History of the development of the state emblem of Russia. Similarities and differences between the coats of arms of the Russian Empire and the Russian Federation

The coat of arms of Russia was approved on November 30, 1993.

Description of the coat of arms

Based on the Regulations on the State Emblem of the Russian Federation, clause 1:

"The state emblem of the Russian Federation is an image of a golden double-headed eagle placed on a red heraldic shield; above the eagle - three historical crowns of Peter the Great (above the heads - two small ones and above them - one bigger size); in the eagle's paws are a scepter and an orb; on the eagle's chest on a red shield is a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear."

Symbolism

Three crowns signify the country's sovereignty. Scepter and orb - symbol state power and the unity of the state. The author of the most common image of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation is People's Artist Evgeniy Ilyich Ukhnalev. The symbol of the double-headed eagle first appeared in the history of Russia in 1497, although it was found on Tver coins even earlier. The double-headed eagle is a symbol of the Byzantine Empire. The borrowing of this symbol, as well as from Serbia and Albania from Byzantium, is explained by economic, diplomatic, as well as cultural proximity. The heraldic shield became red for the reason that the image of an eagle on red belongs to the Byzantine heraldic tradition, and the image of an eagle on yellow is closer to the Roman heraldic tradition (coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire).

Possible coat of arms options

All of the above coats of arms are acceptable for use. Most often, the coat of arms is depicted in full color with a shield, as well as in black and white without a shield (on seals).

History of the origin of the coat of arms of Russia

Coat of arms of Russia 1497

The process of uniting the disparate principalities began before John III. It was his father, Vasily II Vasilyevich (ruled from 1435 to 1462), who began the process of unifying Russian lands.

Under John III of Moscow, the principality finally gained strength and subjugated Pskov, Novgorod, and Ryazan. During this period, Tver significantly weakened as a center for the unification of lands.

During the reign of John III, the traditions of government began to change. All the nobility in the subject lands lost their privileges. It was during the reign of John III that the veche bell of Novgorod was dismantled and brought to Moscow.

John III also built a new diplomatic policy. He took the title "Sovereign of All Rus'".

During this period, John III marries the Byzantine queen Sophia (Zinaida) Fominichna Palaeologus.

"John III wisely adopted for Russia the symbolic coat of arms of the Byzantine Empire: a black double-headed eagle on a yellow field and combined it with the Moscow coat of arms - a horseman (St. George) in white clothes on a white horse, slaying a serpent. The state emblem, according to state law, is recognized as a symbol, a visible distinctive sign of the state itself, emblematically depicted on the state seal, on a coin, on a banner, etc. And as such a symbol, the coat of arms of the state expresses the distinctive idea and principles that the state considers itself called upon to implement.

Due to the use by Tsar John III of the Byzantine coat of arms together with the Moscow one on the seals of internal and external state acts preserved since 1497, this year is generally considered to be the year of the adoption and merger of the coat of arms of the Byzantine Empire with the coat of arms of the Russian kingdom". /E.N. Voronets. Kharkov. 1912./

Thus, the coat of arms appeared at the moment of its appearance modern state Russian.

It is definitely impossible to say that the coat of arms appeared in 1497, since the matrices for printing coins lasted 5-15 years. On a coin from 1497, a spearman was reflected on one side, and a double-headed eagle on the other. But we can say for sure that this period can be limited from 1490 to 1500.

Theories of the appearance of the double-headed eagle in Russia as an official symbol

There are several points of view on the appearance of images of a double-headed eagle in Russia (Rus). Firstly, the eagle was originally used on coins and seals of Tver and Moscow. Secondly, the eagle began to be used at approximately the same time - approximately the end of the 15th century, together with images of a spearman.

Currently, there are three theories explaining the appearance of the double-headed eagle on the seals of kings.

Byzantine theory

This theory was actively supported by Russian monarchists and many historians. In most sources it remains the only one. According to this theory, the double-headed eagle began to be used after the marriage of John III with the Byzantine queen Sophia (Zinaida) Fominichna Palaeologus.

This theory is also supported by the fact that the marriage of monarchs coincided with the appearance in Rus' of coins combining the image of a spearman on one side and a double-headed eagle on the other.

Theory of symbol borrowing in the Holy Roman Empire

In the Holy Roman Empire until 1440, a regular eagle was used. After this period it changes to a double-headed eagle.

Some historians and heraldists note that in Muscovy the double-headed eagle could have been adopted for use under the influence of the Holy Roman Empire.

The theory of symbol borrowing in the Balkan countries

The third version of symbol borrowing is the borrowing of the double-headed eagle row Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Serbia.

Each of the theories has its own right to exist.

You can read more about the appearance of the double-headed eagle on the coats of arms of the world in a separate article: eagle in heraldry.

Since 1539, the influence of the Central European heraldic tradition has been felt in Russian heraldry. In accordance with it, the eagle’s beaks are open and its tongue is protruding. This position of the bird is called: “armed”

During this period, the double-headed eagle was transferred from the reverse of the seal to the obverse. Its meaning is fixed in Russian heraldry.

On the reverse side, a mythological animal appears for the first time: the unicorn.

From this period, a shield appears on the double-headed eagle’s chest (at first of a baroque heraldic form), on which there is a rider with a spear, striking a dragon on one side (the main side) and a unicorn on the shield on the other (reverse side).

This version of the coat of arms differs from previous topics that above the eagle’s heads there is now one jagged crown, which symbolizes the unity and supremacy of the Moscow Prince Ivan IV the Terrible over the Russian lands.

On this seal, on each side there are emblems of 12 Russian lands (in total, 24 emblems on both sides).

Unicorn on state seals

The unicorn first appeared as one of the symbols of state power in 1560. The meaning of this symbol is still not clear. It appeared on state seals several more times - during the reigns of Boris Godunov, False Dmitry, Mikhail Fedorovich and Alexei Mikhailovich. After 1646 this symbol was not used.

During the Time of Troubles, the state emblem on short period time brought into line with the European heraldic tradition. The spearman was turned to the left, and crowns were again placed above the heads of the eagles. The eagle's wings began to be depicted spread out.

After the end of the Time of Troubles and the reign of the new Romanov dynasty in Russia, the state seal, coat of arms and other symbols changed.

The main changes were that, in accordance with European heraldic tradition, the eagle's wings were now spread out. In accordance with Russian emblematic tradition, the spearman is turned to the right. Three crowns were finally placed above the eagle's heads. The beaks of the eagle's heads are open. The scepter and orb are clutched in the paws.

It was under Emperor Alexei Mikhailovich that the description first appeared state emblem.

"The eastern eagle shines with three crowns:
Reveals 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 covers the good"("Slavic Bible" 1663, poetic form descriptions).

The second description is given in the state normative act: decree “On the royal title and state seal” dated December 14, 1667:

"The double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great, Little and White Russia, the Self-President, His Royal Majesty of the Russian Kingdom, on which (the coat of arms - editor's note) three crowns are depicted, signifying the three great Kazan, The Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms, submitting to the God-protected and highest power of His Royal Majesty the Most Gracious Sovereign and command... on the Persians (on the chest - editor's note) there is an image of the heir (this is how the rider was interpreted - editor's note); in the claws (claws - editor's note) a scepter and an apple (power - editor's note), and reveals the most gracious Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor".

Coat of arms of Russia during the reign of Peter the Great

Since 1710, the horseman on the Russian coat of arms is increasingly associated with St. George the Victorious, and not with a simple spear-bearer. Also during the reign of Peter the Great, crowns on the eagle’s head began to be depicted in the form of imperial crowns. Petal and other crowns were no longer used from this point on.


Master - Haupt	Matrix of the state seal of 1712 Master - Becker

It was under Peter I that the coat of arms adopted the following color design: the double-headed eagle became black; beak, eyes, tongue, paws, golden-colored attributes; the field became golden; the affected dragon turned black; St. George the Victorious was depicted in silver. This color scheme was followed by all subsequent rulers from the House of Romanov.

Under Peter the Great, the coat of arms received its first official description. Under the leadership of Count B.Kh. von Minich can still be found today: “The State Coat of Arms in the old way: a double-headed eagle, black, on the heads of the crown, and at the top in the middle there is a large Imperial crown - gold; in the middle of that eagle is George on a white horse, defeating the serpent: epancha (cloak - ed.) and the spear are yellow, the crown (the crown crowning St. George - ed.) is yellow, the serpent is black; the field around (that is, around the double-headed eagle - ed.) is white, and in the middle (that is, under). St. George - editor's note) red."

In the 17th century, the state emblem underwent a large number of changes and options

Coats of arms of Russia under Paul I

After Peter the Great, the coat of arms of Russia changed significantly under Paul I. It was under this ruler that all variants of the coat of arms of Russia were unified and brought to one form

IN given year The Maltese cross appears on the coat of arms of Russia. This year Russia took the island of Malta under its protection. The following year, Britain captured the island. Paul ordered the transfer of the Order of Malta to Russia. The fact that the Maltese cross remained on the Russian coat of arms meant its claim to this territory.

Also, under Paul I, a full coat of arms with shield holders appeared, made in accordance with the traditions of that time. At this time, the “Manifesto on the full coat of arms of the All-Russian Empire” was prepared. The large coat of arms contained 43 coats of arms of the lands that were part of it. The archangels Michael and Gabriel became the shield holders. The manifesto never came into force for the reason that the head of state was killed.

First appeared under Alexander I this type coat of arms It was different from the standard coat of arms. The main difference was that the military coat of arms did not feature coats of arms dependent territories(Finland, Astrakhan, Kazan, etc.). The shield on the eagle's chest had a distinct heraldic shape from the French shield. The wings were not raised up.

Under the next emperor, Nicholas I, this tradition was consolidated.

This coat of arms existed during the reign of Nicholas I.

Köhne reform (1857)

Köhne Bernhard was born in 1817 in Berlin. In 1844 he was appointed to the position of curator of the numismatic department of the Hermitage. In 1857, Köhne was appointed head of the armorial department of the heraldry department.

The book "Armorial" is published under the editorship of Koehne Russian Empire"(XI-XIII).

It was Bernhard Köhne who organized the coats of arms of the territories of the Russian Empire. It is believed that it was under the influence of Koehne that the state received a new state flag, black, yellow and white. Although in fact, Koehne used only already developed historical materials (it is worth paying attention to the design of the large full coat of arms of the Russian Empire from 1800; on it, shield holders support a yellow flag with a black eagle with their free hand).

Köhne, in accordance with the heraldic tradition that had developed at that time, brought all coats of arms into conformity. The first coat of arms corrected by Koehne was the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. It was under him that three versions of the coat of arms were formed: large, medium, small.

As mentioned above, under the leadership of Koehne, the artist Alexander Fadeev created a new design of the coat of arms.

Main changes in the coat of arms:

drawing of a double-headed eagle;
added the number of shields (increased from six to eight) on the eagle’s wings;
the rider slaying the dragon now faces heraldic right (towards the eagle's right wing).

A year later, under the leadership of Köhne, the medium and large coats of arms were also prepared.

In this coat of arms, the main elements of the coat of arms of the previous version were retained. The color of the crowns has changed - it is now silver.

All attributes of monarchy were removed from the seal, and the shields were removed.

The sketch of the emblem-coat of arms was made by Vladislav Lukomsky, Sergei Troinitsky, Georgy Narbut, Ivan Bilibin.

An interesting fact is that the emblem was used on the reverse of coins issued by the Central Bank of Russia at the end of the 20th century. - beginning of XXI. Many people mistakenly consider this emblem to be the state emblem, which is a misconception.

Common misconceptions about the coat of arms of Russia

It is not the coat of arms of Moscow that is placed on the eagle’s chest, although the elements are very similar to the coat of arms of Moscow. No less important is the fact that the rider of the state coat of arms is not an image of St. George. On the coat of arms of Moscow the horseman is “galloping”, and on the state emblem it is “riding”. On the coat of arms of Moscow, the rider has a headdress. On the coat of arms of Russia the dragon is prostrate (lying on its back), and on the city coat of arms the dragon stands on four legs.

Use of the coat of arms on facades

Sources

Coats of arms of cities, provinces, regions and towns of the Russian Empire, included in the complete collection of laws from 1649 to 1900/ compiled. P. P. von-Winkler;
"How did black, yellow and white colors Russian heraldic symbolization" Presented by E.N. Voronets. Kharkov. 1912.
Manifesto of Emperor Paul I on the full coat of arms of the All-Russian Empire. Approved December 16, 1800;
Website of the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation;
Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 30, 1993 N 2050 (as amended on September 25, 1999);
Decree "On the royal title and the state seal" dated December 14, 1667.
"Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron."
Some of the photographs were provided by Oransky A.V. and is prohibited from copying.

On December 8, 1856, Alexander II approved the Large, Middle and Small coats of arms of the Russian Empire. On April 11, 1857 (PSZ, vol. XXXII, No. 31720) the emperor approved.

Large state emblem.
§ 1. The Russian State Emblem is a black double-headed eagle in a golden shield. On the heads of his Imperial crown; above them the third one is the same, in in a larger form, a crown with two fluttering ends of a blue ribbon. In the claws right leg eagle gold Imperial scepter; in the claws of the left is a golden power. On the eagle's chest is the coat of arms of Moscow: in a scarlet shield with gold edges, the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George in silver armor and an azure cape (mantle), on a silver horse, covered with crimson cloth with gold fringe, slaying a golden one, with green wings, a golden dragon, with an eight-pointed cross on top, a spear. The main shield (with the state coat of arms) is crowned with the helmet of the Holy Great Prince Alexander Nevsky. The mantling is gold and black. Around the shield is a chain of the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called; On the sides there are images of Saints Archangel Michael and Archangel Gabriel. A golden canopy, lined with ermine and dotted with Russian double-headed eagles; on it there is a scarlet inscription: God is with us! Above the canopy is the Imperial crown and the state banner, with an eight-pointed cross on the shaft. The fabric of the state banner is gold; on it is an image of the average state coat of arms (see § 5), only without the nine shields surrounding it with the coats of arms of the Kingdoms and Grand Duchies and the Family coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty.
§ 2. Around the main shield, shields with the coats of arms of the Kingdoms and the Grand Duchies listed below:
I. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Kazan: a black crowned dragon in a silver shield; the wings and tail are scarlet, the beak and claws are golden, the tongue is scarlet.
II. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Astrakhan: in an azure shield there is a golden crown, similar to the Royal one, with five arches and a green lining; under it is a silver oriental sword, with a golden hilt, with a sharp end to the right.
III. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Poland: in a scarlet shield there is a silver crowned eagle; its beak and claws are golden.
IV. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Siberia: in an ermine shield there are two black sables, standing on their hind legs and supporting with their front legs, one a golden five-pronged crown, the other a scarlet lying bow and two arrows placed crosswise, with their points downwards.
V. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Chersonis Tauride: in a golden field, black Byzantine, crowned with two golden crowns, an eagle, with golden beaks and claws, and scarlet tongues; on the chest, in an azure shield with gold edges, a gold eight-pointed cross.
VI. Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Georgia: a four-part shield, with a special end at the bottom and a small shield in the middle. In the middle small shield is the coat of arms of Georgia: in a golden field, the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, in azure armor, with a gold cross on his chest, in a scarlet cape, sitting on a black horse, covered with purple with a golden fringe, and striking a green one with a scarlet spear, with black wings and scarlet eyes and tongue, a dragon. In the first of the four parts of the shield is the coat of arms of Iberia: in a scarlet field there is a silver galloping horse; in the corners, upper left and lower right, are silver octagonal stars. In the second part, the coat of arms of Kartalinya: in a golden field there is a green fire-breathing mountain, pierced crosswise with two black arrows, with their tips pointing upward. In the third part is the coat of arms of the Kabardian land: in an azure field, on two silver, cross-shaped, points upward, arrows placed, a small golden shield with a scarlet crescent facing to the right; in the first three quarters there are silver hexagonal stars. In the fourth part is the coat of arms of Armenia: a scarlet crowned lion in a golden field. At the special end of the shield is the coat of arms of the Cherkassy and Mountain Princes: in a golden field, a Circassian galloping on a black horse, in silver weapons, scarlet clothes and a black fur harness, with a black spear on his right shoulder.
VII. United coats of arms of the Grand Duchies: Kiev, Vladimir and Novgorod, in a shield divided fork-shaped into three parts. In the first, the coat of arms of Kiev: in an azure field, the Holy Archangel Michael, in a silver robe and weapons, with a flaming sword and a silver shield. In the second, the coat of arms of Vladimir: in a scarlet field, a golden lion-leopard, in an iron crown, decorated with gold and colored stones, holding a long silver cross in its right paw. In the third part is the coat of arms of Novgorod: in a silver field there are two black bears, supporting golden chairs with a scarlet pillow, on which are placed, crosswise, on the right side a scepter, and on the left a cross; above the chairs there is a golden tricandle with burning candles; in the azure edge of the shield there are two silver fish, one opposite the other.
VIII. Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland: a scarlet shield studded with silver roses, a golden crowned lion holding a straight sword in its right paw, and a curved sword in its left, on which it rests with its right hind paw.
All these shields are crowned with their own crowns.
At the bottom of the main shield (with the state coat of arms) is the family coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty. The shield is cut. On the right half of the shield is the coat of arms of the Romanov family: in a silver field there is a scarlet vulture holding a golden sword and tarch (a shield with a hole in the middle), crowned with a small eagle; on the black border there are eight severed lion heads, four gold and four silver. In the left half is the coat of arms of Schleswig-Holstin: a four-part shield with a special end at the bottom and a small shield in the middle; in the first part, the coat of arms of Norway: in a scarlet field, a golden crowned lion with a silver gallebard; in the second coat of arms of Schleswig: in a golden field two azure leopard lions; in the third, the Golstinsky coat of arms: in a scarlet field, a crossed small shield, silver and scarlet; around the onago there is a silver leaf, cut into three parts, a nettle leaf and three silver nails with ends to the corners of the shield; in the fourth part the coat of arms of Stormarne: in a scarlet field there is a silver swan with black paws and a gold crown on its neck; at the special end of the shield is the coat of arms of Ditmarsen: in a scarlet field there is a golden horseman with a raised sword, on a silver horse covered with black cloth; the middle small shield is also cut: in the right half there is the coat of arms of Oldenburg, on a golden field there are two scarlet belts; on the left is the coat of arms of Delmengorst, in an azure field there is a golden cross with a sharp end at the bottom. This small shield is crowned with the Grand Ducal crown, and the main one with the Royal one.
§ 3. Above the canopy of the main (with the state emblem) shield there are six shields: ... (hereinafter follows detailed description territorial emblems)
...

Seal of Ivan III the Great

Each state has its own symbols that reflect its internal structure: power, territory, natural features and other priorities. One of the symbols of the state is the coat of arms.

The coat of arms of each country has its own history of creation. There are special rules for drawing up a coat of arms; this is done by the special historical discipline of HERALDICS, which developed back in the Middle Ages.

The history of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire is quite interesting and unique.

Officially, Russian heraldry begins with the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (XVII century). But the forerunner of the coat of arms were the personal seals of the Russian tsars, so the primary sources of the Russian coat of arms should be sought in the 15th century, during the reign of Ivan III the Great. Initially, the personal seal of Ivan III depicted St. George the Victorious, striking a serpent with a spear - a symbol of Moscow and the Moscow Principality. Double headed eagle was adopted on the state seal after the wedding in 1472 of Ivan III the Great with Sophia (Zoe) Palaeologus, the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine Palaeologus. It symbolized the transfer of the legacy of the fallen Byzantium. But before Peter I Russian coat of arms did not obey heraldic rules, Russian heraldry developed precisely during his reign.

History of the coat of arms double-headed eagle

The eagle in the coat of arms dates back to Byzantium. Later he appeared on the coat of arms of Rus'. The image of an eagle is used in the coats of arms of many countries of the world: Austria, Germany, Iraq, Spain, Mexico, Poland, Syria, and the USA. But the double-headed eagle is present only on the coats of arms of Albania and Serbia. The Russian double-headed eagle has undergone many changes since its appearance and emergence as an element of the state emblem. Let's look at these stages.
As mentioned above, coats of arms appeared in Russia a long time ago, but these were only drawings on the seals of the kings, they did not obey heraldic rules. Due to the lack of knighthood in Rus', coats of arms were not very common.
Until the 16th century, Russia was a divided state, so there could be no talk of a state emblem of Russia. But under Ivan III (1462-
1505) his seal acted as a coat of arms. On its front side there is a picture of a horseman piercing a serpent with a spear, and on the back side there is a double-headed eagle.
The first known images of a double-headed eagle date back to the 13th century BC. - This is a rock carving of a double-headed eagle grabbing two birds with one stone. This was the coat of arms of the Hittite kings.
The double-headed eagle was a symbol of the Median kingdom - an ancient power in the territory of Western Asia under the Median king Cyaxares (625-585 BC). The double-headed eagle then appeared on the emblems of Rome under Constantine the Great. After the founding of the new capital, Constantinople, in 330, the double-headed eagle became the state emblem of the Roman Empire.
After the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium, Rus' began to experience the strong influence of Byzantine culture and Byzantine ideas. Along with Christianity, new political orders and relations began to penetrate into Rus'. This influence especially intensified after the marriage of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III. This marriage had important consequences For monarchical power in Moscow. As a spouse Grand Duke Moscow becomes the successor of the Byzantine emperor, who was considered the head of the entire Orthodox East. In relations with small neighboring lands, he already bears the title of Tsar of All Rus'. Another title, "autocrat", is a translation of the Byzantine imperial title autocrator; initially it meant the independence of the sovereign, but Ivan the Terrible gave it the meaning of the absolute, unlimited power of the monarch.
Since the end of the 15th century, the Byzantine coat of arms - a double-headed eagle - appears on the seals of the Moscow sovereign; it is combined with the former Moscow coat of arms - the image of St. George the Victorious. Thus, Rus' confirmed the continuity from Byzantium.

From IvanIII before PeterI

Great state seal of Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich (the Terrible)

The development of the Russian coat of arms is inextricably linked with the history of Rus'. The eagle on the seals of John III was depicted with a closed beak and looked more like an eaglet. Russia at that time was still an eaglet, a young state. During the reign of Vasily III Ioannovich (1505-1533), the double-headed eagle is depicted with open beaks, from which tongues protrude. At this time, Russia was strengthening its position: monk Philotheus sends a message Vasily III with his theory that “Moscow is the Third Rome.”

During the reign of John IV Vasilyevich (1533-1584), Rus' gained victories over the Astrakhan and Kazan kingdoms and annexed Siberia. The power of the Russian state is also reflected in its coat of arms: the double-headed eagle on the state seal is crowned with a single crown with an eight-pointed Orthodox cross above it. Obverse side of the seal: on the chest of the eagle there is a carved German shield with a unicorn - the personal sign of the king. All symbols in the personal symbolism of John IV are taken from the Psalter. Reverse side seal: on the eagle’s chest is a shield with the image of St. George the Victorious.

21 February 1613 Zemsky Sobor Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was elected to the throne. His election put an end to the unrest that took place in the period after the death of Ivan the Terrible. The eagle on the coat of arms of this period spreads its wings, which means new era in the history of Russia, which at this time became a unified and fairly strong state. This circumstance is immediately reflected in the coat of arms: above the eagle, instead of an eight-pointed cross, a third crown appears. The interpretation of this change is different: a symbol of the Holy Trinity or a symbol of the unity of Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians. There is also a third interpretation: the conquered Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian kingdoms.
Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676) ends the Russian-Polish conflict with the conclusion of the Truce of Andrusovo with Poland (1667). Russian state becomes equal with other European states. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, the eagle received symbols of power: scepter And power.

Great state seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

At the request of the tsar, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I sent his king of arms Lavrentiy Khurelevich to Moscow, who in 1673 wrote an essay “On the genealogy of the Russian great princes and sovereigns, showing the kinship that existed, through marriages, between Russia and eight European powers, that is Caesar of Rome, the kings of England, Denmark, Spain, Poland, Portugal and Sweden, and with the image of these royal coats of arms, and in the middle of them the Grand Duke St. Vladimir, at the end of the portrait of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.” This work marked the beginning of the development of Russian heraldry. The eagle’s wings are raised up and fully open (a symbol of the complete establishment of Russia as a powerful state; its heads are crowned with three royal crowns; on its chest there is a shield with the Moscow coat of arms; in its paws there is a scepter and an orb.

Lavrenty Khurelevich in 1667 was the first to give an official description of the Russian coat of arms: “The double-headed eagle is the sovereign coat of arms of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great and Lesser and White Russia, the autocrat, His Royal Majesty of the Russian Empire, on which three crowns are depicted, signifying the three great Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms, submitting to the God-protected and highest power of His Royal Majesty, the Most Gracious Sovereign... on the Persians is the image of the heir; in the box there is a scepter and an apple, and they reveal the most merciful Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor.”

From Peter I to Alexander II

Coat of arms of Peter I

Peter I ascended the Russian throne in 1682. During his reign, the Russian Empire became an equal among the leading powers of Europe.
Under him, according to heraldic rules, the coat of arms began to be depicted as black (before that it was depicted as gold). The eagle has become not only a decoration of state papers, but also a symbol of strength and power.
In 1721, Peter I accepted the imperial title, and on the coats of arms instead royal crowns imperial ones began to be depicted. In 1722, he established the office of the King of Arms and the position of King of Arms.
The state emblem under Peter I underwent other changes: in addition to changing the color of the eagle, shields with coats of arms were placed on its wings
Great Duchies and Kingdoms. On the right wing there were shields with the coats of arms (from top to bottom): Kyiv, Novgorod, Astrakhan; on the left wing: Vladimir, Siberian, Kazan. It was under Peter I that a complex of attributes of the coat of arms eagle developed.
And after Russia entered the “expanses of Siberia and Far East“The double-headed eagle began to symbolize the inseparability of European and Asian Russia under one imperial crown, since one crowned head looks to the west, the other to the east.
The era after Peter I is known as the era palace coups. In the 30s of the 18th century. the leadership of the state was dominated by immigrants from Germany, which did not contribute to the strengthening of the country. In 1736, Empress Anna Ioannovna invited a Swiss by birth, the Swedish engraver I. K. Gedlinger, who engraved by 1740. State seal, With minor changes used until 1856

Until the end of the 18th century. There were no special changes in the design of the coat of arms, but during the times of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine the Great, the eagle looked more like an eagle.

Coat of arms of Catherine I

Paul I

Coat of arms of Russia with the Maltese cross

Having become emperor, Paul I immediately tried to modify the Russian coat of arms. By decree of April 5, 1797, the double-headed eagle became an integral part of the coat of arms of the imperial family. But since Paul I was the Master of the Order of Malta, this could not but be reflected in the state emblem. In 1799, Emperor Paul I issued a decree on the image of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross on the chest. The cross was placed on the eagle’s chest under the Moscow coat of arms (“the indigenous coat of arms of Russia”). The emperor is also making an attempt to develop and introduce a complete coat of arms of the Russian Empire. At the upper end of this cross was placed the crown of the Grand Master.
In 1800, he proposed a complex coat of arms, on which forty-three coats of arms were placed in a multi-field shield and on nine small shields. However, they did not have time to adopt this coat of arms before Paul’s death.
Paul I was also the founder of the Great Russian Coat of Arms. The Manifesto of December 16, 1800 gives it Full description. The large Russian coat of arms was supposed to symbolize the internal unity and power of Russia. However, Paul I's project was not implemented.
Alexander I, having become emperor in 1801, abolished the Maltese cross on the state emblem. But under Alexander I, on the coat of arms, the eagle’s wings are spread wide to the side, and the feathers are lowered down. One head is more inclined than the other. Instead of a scepter and an orb, new attributes appear in the eagle’s paws: a torch, peruns (thunder arrows), a laurel wreath (sometimes a branch), a lictor’s bun intertwined with ribbons.

Nicholas I

Coat of arms of Nicholas I

The reign of Nicholas I (1825-1855) was emphatically firm and decisive (suppression of the Decembrist uprising, limitation of the status of Poland). Under him, from 1830, the armorial eagle began to be depicted with sharply raised wings (this remained so until 1917). In 1829, Nicholas I was crowned the Kingdom of Poland, therefore, since 1832, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Poland has been included in the Russian coat of arms.
At the end of the reign of Nicholas I, the manager of the heraldry department, Baron B.V. Kene, tried to give the coat of arms the features of Western European heraldry: the image of the eagle should have become more strict. The coat of arms of Moscow was to be depicted in a French shield; the rider was to be turned, according to heraldic rules, to the left of the viewer. But in 1855, Nicholas I died, and Quesne’s projects were implemented only under Alexander II.

Large, Middle and Small coats of arms of the Russian Empire

Large state emblem of the Russian Empire 1857

The large state emblem of the Russian Empire was introduced in 1857 by decree of Emperor Alexander II (this was the idea of Emperor Paul I).
The large coat of arms of Russia is a symbol of the unity and power of Russia. Around the double-headed eagle are the coats of arms of the territories that are part of the Russian state. In the center of the Great State Emblem is a French shield with a golden field on which a double-headed eagle is depicted. The eagle itself is black, crowned with three imperial crowns, which are connected by a blue ribbon: two small ones crown the head, the large one is located between the heads and rises above them; in the eagle’s paws are a scepter and an orb; on the chest is depicted “the coat of arms of Moscow: in a scarlet shield with gold edges, the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious in silver armor and an azure cap on a silver horse.” The shield, which depicts an eagle, is topped with the helmet of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, around the main shield is a chain and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On the sides of the shield there are shield holders: on the right side (to the left of the viewer) is the Holy Archangel Michael, on the left is the Archangel Gabriel. The central part is under the shadow of the large imperial crown and the state banner above it.
To the left and right of the state banner, on the same horizontal line with it, are depicted six shields with the connected coats of arms of the principalities and volosts - three to the right and three to the left of the banner, almost creating a semicircle. Nine shields, crowned with crowns with the coats of arms of the Grand Duchies and Kingdoms and the coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty, are a continuation and most of the circle that the united coats of arms of the principalities and volosts began. Counterclockwise coats of arms: the Astrakhan Kingdom, the Siberian Kingdom, the Family Coat of Arms of His Imperial Majesty, the united coats of arms of the Grand Duchies, the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland, the coat of arms of Chersonis-Tauride, the coat of arms of the Polish Kingdom, the coat of arms of the Kazan Kingdom.
The top six shields from left to right: combined coats of arms of the principalities and regions of the Great Russian, combined coats of arms of the principalities and regions of the South-Western, combined coats of arms of the Baltic regions.
At the same time, the Middle and Small state emblems were adopted.
The middle state coat of arms was the same as the Great one, but without state banners and six coats of arms above the canopy; Small - the same as the Middle one, but without a canopy, images of saints and the family coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty.
Adopted by decree Alexandra III dated November 3, 1882. The Great State Emblem differed from the one adopted in 1857 in that it added a shield with the coat of arms of Turkestan (became part of Russia in 1867), and the coats of arms of the principalities of Lithuania and Belarus were combined into one shield.
The large state emblem is framed by laurel and oak branches - a symbol of glory, honor, merit (laurel branches), valor, courage (oak branches).
The Great State Emblem reflects “the triune essence of the Russian idea: For the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.” Faith is expressed in the symbols of Russian Orthodoxy: many crosses, Saint Archangel Michael and Saint Archangel Gabriel, the motto “God is with us”, eight-pointed Orthodox cross over the state banner. The idea of an autocrat is expressed in the attributes of power: a large imperial crown, other Russian historical crowns, a scepter, an orb, and a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
The Fatherland is reflected in the coat of arms of Moscow, the coats of arms of Russian and Russian lands, in the helmet of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. The circular arrangement of the coats of arms symbolizes equality between them, and the central location of the coat of arms of Moscow symbolizes the unity of Rus' around Moscow, historical center Russian lands.

Conclusion

Modern coat of arms of the Russian Federation

In 1917, the eagle ceased to be the coat of arms of Russia. The coat of arms of the Russian Federation is known, the subjects of which were autonomous republics and other national entities. Each of the republics, subjects of the Russian Federation, had its own national emblem. But there is no Russian coat of arms on it.
In 1991 there was a coup d'etat. Democrats led by B. N. Yeltsin came to power in Russia.
August 22, 1991 reaffirmed National flag Russia white-blue-red flag. On November 30, 1993, Russian President B.N. Yeltsin signs the decree “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation.” Once again the double-headed eagle becomes the coat of arms of Russia.
Now, as before, the double-headed eagle symbolizes the power and unity of the Russian state.

The seal of Ivan III the Great, inherited from Vasily II Vasilyevich the Dark, originally depicted a Lion tormenting a snake (Lion is a symbol of the Vladimir Principality). However, at the end of the 15th century, a new symbol of the state was chosen, St. George the Victorious, striking a serpent with a spear - the symbol of Moscow and the Moscow Principality.

The Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III married the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologus and, to increase his authority in relations with foreign states, adopted the family coat of arms of the Byzantine kings - the Double-Headed Eagle. The double-headed eagle of Byzantium personified the Roman-Byzantine Empire, spanning East and West. Emperor Maximilian II, however, did not give Sophia his Imperial eagle; the eagle depicted on the banner of Sophia Paleologus did not have the Imperial crown, but only the Caesar's crown. However, the opportunity to become equal with all European sovereigns prompted Ivan III to adopt this coat of arms as a 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.

After the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium, Rus' began to experience the strong influence of Byzantine culture and Byzantine ideas. Along with Christianity, new political orders and relations began to penetrate into Rus'. This influence especially intensified after the marriage of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III. This marriage had important consequences for the monarchical power in Moscow. As a spouse, the Grand Duke of Moscow becomes the successor of the Byzantine emperor, who was considered the head of the entire Orthodox East. In relations with small neighboring lands, he already bears the title of Tsar of All Rus'. Since the end of the 15th century, the Byzantine coat of arms - a double-headed eagle - appears on the seals of the Moscow sovereign; it is combined with the former Moscow coat of arms - the image of St. George the Victorious. Thus, Rus' confirmed the continuity from Byzantium.