ribbon.

In the center of the shield, on the eagle’s chest, there is another red cloth. It depicts a plot familiar to every Russian: St. George the Victorious kills a snake.

There are many icons and paintings illustrating this legend. This is the most recognizable image of the saint. On the emblem he is represented as a silver rider on a silver horse, wearing a blue cloak. A monster under the hooves of a black horse.

How were the symbols on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation formed and what do they mean?

Today, heraldry is an auxiliary branch of historical science. The emblems of countries, along with annals and chronicles, represent the most important historical evidence.

In Western Europe, during the time of chivalry, every noble family had a symbol that was inherited from generation to generation. It was present on the banners and was a sign of distinction by which a representative of the clan was recognized both on the battlefield and at the feast. In our country, this tradition has not been developed. Russian soldiers carried embroidered images of the great martyrs, Christ or the Virgin Mary into battle. The Russian heraldic sign originates from princely seals.

What do the main elements of the Russian coat of arms mean: St. George the Victorious

On the princely seals there were the patron saints of the rulers and an inscription indicating who owned the symbol of power. Later, a symbolic image of the head began to appear on them and on coins. Usually it was a horseman holding some kind of weapon in his hand. It could be a bow, sword or spear.

Initially, the “rider” (as this image was called) was not a sign only of the Moscow principality, but after the unification of lands around the new capital in the 15th century, it became an official attribute of the Moscow sovereigns. He replaced the lion who defeats the snake.

What is depicted on the state emblem of Russia: a double-headed eagle

It should be noted that this is a popular symbol, which is used as the main one not only by the Russian Federation, but also by Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro. The history of the appearance of one of the main elements of our emblem goes back to the times of the Sumerians. There in this ancient kingdom he personified God.

Since antiquity, the eagle has been considered a solar symbol associated with the spiritual principle and liberation from bonds. This element of the Russian coat of arms means courage, pride, desire for victory, royal origin and the greatness of the country. In the Middle Ages it was a symbol of baptism and rebirth, as well as of Christ in his ascension.

In Ancient Rome, the image of a black eagle was used, which had one head. Such a bird was brought as a family image by Sophia Paleologus, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine, whom Ivan the Terrible’s grandfather, Ivan III, known as Kalita, married. In Russia, the history of the famous double-headed eagle begins during his reign. Together with his marriage, he received the right to this symbol as a state emblem. It confirmed that our country had become the heir of Byzantium and began to claim the right to be a world Orthodox power. Ivan III received the title of Tsar of All Rus', ruler of the entire Orthodox East.

But during the time of Ivan III, the official emblem in the traditional sense still did not exist. The bird was featured on the royal seal. It was very different from the modern one and looked more like a chick. This is symbolic, since Rus' at that time was a young, fledgling country. The eagle's wings and beak were closed, the feathers smoothed.

After the victory over the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the liberation of the country from centuries-old oppression, the wings flutter open, emphasizing the power and might of the Russian state. Under Vasily Ioanovich, the beak also opens, emphasizing the strengthening of the country’s position. At the same time, the eagle developed tongues, which became a sign that the country could stand up for itself. It was at this moment that the monk Philotheus puts forward a theory about Moscow as the third Rome. Spreading wings appeared much later, in the early years of the Romanov dynasty. They showed neighboring hostile states that Russia had perked up and rose from sleep.

The double-headed eagle also appeared on the state seal of Ivan the Terrible. There were two of them, small and large. The first was attached to the decree. There was a rider on one side and a bird on the other. The king replaced the abstract horseman with a specific saint. St. George the Victorious was considered the patron saint of Moscow. This interpretation would finally be consolidated under Peter I. The second seal was applied and made it necessary to combine two state symbols into one.

This is how a double-headed eagle appeared with a warrior on a horse depicted on its chest. Sometimes the rider was replaced by a unicorn, as a personal sign of the king. It was also an Orthodox symbol taken from the Psalter, like any heraldic sign. Like the hero defeating the snake, the unicorn signified the victory of good over evil, the military valor of the ruler and the righteous strength of the state. In addition, this is an image of monastic life, the desire for monasticism and solitude. This is probably why Ivan the Terrible highly valued this symbol and used it along with the traditional “rider”.

What do the elements of the images on the coat of arms of Russia mean: three crowns

One of them also appears under Ivan IV. It was on top and was decorated with an eight-pointed cross as a symbol of faith. The cross has appeared before, between the heads of birds.

During the time of Fyodor Ioanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible, who was a very religious ruler, it was a symbol of the passion of Christ. Traditionally, the image of a cross on the coat of arms of Russia symbolizes the country's acquisition of ecclesiastical independence, which coincided with the reign of this tsar and the establishment of the patriarchate in Rus' in 1589. The number of crowns varied at different times.

Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich there were three of them, the ruler explained this by the fact that then the state absorbed three kingdoms: Siberian, Kazan and Astrakhan. The appearance of three crowns was also associated with the Orthodox tradition, and was interpreted as a sign of the Holy Trinity.

It is currently known that this symbolism on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation means the unity of three levels of government (state, municipal and regional), or its three branches (legislative, executive and judicial).

Another version suggests that the three crowns mean the brotherhood of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The crowns were secured with ribbon already in 2000.

What does the coat of arms of the Russian Federation mean: scepter and orb

They were added at the same time as the crown. In earlier versions, the bird could hold a torch, a laurel wreath, and even a lightning bolt.

Currently, an eagle holding a sword and a wreath is on the banner. The attributes that appeared in the image personified autocracy, absolute monarchy, but also indicated the independence of the state. After the 1917 revolution, these elements, like the crowns, were removed. The Provisional Government considered them a relic of the past.

Seventeen years ago they were returned and now adorn the modern state insignia. Scientists agree that in modern conditions this symbolism of the coat of arms of Russia means state power and the unity of the state.

What did the coat of arms of the Russian Empire mean under Peter I?

After coming to power, the first Russian emperor decided that the double-headed eagle should not just decorate certain official papers, but also become a full-fledged symbol of the country. He decided that the bird should become black, like the one that was on the banners of the Holy Roman Empire, of which Byzantium was the heir.

On the wings were painted the signs of local large principalities and kingdoms that were part of the country. For example, Kyiv, Novgorod, Kazan. One head looked to the West, the other to the East. The headdress was a large imperial crown, which replaced the royal one and hinted at the specifics of the established power. Russia asserted its independence and freedom of rights. Peter I chose this type of crown several years before he proclaimed the country an Empire and himself emperor.

The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called appeared on the bird's chest.

Until Nicholas I, the official emblem of the country retained the form established by Peter I, undergoing only minor changes.

The meaning of the colors on the coat of arms of Russia

Color, as the brightest and simplest sign, is an important part of any symbolism, including state symbols.

In 2000, it was decided to return the eagle to its golden color. It is a symbol of power, justice, the wealth of the country, as well as the Orthodox faith and Christian virtues such as humility and mercy. The return to the golden color emphasizes the continuity of traditions and the state’s preservation of historical memory.

The abundance of silver (cloak, spear, horse of St. George the Victorious) indicates purity and nobility, the desire to fight for a righteous cause and truth at any cost.

The red color of the shield speaks of the blood that was shed by the people in defense of their land. It is a sign of courage and love not only for the Motherland, but also for each other, and emphasizes that many fraternal peoples coexist peacefully in Russia.

The snake that the rider kills is painted black. Heraldry experts agree that this symbol on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation means the country’s constancy in trials, as well as memory and grief for the dead.

The meaning of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation

The drawing of the modern state symbol was made by St. Petersburg artist Evgeny Ukhnalev. He left the traditional elements but created a new image. The fact that signs from different eras were included in the final version emphasizes the country's long history. The type of this personification of state power is strictly regulated and described in the relevant laws.

The shield is a symbol of the protection of the earth. At the moment, the meaning of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation is interpreted as a fusion of conservatism and progress. The three rows of feathers on the bird's wings refer to the unity of Kindness, Beauty and Truth. The scepter became a sign of state sovereignty. It is interesting that it is decorated with the same double-headed eagle, clutching the same scepter and so on ad infinitum.

Briefly, we can say that the coat of arms of Russia symbolizes eternity and means the unity of all peoples of the Russian Federation. The power acts as an emblem of power and integrity.

We hope our article helped you penetrate the secrets of state symbols. If you are interested in the history of not only your country, but your family, then it’s worth learning about it.

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