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 property of the prince ---- Sign of the land ---- Sign of the main city of this land ---- Signs of the 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.

Ancient coat of arms the city of Vladimir, the description of which is given in the Titular Book of 1672, represented going to hind legs a lion in profile, on his head - an ancient crown, in his front paws - a long 4-pointed cross. 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 symbol that was more state than dynastic. 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. Shield - main component 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, political system which has not reached such maturity and completeness as in some countries 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 in many Western countries This phenomenon begins to flourish, 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 agencies. 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 be born.

Animals in coats of arms 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 there are two hares sitting in a green field, of which animals are abundant 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! IN late XVIII 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 was special in each city and town - in order to 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, district 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 - five flying, in a golden field, wild ducks, as a sign that in the vicinity of this city they are very abundant. 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 is a considerable amount and various kinds wild animals"

I walked here and walked and found it.

After one of the old people died, this set of badges was thrown away. Right in its entirety, in the cover. The cardboard cover, of course, is somewhat damaged; even the footprint of someone's shoe is visible.
But the badges themselves are intact, even the pins are not bent.

If someone doesn't know (or has forgotten), " Golden ring" is a tourist route developed in Soviet times through cities with traditional Russian architecture, mainly from the 15th to 18th centuries (although in some places there are both older buildings and younger ones - if they are architecturally interesting). The architecture is represented by churches, monasteries, and less often - boyar or merchant chambers, ancient fortifications (kremlins) in varying degrees of preservation, this route was called the “Ring” because the cities offered for visiting were located approximately in a ring around Moscow, in the modern Moscow, Ivanovo, Vladimir, Tver, Kostroma and Yaroslavl regions. Classically, eight cities are included in the “Golden Ring”: Sergiev Posad (from 1930 to 991 - Zagorsk), Pereslavl-Zalessky, Rostov Veliky, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Suzdal, and Moscow was not usually included in the list of “Golden Ring” cities. , being, as it were, the center of this ring.

The term itself appeared thanks to the art and literary critic Yuri Aleksandrovich Bychkov, who in 1967 published a series of articles in the newspaper “Soviet Culture” under the general title “The Golden Ring of Russia.”

However, it quickly became clear that it was difficult to limit ourselves to just the eight cities named, since ancient cities with interesting story and much more architecture. This is how an “extended” list of cities of the “Golden Ring” appeared, which is often discussed. The extended list includes the following cities and towns Central Russia: Abramtsevo, Alexandrov, Bogolyubovo, Gorokhovets, Gus-Khrustalny, Dmitrov, Kalyazin, Kashin, Kideksha, Kineshma, Krasnoe-on-Volge, Murom, Myshkin, Nerekhta, Palekh, Ples, Pokrov, Rybinsk, Tutaev, Uglich, Shuya, Yuryev -Polish, Yuryevets. This list is in different sources varies, including more or less cities, and is sometimes ranked according to the degree of significance or interest from the point of view of history and tourism.

Even later, the concept of the “Great Golden Ring” appeared, which included more than a hundred different cities and towns in Central Russia. Of course, it was impossible to fit all the cities of the “Great Golden Ring” into one route; accordingly, a whole network of routes was developed, varying in duration of the trip and its intensity. The trips were usually by bus, of varying duration - from three or four to ten days.

With the collapse of the USSR, active tourism activity on the Golden Ring routes almost ended, architectural monuments somewhere they fell into disrepair and even collapsed without maintenance, and somewhere they were “restored” quickly and cheaply. However, travel agencies still offer tours to the cities of the Golden Ring - both classic list from eight main cities, and in individual regions.

Now it’s time to move directly to the found set of icons.

This is what the cover looks like with all the icons:

1. Moscow. The image of the coat of arms of Moscow is interesting. This is not an image of the coat of arms of Moscow during the Soviet era, but also not an image of pre-revolutionary versions of the coat of arms. Rather, this is some kind of free fantasy on the theme of the “kopeyts” of ancient Russian coins or seals. Let me remind you that the city of Moscow was usually not included in the classic list of cities of the Golden Ring, being the “center” of this ring and the beginning of tourist routes:

2. Zagorsk (before 1930 and after 1991 - Sergiev Posad). A city from the main list of the Golden Ring. The coat of arms is depicted quite accurately, with a red field in the corner of the shield; the coat of arms of Moscow should have been located in it, as a sign of belonging to the Moscow province. However, on the small badge the coat of arms of Moscow is indistinguishable:

3. Kineshma. A city usually included only in the "Great Golden Circle" list. Nowadays it belongs to the Ivanovo region, but before the revolution it belonged to the Kostroma province, which was reflected in the coat of arms granted to the city in 1779: in the upper part of the shield there is a golden ship in a blue field (coat of arms of Kostroma), and in the lower part there are two bundles linens, as a symbol of the linen manufactory that existed in the city:

4. Vyazniki. Also usually included in the “Great Golden Ring”. Now part of Vladimir region, before the revolution - part of the Vladimir province. In the upper part of the coat of arms there is a golden lion in a red field, in the lower part there is a tree (elm) on a yellow field:

5. Murom. Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". City of Vladimir region (province). In the coat of arms in the upper part there is again the Vladimir lion in a red field, in the lower part of the shield there are three rolls in an azure field, “for which this city is famous”:

6. Plyos. Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". Now a city in the Ivanovo region, before the revolution it was in the Kostroma province. In the upper part of the shield there is a Kostroma golden ship in a blue field, in the lower part in a silver (light gray) field there is a river with a reach that gave its name to the city:

7. Rybinsk. Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". City of Yaroslavl region (province). In the upper part of the shield there is a golden bear with an ax in a red field (the coat of arms of Yaroslavl), in the lower part there is a river with a pier and two sterlets in the river on a red field. There is something faintly visible on the pier icon:

8. Kostroma. A city from the main list of the Golden Ring. The city is the center of the Kostroma region, before the revolution - the Kostroma province. The coat of arms of Kostroma was granted by Catherine II in 1767. On the coat of arms, in an azure field, a golden galley sailing on blue waves with silver crests - for the empress arrived in Kostroma on the Tver galley:

9. Shuya. The city now belongs to the Ivanovo region, previously belonged to the Vladimir province. Included in the "extended" list of cities of the Golden Ring. The coat of arms is a shield divided in two, in the upper part on a red field there is a golden lion with a crown holding a cross in its paws (the coat of arms of Vladimir), in the lower part there is a bar of soap in a red field, in memory of the fact that soap making was the most ancient craft of the city:

10. Yaroslavl. A city from the main list of the Golden Ring. The city's coat of arms is not depicted quite correctly. There should be a black bear on the silver (gray) field, holding a golden ax (or protazan) in its left paw. However, the bear is also depicted in gold:

11. Gorokhovets. City of Vladimir region (province). Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". The coat of arms is a shield divided in two, in the upper part on a red field there is a golden lion with a crown holding a cross in its paws (the coat of arms of Vladimir), in the lower part there are pea sprouts on poles in a golden field:

12. Carpets. The city was usually included in the “Big Golden Ring”, Vladimir region (and province). The coat of arms in the upper part contains the coat of arms of Vladimir, in the lower part there are two silver hares with red eyes and tongues in a green field. It is believed that the governor of Catherine II, Count Vorontsov, highly valued hare hunting in those parts:

13. Pereslavl-Zalessky. Included in main list"Golden Ring". A city in the Yaroslavl region, formerly in the Vladimir province. The coat of arms at the top of the shield contains the coat of arms provincial town Vladimir, at the bottom - two golden herrings in a black field, as a sign that herring smoking was one of the notable city crafts:

14. Vladimir. The city is included in the main list of the Golden Ring. One of the most interesting and monument-rich cities of the Ring. On the coat of arms of Vladimir there is a golden lion in a red field, wearing a crown and with a cross in its paws. The lion was the family sign of the Vladimir-Suzdal princes:

15. Alexandrov. A city in the Vladimir region, formerly a province. Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". The coat of arms consists of the coat of arms of the city of Vladimir in the upper part of the shield, and in the lower part - in a red field - a bench vice and two anvils, "as a sign that very fair metalwork work is carried out in this city":

16. Uglich. The city of the Yaroslavl region (formerly a province) is included in the “extended” list of the “Golden Ring”. The coat of arms of the city of Uglich reflects the tragedy that took place here: under unclear circumstances, the young Tsarevich Dmitry, the son of Ivan the Terrible, died (was stabbed to death). The people of Uglich considered two clerks guilty of the murder of the prince and killed them. The coat of arms contains in a red field the image of the faithful Tsarevich Dmitry with a knife (murder weapon) in his right hand:

17. Tutaev. Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". Until 1918, it was called Romanov-Borisoglebsk and was formed by the merger in 1822 of two independent cities - Romanov and Borisoglebsk, located on both banks of the Volga. The coat of arms of the united city was also obtained by combining their original coats of arms: "In a golden shield beveled to the right at the top there is an azure wavy baldric, accompanied on the sides by narrow black baldrics; below is a wreath of thirteen red roses with green stems and leaves, tied with an azure ribbon and having inside in the silver field of a black bear holding a golden ax on his shoulder with his left paw." But the badge shows the coat of arms of only one city of Romanov:

18. Yuriev-Polsky. City of Vladimir region and province. Included in the "extended" list of the "Golden Ring". His modern name somewhat disorienting, since the city has nothing to do with Poland, but is related to the “field” - the second part of the name was added in order to distinguish it from other cities with the name Yuriev. Its coat of arms in the upper part contains the coat of arms of Vladimir, in the lower part - two boxes filled with cherries, “with which this city abounds.” However, the boxes on the icon are empty:

19. Galich. The city of the Kostroma region and province is included in the list of the "Great Golden Ring". The coat of arms of Galich consists of unequal parts of the shield. In the upper, mostly red field, there are military trophies - armor, ten banners, an ax and the Cross of John the Baptist crowning them. In the lower, smaller part, on a silver field, two drums, two timpani and a pair of drum sticks are placed tilted apart:

20. Suzdal. The city of the Vladimir region and province is included in the main list of the Golden Ring. Along with Vladimir, one of the most interesting cities of the Ring. The coat of arms of Suzdal is a shield divided into two fields, azure at the top, red at the bottom, with a falcon in a princely crown in their background:

21. Rostov the Great. The city of the Yaroslavl region and province is included in the main list of the Golden Ring. The third of the most interesting cities of the Ring. On the coat of arms of Rostov there is a silver deer in a red field, golden horns, mane and hooves:

And finally - the overall impression of the set.

The idea seems good, but the execution...
The cover is made of low-quality cardboard, like the kind used to make shoe boxes; it’s a stretch to call printing as such.
The composition of the emblem badges in the set also causes some confusion. The coat of arms of the city of Ivanovo - the eighth city from the main list of the "Golden Ring" - is missing; the coats of arms of the cities of the "expanded" list and the list of the "Great Golden Ring" are randomly included.
The badges themselves are small, about 2 cm in diameter, because of this, the images of the coats of arms are very conventional and simplified, some of the coats of arms are given with errors.
The execution of the badges itself is quite crude, which is partly explained by the material - aluminum, but often simplifications cannot be explained only by this. Enamels and the varnish covering the badges have different shades, which makes it difficult to perceive the set as a single whole.
The images of coats of arms adopted at the end of the 18th century, during the reign of Catherine II, were mainly used, since in Soviet times city ​​heraldry how the system was missing.

I will make assumptions that the sets were generally completed according to the principle “we collect what is available.” Perhaps the specific composition of the icons was also slightly different in different sets. They were apparently sold at points on the Golden Ring tourist route as souvenirs.