The history of the double-headed eagle: how did the coat of arms of Russia change? State emblem of Russia: history and meaning.

The coat of arms of Russia is one of the main state symbols of Russia, along with the flag and anthem. The modern coat of arms of Russia is a golden double-headed eagle on a red background. Three crowns are depicted above the heads of the eagle, now symbolizing the sovereignty of both the entire Russian Federation and its parts, subjects of the Federation; in the paws - a scepter and an orb, personifying state power and a single state; on the chest is an image of a rider slaying a dragon with a spear. This is one of the ancient symbols of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, the defense of the Fatherland.

History of coat of arms changes

The first reliable evidence of the use of the double-headed eagle as a state emblem is the seal of John III Vasilyevich on the exchange letter of 1497. During its existence, the image of the double-headed eagle undergoes many changes. In 1917, the eagle ceased to be the coat of arms of Russia. Its symbolism seemed to the Bolsheviks a symbol of autocracy, they did not take into account the fact that the double-headed eagle was a symbol of Russian statehood. On November 30, 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the Decree on the State Emblem. Now the double-headed eagle, as before, symbolizes the power and unity of the Russian state.

15th century
The reign of Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505) is the most important stage in the formation of a unified Russian state. Ivan III managed to finally eliminate dependence on the Golden Horde, repelling the campaign of Khan Akhmat against Moscow in 1480. The Grand Duchy of Moscow included Yaroslavl, Novgorod, Tver, Perm lands. The country began to actively develop ties with other European states, its foreign policy position strengthened. In 1497, the first all-Russian Sudebnik was adopted - a single code of laws of the country.
It was at this time - the time of the successful construction of Russian statehood - that the two-headed eagle, personifying supreme power, independence, what was called "autocracy" in Russia, became the coat of arms of Russia. The very first surviving evidence of the use of the image of the double-headed eagle as a symbol of Russia is the Grand Duke's seal of Ivan III, which in 1497 sealed his "exchange and allotment" charter for the land holdings of specific princes. At the same time, images of a gilded double-headed eagle on a red field appeared on the walls of the Pomegranate Chamber in the Kremlin.

Mid 16th century
Beginning in 1539, the type of eagle on the seal of the Grand Duke of Moscow changed. In the era of Ivan the Terrible, on the golden bull (state seal) of 1562, in the center of the double-headed eagle, an image of a rider ("rider") appeared - one of the oldest symbols of princely power in "Rus". The “rider” is placed in a shield on the chest of a double-headed eagle, crowned with one or two crowns topped with a cross.

Late 16th - early 17th century
During the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, between the crowned heads of the double-headed eagle, a sign of the passion of Christ appears: the so-called Calvary cross. The cross on the state seal was a symbol of Orthodoxy, giving a religious coloring to the coat of arms of the state. The appearance of the "Golgotha cross" in the coat of arms of Russia coincides with the time of the establishment in 1589 of the patriarchate and church independence of Russia.

In the 17th century, the Orthodox cross was often depicted on Russian banners. The banners of foreign regiments that were part of the Russian army had their own emblems and inscriptions; however, an Orthodox cross was also placed on them, which indicated that the regiment fighting under this banner served the Orthodox sovereign. Until the middle of the 17th century, a seal was widely used, on which a two-headed eagle with a rider on its chest is crowned with two crowns, and an Orthodox eight-pointed cross rises between the heads of the eagle.

30-60s of the XVIII century
By decree of Empress Catherine I of March 11, 1726, the description of the coat of arms was fixed: “A black eagle with outstretched wings, in a yellow field, on it is a rider in a red field.”

But if in this Decree the rider on the coat of arms was still called the rider, then among the drawings of coats of arms presented in May 1729 by Count Munnich to the Military Collegium and awarded the highest approval, the double-headed eagle is described as follows: “The coat of arms of the State in the old way: a double-headed eagle, black , on the heads of the crown, and at the top in the middle is a large Imperial crown-gold; in the middle of that eagle, George on a white horse, defeating a serpent; the epancha and the spear are yellow, the crown is yellow, the snake is black; the field around is white, and in the middle is red. Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1736 invited the Swiss engraver Goedlinger, who by 1740 had engraved the State Seal. The central part of the matrix of this seal with the image of a double-headed eagle was used until 1856. Thus, the type of double-headed eagle on the State Seal remained unchanged for more than a hundred years.

Turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries
Emperor Paul I, by decree of April 5, 1797, allowed members of the imperial family to use the image of a double-headed eagle as their coat of arms.
In the short time of the reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), Russia pursued an active foreign policy, faced with a new enemy for itself - Napoleonic France. After the French troops occupied the Mediterranean island of Malta, Paul I took the Order of Malta under his protection, becoming the grand master of the order. On August 10, 1799, Paul I signed a decree on the inclusion of the Maltese cross and crown in the state emblem. On the chest of the eagle, under the Maltese crown, there was a shield with St. George (Paul interpreted it as the “root coat of arms of Russia”) superimposed on the Maltese cross.

Paul I made an attempt to introduce the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire. On December 16, 1800, he signed the Manifesto, which described this complex project. Forty-three coats of arms were placed in the multi-field shield and on nine small shields. In the center was the coat of arms described above in the form of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross, larger than the rest. The shield with coats of arms is superimposed on the Maltese cross, and under it the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called again appeared. The supporters, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, support the imperial crown over the knight's helmet and mantle (cloak). The whole composition is placed against the background of a canopy with a dome - the heraldic symbol of sovereignty. Two standards with two-headed and one-headed eagles emerge from behind the shield with coats of arms. This project has not been finalized.

Shortly after accession to the throne, Emperor Alexander I, by decree of April 26, 1801, removed the Maltese cross and crown from the coat of arms of Russia.

1st half of the 19th century
The images of the double-headed eagle at that time are very diverse: it could have one and three crowns; in the paws - not only the scepter and orb, which have already become traditional, but also a wreath, lightning bolts (peruns), a torch. The wings of an eagle were depicted in different ways - raised, lowered, straightened. To a certain extent, the image of the eagle was influenced by the then European fashion, common to the Empire era.
Under Emperor Nicholas I, the simultaneous existence of two types of state eagle was officially fixed.
The first type is an eagle with spread wings, under one crown, with the image of St. George on the chest and with a scepter and an orb in its paws. The second type was an eagle with raised wings, on which the title coats of arms were depicted: on the right - Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian, on the left - Polish, Tauride, Finland. For some time, another version was also in circulation - with the emblems of the three "main" ancient Russian Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod lands) and three kingdoms - Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia. An eagle under three crowns, with St. George (as the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow) in a shield on his chest, with a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, with a scepter and orb in his paws.

Mid 19th century
In 1855-1857, during the heraldic reform, which was carried out under the leadership of Baron B. Kene, the type of the state eagle was changed under the influence of German designs. Then St. George on the chest of an eagle, in accordance with the rules of Western European heraldry, began to look to the left. The drawing of the Small Coat of Arms of Russia, executed by Alexander Fadeev, was approved by the highest on December 8, 1856. This version of the coat of arms differed from the previous ones not only in the image of an eagle, but also in the number of “title” coats of arms on the wings. On the right were shields with the emblems of Kazan, Poland, Tauric Chersonesos and the combined emblem of the Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod), on the left - shields with the emblems of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland.

On April 11, 1857, the Supreme approval of the entire set of state emblems followed. It included: Large, Medium and Small, coats of arms of members of the imperial family, as well as "titular" coats of arms. At the same time, drawings of the Large, Medium and Small state seals, arks (cases) for seals, as well as seals of the main and lower government places and persons were approved. In total, one act approved one hundred and ten drawings lithographed by A. Beggrov. On May 31, 1857, the Senate published a Decree describing the new emblems and the norms for their use.

Big State Emblem, 1882
On July 24, 1882, Emperor Alexander III approved the drawing of the Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire in Peterhof, on which the composition was preserved, but the details were changed, in particular the figures of the archangels. In addition, the imperial crowns began to be depicted like real diamond crowns used during the coronation.
The final drawing of the Great Emblem of the Empire was approved on November 3, 1882, when the coat of arms of Turkestan was added to the title emblems.

Small State Emblem, 1883-1917
On February 23, 1883, the Middle and two variants of the Small Coat of Arms were approved. On the wings of the double-headed eagle (Small Coat of Arms) there were eight coats of arms of the full title of Emperor of Russia: the coat of arms of the kingdom of Kazan; coat of arms of the kingdom of Poland; coat of arms of the kingdom of Tauric Chersonesos; the united coat of arms of the Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod grand principalities; coat of arms of the kingdom of Astrakhan, coat of arms of the kingdom of Siberia, coat of arms of the kingdom of Georgia, coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland. In January 1895, the imperial order was given to leave unchanged the drawing of the state eagle, made by Academician A. Charlemagne.

The most recent act - "Basic Provisions of the State Structure of the Russian Empire" of 1906 - confirmed all previous legal provisions relating to the State Emblem.

Emblem of Russia, 1917
After the February Revolution of 1917, on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, a Special Conference on Arts was organized. In March of the same year, it included a commission under the executive committee of the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, which, in particular, was preparing a new version of the coat of arms of Russia. The commission included well-known artists and art critics A. N. Benois and N. K. Roerich, I. Ya. Bilibin, heraldist V. K. Lukomsky. It was decided that it was possible to use images of the double-headed eagle on the seal of the Provisional Government. The execution of the design of this seal was entrusted to I. Ya. Bilibin, who took as a basis the image of the double-headed eagle, deprived of almost all symbols of power, on the seal of Ivan III. Such an image continued to be used after the October Revolution, until the adoption of the new Soviet coat of arms on July 24, 1918.

State Emblem of the RSFSR, 1918-1993
In the summer of 1918, the Soviet government finally decided to break with the historical symbols of Russia, and the new Constitution adopted on July 10, 1918 proclaimed not land, but political, party symbols in the state emblem: the double-headed eagle was replaced by a red shield, which depicted a crossed hammer and sickle and an ascending the sun as a sign of change. Since 1920, the abbreviated name of the state - the RSFSR - was placed at the top of the shield. The shield was bordered by ears of wheat, fastened with a red ribbon with the inscription "Proletarians of all countries, unite." Later, this image of the coat of arms was approved in the Constitution of the RSFSR.

Even earlier (April 16, 1918), the sign of the Red Army was legalized: the five-pointed Red Star, the symbol of the ancient god of war Mars. 60 years later, in the spring of 1978, the military star, which by that time had become part of the coat of arms of the USSR and most of the republics, entered the coat of arms of the RSFSR.

In 1992, the last change in the coat of arms came into force: the abbreviation above the hammer and sickle was replaced by the inscription "Russian Federation". But this decision was hardly implemented, because the Soviet coat of arms with its party symbols no longer corresponded to the political structure of Russia after the collapse of the one-party system of government, the ideology of which it embodied.

State Emblem of the Russian Federation, 1993
On November 5, 1990, the Government of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the creation of the State Emblem and the State Flag of the RSFSR. A government commission was created to organize this work. After a comprehensive discussion, the commission proposed to recommend to the Government a white-blue-red flag and a coat of arms - a golden double-headed eagle on a red field. The final restoration of these symbols took place in 1993, when, by Decrees of President B. Yeltsin, they were approved as the state flag and coat of arms.

On December 8, 2000, the State Duma adopted the Federal Constitutional Law "On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation". Which was approved by the Federation Council and signed by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on December 20, 2000.

The golden double-headed eagle on a red field preserves the historical continuity in the colors of the coats of arms of the late 15th-17th centuries. The drawing of the eagle goes back to the images on the monuments of the era of Peter the Great.

The restoration of the double-headed eagle as the State Emblem of Russia embodies the continuity and continuity of Russian history. Today's coat of arms of Russia is a new coat of arms, but its components are deeply traditional; it reflects different stages of national history and continues them on the eve of the third millennium.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

In the XII-XIV centuries, grand ducal and city, and later noble coats of arms began to appear. The ancient Moscow coat of arms was a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear, and since the 16th century, the Moscow coat of arms began to be depicted in the center of the Russian state emblem, emphasizing the leading role of Moscow in the unification of Russian lands.

The double-headed eagle in Russian heraldry gradually began to play a major role. This symbol itself has a very ancient origin. It is found both in the Hittite state and in Media. The eagle, looking to the West and East, becomes the main state symbol of the Byzantine Empire. The two-headed bird was supposed to personify the unity of Europe and Asia, the divinity and greatness of power.

Coat of arms of the Russian kingdom

How the eagle got on the coat of arms of Russia

But we are most interested in how such an exotic bird became the main symbol of the Russian state. There are plenty of legends and myths about this. The preferred version is that the double-headed eagle "flew" to us more than 500 years ago. It was at this time, in 1472, that the marriage of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III Vasilyevich and the Byzantine princess Sophia (Zoya) Paleolog took place. It was under Ivan III that the unification of Russian lands was completed, dependence on the Golden Horde was finally destroyed, and ties with various European countries began to actively develop. In 1497, the All-Russian Code of Laws was adopted - a single code of laws of the country.

Small coat of arms of the Russian Empire

The desire and opportunity to be on a par with all European rulers prompted the Grand Duke to accept the new coat of arms as a symbol of the state. Having become related to the Byzantine dynasty, the Moscow sovereigns could talk about the continuity of power. By combining the coat of arms of Byzantium and the coat of arms of Moscow, they received a new coat of arms, which became a symbol of the Russian state. And this symbol once again emphasized the priority idea for that era “Moscow is the third Rome”.

In the 17th century, the two-headed bird began to hold a scepter and an orb in its paws - regalia adopted in all monarchical states. But the son of Fyodor Ioannovich placed an Orthodox cross between the crowned heads of an eagle. This is due to the fact that in 1589 there was also the church independence of Russia.

Coat of arms of Russia under the Romanovs

Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov added St. George the Victorious to the emblem - his image was placed on the eagle's chest. Paul I could not resist making changes. Under him, a Maltese cross and a crown appeared on the coat of arms. A few years later, Alexander I removed the Maltese symbols. After the victorious Patriotic War of 1812, the eagle began to be depicted with lowered spread wings. Instead of a scepter and orb, a wreath, lightning bolts and a torch appeared in the paws.

The most serious changes affected the state symbol under Alexander II. Under him, a special Stamp Department was created. It changed the image of the eagle and St. George the Victorious. On April 11, 1857, the emperor approved the new emblem of the Russian Empire, a month later the Senate published a decree describing the new emblems and the norms for their use. The new coat of arms lasted until 1917, instead of it the hammer and sickle became the emblem of the USSR.

Coat of arms of the USSR

After 1991, the question arose again about the symbol of the new state. Since 1993, the golden eagle with spread wings and royal regalia in its paws has again become the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. The modern coat of arms has three crowns, as does the coat of arms.

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

Coat of arms history

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

The meaning of the coat of arms

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

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

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

Coats of arms of Russian cities

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

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

Coat of arms of the USSR

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

The modern coat of arms of the Russian Federation

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

Results

In general, the coat of arms of Russia has a very long history, and the specific reasons for using just such symbols were invented rather upon the fact of application. The reasons why they were chosen by some ancient ruler is unlikely to ever be established for certain.

The appearance in Russia of a double-headed eagle under Ivan III

The double-headed eagle is not among the signs widely known in Russian tradition before the end of the 15th century. Images of double-headed eagles are found in Russia, but they are extremely few in number, and are not the rule, but the exception.

The first known images date back to the 10th century: these are plaques (costume decorations) from the Gnezdovsky barrow and from the Osipova desert. Known decorative tiles with a double-headed eagle, found on the banks of the Dniester in the town of Vysilevo (Northern Bukovina) - it dates back to the XII-XIII centuries, double-headed eagles in the paintings of the Nativity Cathedral in Suzdal (XIII century). The coin, which depicts the original figure, is dated to the 14th century: a man with two heads and eagle wings.

Researchers suggest that these rare and atypical images for Russia are probably borrowed from the east. In the X-XIII centuries, the Russian lands had fairly active trade relations with Persia (Iran) and the Arab countries, after the Golden Horde established power over Russia, relations with the Arab, Persian and Central Asian east were carried out through the Horde.

The first image of the Russian state emblem, the double-headed eagle, that has survived to this day, dates back to 1497. It is placed on the reverse side of the seal of Ivan III Vasilyevich (1462-1505).

Ivan III is one of the greatest figures in Russian history. Its significance is determined by the fact that he created a single Russian state.

Having established his power in the new - united Russian state, Ivan III took care to reflect this in the main means of demonstrating his rights - the press. With its help, it was reported that the document was indeed issued on behalf of the one who attached the seal to it. The ruler, who had any territories under his control, spent a long time trying to acquire the right to use his seal, because without this he did not consider his power legitimate and was not recognized by other rulers.

Such a seal is the seal of 1497. It has a front and back side. On the front side of the seal of 1497, the sign of the Moscow princes is depicted - the rider: a horseman striking a dragon (snake) with a spear. On the reverse side there is a double-headed eagle, each head of which is topped with a crown. The double-headed eagle had a fundamentally new meaning. If earlier on the reverse sides there were symbols associated personally with the prince (for example, the patron saint of the prince), now the reverse side of the seal is occupied by the symbol of the state, which the prince rules. The double-headed eagle became this symbol and the seal, thus, acquired a coherent logical meaning: the front side spoke about who exactly owns this seal, and the back side tells which country the owner of the seal controls.

Here it is appropriate to ask the question: why the double-headed eagle? What considerations guided Ivan III, choosing this sign as a symbol of our country? The answer to this question is complicated: history has not preserved for us the sources that allow us to draw an accurate conclusion. We can only make assumptions and analyze their probability.

From the history of the existence of the double-headed eagle in other countries, several assumptions can be made:

The double-headed eagle was adopted following the example of the Holy Roman Empire.

The double-headed eagle was adopted by Russia from the Balkan countries.

The double-headed eagle was borrowed by Russia from Byzantium.

Against the first version is the fact that Russia adopted the wrong form of the double-headed eagle, which was adopted in the West. The Russian eagle had attributes unknown to the West - crowns on their heads, and a different color scheme (a golden eagle on red, in the west - a black eagle on gold).

Russia actively developed ties with the Balkan countries (Moldova, Wallachia, Bulgaria) and the Balkan influence was especially strong in the cultural sphere. However, in the political environment, the Balkan influence and the importance of the Balkan problems was incomparably less than the influence of the Byzantine and Western issues.

The most preferred is the third version. Of course, Ivan III supported the idea of Russia as the successor of Byzantium. It was actively emphasized that after the fall of Byzantium, Russia remained the last stronghold of Orthodoxy. Ivan III married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, the Russian court tried to follow Byzantine traditions. The sovereign himself began to seek the title of "king". However, it must be remembered that the double-headed eagle in Byzantium was not in the full sense of the word the state emblem, and did not quite correspond to the nature of the new state sign that Ivan III needed.

Thus, each of the versions of the reasons why Ivan III chose the double-headed eagle as a state symbol is solid ... and unprovable. It is possible that all three factors - Byzantine, Western European and Balkan influence - together contributed to the formation of Ivan III's decision. In fact, something else is important: in those years when a single Russian state was born, the state emblem of the new country was created. It became a double-headed eagle - and this symbol is inextricably linked with Russia to this day, for more than 500 years.

Already at the very beginning of the development of the Russian coat of arms, we see its interweaving with the history of Russia. An interesting fact is that the eagle on the seals of John III was depicted with a closed beak and looked more like an eaglet than an eagle. If you look at Russia of that period, you can see that it is a young state that is just beginning to form as a centralized one.

Vasily III

Grand Duke Vasily III Ivanovich (1505-1533) turned out to be in all respects the successor of his father's work. Under him, the expansion and strengthening of the unified Russian state continued, and its symbolic support also developed. It is noteworthy that the double-headed eagle is depicted already with open beaks, from which tongues protrude. If you approach from a purely artistic point of view, then you can say that the eagle begins to get angry. At the same time, having examined Russia of that time, we note that it is strengthening its position, becoming a new center of Orthodoxy.

An important innovation was that the seal with the double-headed eagle gradually began to be used more often, began to stand out among other grand ducal seals and acquire the status of the main - state - seal of the Grand Duke. Most of the international treaties and documents of Vasily III were certified with a seal with a double-headed eagle.

Ivan IV the Terrible

Under Ivan IV the Terrible (1533-1584), several important changes took place in the state press.

In the 1560s the double-headed eagle is transferred from the reverse side of the seals to the front and, thus, the sign of the state occupies a more honorable place on the seals than the sign of the ruler himself. At the same time, along with the traditional rider, a new symbol, the unicorn, began to be used as a royal sign. The second important innovation of the 1560s was the combination of state and royal signs in one symbol. For this, the royal sign (horseman or unicorn) was located in a shield on the chest of a double-headed eagle on the front side of the seal.

The next change in the seal takes place in 1577-78. Instead of two crowns crowning the heads of an eagle, one large five-pronged crown with an eight-pointed Orthodox cross above it is placed. All the symbols used in the personal symbols of John IV are taken from the Psalter, which testifies to the rooting of Christianity in Russia.

In the reign of John IV, Russia won decisive victories over the Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms, annexed Siberia. The growth of the power of the Russian state was also reflected in its coat of arms: twenty-four emblems of the lands that were part of the Russian state began to be placed around it. The very fact of the appearance of territorial emblems on the large state seal is very indicative: for the first time, a Russian sovereign, using the state symbol, tried to demonstrate how great his power is, and what kind of main lands are included in it.

The image of the Moscow coat of arms on the chest of the eagle becomes traditional. However, in accordance with the ancient Russian icon-painting tradition, St. George is turned to the right side of the viewer, which contradicts the heraldic rules.

Fedor Ivanovich

Tsar Fedor I Ivanovich (1584-1598), who succeeded Ivan IV, made a change to the state symbol - on his seal (1589), the two-headed eagle is again depicted with two crowns, and an eight-pointed Orthodox cross on Golgotha is placed between the heads of the eagle

Both on the obverse and on the reverse side of the seal, the eagle has a shield with a rider on its chest.

Probably, the rejection of the innovations of Ivan IV (one crown, unicorn) could serve as Fedor Ivanovich's desire to show that in his reign he intends to rely on the experience of the wise and prudent reigns of his grandfather (Vasily III) and great-grandfather (Ivan III), and not the cruel methods of his father. The appearance of the cross can be explained by the deepest and sincere religiosity inherent in Fyodor Ivanovich, who wished to reflect the God-protection of his state and the primacy of spiritual values over worldly ones.

Time of Troubles

Tsar Boris Godunov (1598-1605), who reigned after Fyodor I, used the same eagle as under Fyodor Ivanovich (with two crowns and a cross), but a unicorn was once again placed in the shield on the chest of the eagle.

The Time of Troubles that followed led to a rapid change of rulers on the Russian throne, of which Tsar Dmitry (False Dmitry I) (1605-1606) left the most interesting trace in the development of Russian state heraldry.

Having ascended the Russian throne with the help of the Polish-Lithuanian troops, being in constant contact with the Poles and Litvins who arrived in Moscow with him, False Dmitry accepted a seal with a new design of the state symbol. The double-headed eagle was corrected in accordance with Western European heraldic traditions. On the seal of False Dmitry (1600), a double-headed eagle was depicted with wings spread and raised up. The heads of the eagle were crowned with two traditional crowns, and above them was a third - larger and of a different design. Finally, the rider in the shield on the chest of the double-headed eagle was turned visually to the left (while traditionally in Russia the rider was depicted as turned visually to the right).

Coats of arms of the Romanov dynasty

The reign of False Dmitry was short-lived and ended ingloriously. The Time of Troubles ended with the enthronement of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645). This put an end to the Troubles, which in the period between the death of Ivan the Terrible and the accession to the throne of Mikhail Romanov undermined the spirit of the Russian people and almost eradicated Russian statehood. Russia was embarking on the path of prosperity and greatness. During this period, the eagle on the emblem “started” and spread its wings for the first time, which could mean the “awakening” of Russia after a long sleep, and the beginning of a new era in the history of the state.

The heads of the eagle were crowned with two crowns, but between them alternately placed an Orthodox cross (until the 1640s), then a third larger crown, which gradually replaced the symbol of Orthodoxy and by the middle of the 17th century became an indispensable attribute of the Russian coat of arms.

By this period, Russia had completely completed its unification and had already managed to become a single and fairly strong state, and the three crowns probably meant the Holy Trinity. However, this was also interpreted by many as a symbol of the unity of Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians. On the chest of the double-headed eagle there was a shield with a horseman (on the seal of 1625, the horseman, still according to the tradition of False Dmitry, is visually turned to the left, but since 1627 the horseman has turned to the right side, traditional for Russia). In 1620 - early 1640s. on one side of the seal on the chest of an eagle, an image of a unicorn is sometimes placed, but by the middle of the 1640s. the unicorn finally disappears from the composition of the state emblem.

In the reign of the next sovereign - Alexei Mikhailovich (1645 - 1676) - Russia strengthened, expanded and gathered strength for a breakthrough in development, which she was destined to make under his son, Peter the Great (1682-1725). The state symbol is specified and purposefully corrected for the first time in accordance with the heraldic rules.

The Russian state occupies a fairly significant place next to the European states. The state eagle of Alexei Mikhailovich was the prototype for subsequent official images of the Russian coat of arms. The wings of the eagle are raised high and fully opened, which symbolized the complete assertion of Russia as a solid and powerful state; its heads are crowned with three royal crowns, symbolizing God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit. On the chest there is a shield with the Moscow coat of arms, in the paws - a scepter and orb

An interesting fact is that before the appearance of the attributes of monarchical power in the eagle's paws, the eagle's claws gradually unclenched, as if in the hope of grabbing something, until they took the orb and the scepter, thus symbolizing the establishment of absolute monarchy in Russia.

In 1672, the first official collection of the main state emblems was compiled in Russia. The "Titular" was opened with an image of a golden double-headed eagle under three crowns, with a scepter and an orb in its paws (without a rider on the chest). The caption under the drawing read "Moscow" - that is, the double-headed eagle was presented as the coat of arms of the Moscow land - the heart of the united Russian state - and, accordingly, a common symbol of all of Russia.

The 17th century left us not only numerous seals, coins and documents, but also a large number of other carriers of images of the state emblem. The double-headed eagle at this time begins to be actively placed in architectural compositions, on state regalia, banners, weapons, various items of palace life and everyday life of the Russian nobility. There are numerous items of decorative and military weapons with double-headed eagles, goblets and other ceremonial utensils, household items and gifts (caskets, furniture, etc.). It is likely that this use of the double-headed eagle took place before (for example, there is evidence that decorative red tiles with golden double-headed eagles adorned the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin under Ivan III), but the ruthless passage of time and, especially, the destructive events of the Time of Troubles led to the fact that regalia and household items of the XV-XVI centuries. with the coat of arms almost did not survive to this day.

In 1654, a crowned golden double-headed eagle was installed on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, and in 1688 on the spiers of the Trinity and Borovitskaya towers.

After the death of Alexei Mikhailovich, Russia was ruled for a short time by his eldest son, Tsar Fedor II Alekseevich (1676-1682). After his death, half-brothers Ivan V and Peter I were simultaneously elevated to the throne.

This period is interesting from the point of view of the development of state symbols in that the image on the chest of a double-headed eagle, which has always been understood as a conditional portrait of the Grand Duke or Tsar, is now developing to documentary accuracy, and sometimes the horseman is completely replaced by a portrait of the sovereign.

So, on the regimental archery banner of 1695, on the chest of a double-headed eagle, tsars Ivan and Peter are depicted seated on two thrones. On the personal banner of Sofya Alekseevna of the 1680s. a portrait of the ruler was placed on the chest of the eagle. On the soldier’s banner of 1696, a rider resembling Peter is depicted on the eagle’s chest, and on the other banner, instead of the rider, a rider with a sword in his hand occupies the shield on the eagle’s chest, whose portrait resemblance to Peter is quite obvious.

After 1700, a conditional rider returns to the chest of the double-headed eagle. The tradition of combining portraits of the king with the state emblem has been preserved, but it has received a new development. The official coat of arms remains a double-headed eagle with a rider on its chest. And the portraits of the king superimposed on the coat of arms are used only for decorative and allegorical purposes.

Peter I

The turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries was another turning point in the history of our country. The new sovereign, Peter I, decisively directed Russia along the path of Europeanization, opened a period of capital reforms that affected all aspects of Russian life without exception. The stormy stream of Peter's reforms did not leave aside the state symbols.

Almost all the time of Peter's reign, Russia waged incessant wars and the means of warfare - the army - was the object of the autocrat's unceasing concerns. Peter also thought about a single symbol of the army. The St. Andrew's Cross was chosen as such a sign.

Placed on a white cloth, the blue St. Andrew's Cross became the flag of the Russian navy, which still bears the name of the St. Andrew's flag. But it is especially important that the symbols of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called since the time of Peter I have become an integral part of the state emblem. In the time of Peter the Great, the badge of the order was worn on a neck chain consisting of various decorative links.

And starting from 1700, the sign and chain of the order are directly part of the coat of arms: the chain is depicted surrounding the shield with a rider on the chest of a double-headed eagle, and the sign of the order attached to the chain is located directly under this shield.

The second significant change in the state emblem under Peter I is associated with a rethinking of the meaning of the rider on the chest of the double-headed eagle. Since the 1710s. the ancient rider, according to the European tradition, is beginning to be identified as the image of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. The coloring of this element was established: the shield had a red field, the horseman was depicted as silver, and the dragon defeated by him was black.

The third significant change in the coat of arms of the time of Peter the Great was the establishment of a certain type of crowns crowning the double-headed eagle. Since 1710, first on seals, and then on coins and other symbols, imperial crowns began to be depicted above the heads of the eagle. At the same time, the middle - large - crown received the traditional heraldic design: with ribbons (infuls) emanating from it, touching the other two crowns. The choice of imperial crowns by Peter is not accidental: this was how the complete independence of Russia and its absolute freedom in its power rights were demonstrated. Note that the imperial crowns appeared in the Russian coat of arms more than ten years before Russia was proclaimed an Empire, and Peter himself took the title of Emperor.

The fourth and last change in the state emblem in the time of Peter the Great was the change in colors. In 1721 our country was proclaimed an Empire. In connection with the new state structure, the colors of the state emblem were also changed: following the example of the only empire that existed at that time - the Holy Roman Empire - the double-headed eagle of the Russian coat of arms was made black with golden beaks, tongues, eyes, paws and attributes (scepter, orb in the paws and crowns above their heads). The field also became golden. A red shield is preserved on the chest of the eagle, with the image of a silver rider - St. George - striking a black dragon with a spear. The shield on the chest of the eagle was surrounded by a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the sign of which was located on the chain under the shield with St. George

Thus, the coat of arms of our country acquired those main heraldic characteristics that were preserved for almost 200 years, until the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917.

In 1722, Peter established the King of Arms Office (1722-1796) and the position of King of Arms.

The era of palace coups. 18th century

The post-Petrine era is characterized by a tense struggle at the pinnacle of state power, known as the “epoch of palace coups”, which in the 30s of the XVIII century led to excessive influence in the state of immigrants from Germany, which did not at all contribute to the strengthening of Russia.

In 1740, the Swiss engraver Goedlinger, invited by Anna Ioannovna to Russia in 1736, made a state seal, which was used until 1856 and, in essence, fixed the classic look of the Russian double-headed eagle.

Until the end of the 18th century, there were no fundamental changes in the design of the coat of arms, however, specific features are noticeable, corresponding to the reign of emperors and empresses, especially during the time of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine the Great. At this time, the eagle is more like an eagle than an eagle. Oddly enough, but during the time of Catherine II, the state emblem did not change much, although, as you know, she carried out a large number of reforms in the field of government and education. He preferred to maintain continuity and traditionalism.

Pavel I

New significant changes in the composition of the state emblem were made only at the very end of the 18th century - in the reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801).

Paul's innovations in the field of the state emblem touched, first of all, two points.

1. The coat of arms itself was changed. In 1798, the Emperor took under his protection the island of Malta, located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, on which there was a sovereign knightly state - the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Pavel took the title of Master of the Order - the head of the Maltese state. In the same year, the main symbols of the Order of Malta were introduced into the Russian state emblem.

The symbols of the order were a white equilateral cross with widening, deeply chipped ends ("Maltese Cross") and the master's crown. In the Russian state emblem, the Maltese cross was located on the chest of a double-headed eagle under a shield with a rider. The upper end of the cross was crowned with the crown of the Master of the Order of Malta. At the same time, the signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called were excluded from the coat of arms.

2. An attempt was made to introduce a full coat of arms of the Russian Empire. On December 16, 1800, he signed the Manifesto, which described this complex project. Forty-three coats of arms were placed in the multi-field shield and on nine small shields. In the center was the coat of arms described above in the form of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross, larger than the rest. The shield with coats of arms is superimposed on the Maltese cross, and under it the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called again appeared. The supporters, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, support the imperial crown over the knight's helmet and mantle (cloak). The whole composition is placed against the background of a canopy with a dome - the heraldic symbol of sovereignty. Two standards with two-headed and one-headed eagles emerge from behind the shield with coats of arms. The large Russian emblem was supposed to symbolize the internal unity and power of Russia. However, the project of Paul I was not implemented.

Alexander I

Emperor Alexander I Pavlovich (1801-1825), who succeeded Paul I, already two months after ascending the throne - on April 26, 1801 - abolished the use of the Maltese cross and crown as part of the state emblem and returned the chain and badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The abolition of the Maltese symbols was due to the fact that Alexander I, realizing the groundlessness of claims to the island of Malta and not seeing the point in supporting the Order of Malta, refused to accept the title of Master and ceased to exist the order on the territory of Russia.

Under Alexander, the tradition of freedom of artistic decisions of the state emblem was developed. Not only various artistic interpretations of the design of the coat of arms were used, but also such options for its solution that seriously differed from the approved coat of arms in their heraldic composition.

Along with the traditional decision of the state emblem: an eagle with raised wings, under three crowns, with a scepter and orb in its paws and surrounded by a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and with a shield with St. George on the chest. The image of the coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle with widely spread and downward-pointing wings has become widespread. In such a composition of the coat of arms, one was often used instead of three crowns above the heads of the eagle, the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was not used, and instead of a scepter and orb, a sword, laurel wreath or lightning bolts (peruns) were placed in the paws of the eagle

Nicholas I

Upon the death of Alexander I, the throne passed to his younger brother, Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich (1825-1855). In his reign, the issues of using the state emblem were streamlined.

Nicholas I established two types of state symbols. The first - intended for use on state regalia, seals and banknotes - corresponded to the old Russian tradition and represented a black double-headed eagle in a golden field with wings spread and raised upwards, with golden eyes, beaks, tongues and paws. The eagle was crowned with three imperial crowns, had a scepter and an orb in its paws, and on its chest a red shield surrounded by a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, with a silver rider placed in it, striking a black dragon with a spear. An innovation of Nicholas I was the placement on the wings of the eagle of six coats of arms (three on each wing) of the main lands that make up the Russian Empire: Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian (on the right wing), Polish, Tauride and Finland (on the left wing).

The second type of state emblem - intended mainly for military symbols and for decorative purposes - was a double-headed eagle, which came into use under Alexander I: a black double-headed eagle with golden eyes, beaks and paws, had wings spread and directed downwards, crowned with one golden imperial crown, had a red shield on his chest with a silver rider in a blue cloak - St. George, striking a black dragon with a spear, and in his paws - a sword (or sword and lightning) and a laurel wreath

Both types of state emblem, established under Nicholas I, were used until the end of the existence of the Russian Empire. At the same time, the first type (an eagle with raised wings) was becoming more and more widespread as the main, official version of the coat of arms, and the second was most widely used in the symbols of state departments, primarily the army and navy.

Small State Emblem

At the end of the reign of Nicholas I, attention was paid to streamlining the work of the state heraldic service, which had been dragging out a miserable existence for a long time before. The service was transformed into a separate department of the Senate, called the Department of Heraldry, and as part of this department, a special department was allocated, designed specifically for practicing heraldry - the Armorial Department. Baron B. Köhne was appointed manager of the Heraldry Department of the Department of Heraldry, leaving a large and original mark on the development of Russian heraldry, in particular the state one.

First of all, he drew attention to the state emblem. According to Koene, the coat of arms needed to be improved in order to bring it into line with the rules of heraldry. The idea of Paul I to create a large emblem of the Russian Empire was revived, and Koehne went further, proposing three variations of the state symbol: the Large, Medium and Small coats of arms.

Prepared by Koehne and executed by the artist Alexander Fadeev, a new drawing of the Small Coat of Arms of Russia was approved by Emperor Alexander I on December 8, 1856. The main elements of the coat of arms, in general, have been preserved. The number of shields with land emblems on the wings of the double-headed eagle was changed: there were eight such shields. On the right wing were placed the coats of arms of Kazan, Poland, Taurida and Vladimir, Kyiv and Novgorod combined in one shield. On the left wing there are coats of arms of Astrakhan, Siberian, Georgian and Finnish. In addition, the turn of the rider on the chest of the double-headed eagle was changed: from now on, St. George began to look to the left

On April 11, 1857, the Large, Medium and Small coats of arms of the Russian Empire, the coats of arms of members of the imperial family, the family coat of arms of the emperor, drawings of the new Large, Medium and Small state seals, arks for seals, drawings of seals for the main and lower government places and officials were approved by the Highest. . In total, one act approved one hundred and ten drawings lithographed by A. Beggrov. For more than half a century - until 1917 - the state symbol of Russia retained the main features that were given to it in 1856-57.

Large State Emblem of 1883

In its final form, the Great Coat of Arms took shape by 1883 and remained so until 1917. He was depicted on a large state seal, on thrones, canopies, in halls intended for meetings at the Imperial Court and for meetings of higher government places. It reflects by means of heraldic symbolism the triune essence of the Russian idea - for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.

In the center of the Great Emblem is the state emblem of Russia - a black double-headed eagle in a golden shield. On the chest of the eagle is the Moscow coat of arms - St. George the Victorious, punching a snake. The coat of arms of Russia is crowned with the helmet of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. On both sides of the coat of arms of Russia there are shield holders: Archangel Michael with a fiery sword and Archangel Gabriel - heavenly patrons and intercessors of Russia. Around the shield is the chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The central part is covered with a golden canopy in the form of a tent, lined with ermine. The Russian motto is inscribed on the canopy: ''God is with us''. Above it is placed the imperial crown and the state banner, with a double-headed eagle and an eight-pointed cross. Around the main shield are shields with the coats of arms of the Kingdoms and Grand Duchies topped with proper crowns. The prototypes of the crowns were the real historical crowns of Russian sovereigns: the Cap of Monomakh, the Kazan cap of John IV Vasilievich, the Diamond Cap of Peter 1, the Crown of Anna Ioannovna, etc. In the upper part of the Great Coat of Arms there are shields with the coats of arms of the territories that are part of Russia.

The circular arrangement of the coats of arms emphasizes the equality between them, and the central location of the coat of arms of Moscow - the desire for the unity of Russia around Moscow - the historical center. The large coat of arms creates a monumental image of the great, united and indivisible Russia, which it was at that time. Here we find another obvious relationship between heraldry and state history.

The large coat of arms of Russia is framed by laurel and oak branches. They symbolize glory, honor, merit (laurel branches), valor and courage (oak branches).

Alexander III

Under Emperor Alexander III in 1882-83, the drawings of the Large and Medium State Emblems were refined: they were supplemented with the coats of arms of the new lands that became part of Russia and the imperial title, the outlines of details were somewhat changed (including the shield holders - the archangels Michael and Gabriel). The color of the imperial crowns crowning the double-headed eagle also changed - they became silver.

February 12th, 2013

The word coat of arms comes from the German word erbe, which means inheritance. The coat of arms is a symbolic image that shows the historical traditions of a state or city.

Coats of arms appeared a very long time ago. The totems of primitive tribes can be considered the forerunners of coats of arms. The coastal tribes had figures of dolphins and turtles as totems, the steppe tribes had snakes, the forest tribes had bear, deer, and wolf figures. A special role was played by the signs of the Sun, Moon, water.

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

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

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

The reign of Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505) is the most important stage in the formation of a unified Russian state. Ivan III managed to finally eliminate dependence on the Golden Horde, repelling the campaign of Khan Akhmat against Moscow in 1480. The Grand Duchy of Moscow included Yaroslavl, Novgorod, Tver, Perm lands. The country began to actively develop ties with other European states, its foreign policy position strengthened. In 1497, the All-Russian Code of Laws was adopted - a single code of laws of the country.

It was at this time - the time of the successful construction of the Russian statehood.

Double-headed eagle of the Byzantine Empire, c. 15th century

However, the opportunity to become equal with all European sovereigns prompted Ivan III to adopt this coat of arms as the heraldic symbol of his state. Having turned from the Grand Duke into the Tsar of Moscow and taking for his state a new coat of arms - the Double-headed Eagle, Ivan III in 1472 puts Caesar's crowns on both heads, at the same time a shield with the image of the icon of St. George the Victorious appears on the eagle's chest. In 1480 the Tsar of Moscow became Autocrat, i.e. independent and independent. This circumstance is reflected in the modification of the Eagle, a sword and an Orthodox cross appear in its paws.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How did he appear in Byzantium? In 326, the emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine the Great, makes the double-headed eagle his symbol. In 330, he transferred the capital of the empire to Constantinople, and since that time the double-headed eagle has been the state emblem. The empire splits into western and eastern, and the double-headed eagle becomes the coat of arms of Byzantium.

The collapsed Byzantine Empire makes the Russian Eagle the successor of the Byzantine one and the son of Ivan III, Vasily III (1505-1533) puts on both heads of the Eagle one common autocratic Cap of Monomakh. After the death of Vasily III, because. his heir Ivan IV, who later received the name Grozny, was still small, the regency of his mother Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538) comes, and the actual autocracy of the boyars Shuisky, Belsky (1538-1548). And here the Russian Eagle undergoes a very comic modification.

It should be noted that 1497 is considered the year of the emergence of the State Emblem of Russia, despite its quarter-century distance from the marriage of Ivan III and Sophia Paleolog. This year is dated the charter of Ivan III Vasilievich to his nephews, the princes of Volotsk Fedor and Ivan Borisovich, in the volosts of Buigorod and Kolp in the Volotsk and Tver districts.

The diploma was sealed with a double-sided hanging red wax seal of the Grand Duke, which has been perfectly preserved and has survived to this day. The front side of the seal depicts a rider slaying a snake with a spear, and a circular inscription (legend) “John b (o) with mercy the ruler of all Russia and the great prince (i) z”; on the reverse - a double-headed Eagle with outstretched wings and crowns on their heads, a circular inscription listing possessions.

Seal of Ivan III Vasilyevich, obverse and reverse, late 15th century.

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

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

The return of Ivan the Terrible to the throne causes the appearance of a new Eagle, the heads of which are crowned with one common crown of a clearly Western pattern. But that's not all, on the chest of the Eagle, instead of the icon of St. George the Victorious, the image of the Unicorn appears. Why? This can only be guessed at. True, in fairness it should be noted that this Eagle was quickly canceled by Ivan the Terrible.

Ivan the Terrible dies and the weak, limited Tsar Fedor Ivanovich “Blessed” (1584-1587) reigns on the throne. And again the Eagle changes its appearance. During the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, between the crowned heads of the double-headed eagle, a sign of the passion of Christ appears: the so-called Calvary cross. The cross on the state seal was a symbol of Orthodoxy, giving a religious coloring to the coat of arms of the state. The appearance of the "Golgotha cross" in the coat of arms of Russia coincides with the time of the establishment in 1589 of the patriarchate and church independence of Russia. Another coat of arms of Fedor Ivanovich is also known, which is somewhat different from the above.

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

The enemies of Russia took advantage of the Troubles, and the appearance of False Dmitry (1605-1606) under these conditions was quite natural, as was the appearance of a new Eagle. I must say that some of the seals depicted another, clearly not a Russian Eagle. Here, events also left their mark on the Orel, and in connection with the Polish occupation, the Orel becomes very similar to the Polish one, differing, perhaps, in a two-headed one.

A shaky attempt to establish a new dynasty in the person of Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), the painters from the command hut reflected in Orel one deprived of all sovereign attributes and, as if in mockery, either a flower or a cone will grow from the place of fusion of heads. Russian history says very little about Tsar Vladislav I Sigismundovich (1610-1612), however, he was not crowned in Russia, but he issued decrees, his image was minted on coins, and the Russian State Eagle had its own forms with him. And for the first time, the Scepter appears in the paw of the Eagle. The short and essentially fictitious reign of this king actually put an end to the Troubles.

The Time of Troubles ended, Russia repulsed the claims to the throne of the Polish and Swedish dynasties. Numerous impostors were defeated, the uprisings blazing in the country were suppressed. Since 1613, by decision of the Zemsky Sobor, the Romanov dynasty began to rule in Russia. Under the first tsar of this dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645), nicknamed the “Quiet One” by the people, the State Emblem changes somewhat. In 1625, for the first time, a double-headed eagle is depicted under three crowns, George the Victorious returned on his chest, but not in the form of an icon, in the form of a shield. Also, on the icons, George the Victorious always galloped from left to right, i.e. from west to east towards the eternal enemies - the Mongol-Tatars. Now the enemy was in the west, the Polish gangs and the Roman curia did not give up their hopes to bring Russia to the Catholic faith.

In 1645, under the son of Mikhail Fedorovich, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the first Great State Seal appeared, on which a two-headed eagle with a rider on his chest was crowned with three crowns. Since that time, this type of image has been constantly used.

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

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

In contrast to the Byzantine model, and possibly under the influence of the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, the double-headed eagle began to be depicted with raised wings starting from 1654.

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

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

The eastern eagle shines with three crowns,
Faith, hope, love for God shows,
The krill is extended, embraces all the worlds of the end,
North, south, from east to sunset
He covers well with outstretched wings.

In 1667, after a long war between Russia and Poland over Ukraine, the Andrusovo truce was concluded. To seal this treaty, a Great Seal was made with a double-headed eagle under three crowns, with a shield with a rider on the chest, with a scepter and an orb in its paws.

In the same year, the first Decree in the history of Russia dated December 14 “On the royal title and on the state seal” appeared, which contained an official description of the coat of arms: “The double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the sovereign Grand Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great and Small and White Russia of the autocrat, His Tsarist Majesty of the Russian reign, on which three crowns are depicted, signifying the three great Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms. On the Persians (chest) the image of the heir; in pasnoktyah (claws) a scepter and an apple, and reveals the most merciful Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor.

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

In the end, Sophia, having been defeated, goes to the monastery, and in 1696 Tsar John V also dies, the throne goes solely to Peter I Alekseevich "The Great" (1689-1725).

And almost immediately the State Emblem dramatically changes its shape. The era of great transformations begins. The capital is transferred to St. Petersburg and Orel acquires new attributes. Crowns appear on the heads under one common larger one, and on the chest there is an order chain of the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called. This order, approved by Peter in 1798, became the first in the system of the highest state awards in Russia. The Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, one of the heavenly patrons of Peter Alekseevich, was declared the patron saint of Russia.

The blue oblique St. Andrew's Cross becomes the main element of the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and the symbol of the Russian Navy. Since 1699, images of a double-headed eagle surrounded by a chain with the sign of the St. Andrew's Order have been found. And next year, the St. Andrew's Order is placed on an eagle, around a shield with a rider.

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

It is also important to say about another Eagle, which Peter painted as a boy for the banner of the Amusing Regiment. This Eagle had only one paw for: "Whoever has only one land army has one hand, but whoever has a fleet has two hands."

In the short reign of Catherine I (1725-1727), the Eagle again changes its forms, the ironic nickname "Queen of the Swamp" went everywhere and, accordingly, the Eagle simply could not help but change. However, this Eagle lasted a very short time. Menshikov, drawing attention to him, ordered to withdraw it from use, and by the day of the coronation of the Empress, a new Eagle appeared. By decree of Empress Catherine I of March 11, 1726, the description of the coat of arms was fixed: “A black eagle with outstretched wings, in a yellow field, on it is a rider in a red field.”

Under Empress Catherine I, the colors of the coat of arms were finally established - a black Eagle on a gold (yellow) field, a white (silver) Rider on a red field.

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

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

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

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

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

In the short time of the reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), Russia pursued an active foreign policy, faced with a new enemy for itself - Napoleonic France. After the French troops occupied the Mediterranean island of Malta, Paul I took the Order of Malta under his protection, becoming the grand master of the order. On August 10, 1799, Paul I signed a decree on the inclusion of the Maltese cross and crown in the state emblem. On the chest of the eagle, under the Maltese crown, there was a shield with St. George (Paul interpreted it as the “root coat of arms of Russia”) superimposed on the Maltese cross.

As a result of the conspiracy, on March 11, 1801, Pavel fell at the hands of palace regicides. The young Emperor Alexander I "Blessed" (1801-1825) takes the throne. By the day of his coronation, a new Eagle appears, already without the Maltese emblems, but, in fact, this Eagle is quite close to the previous one. The victory over Napoleon and almost complete control over all processes in Europe causes the emergence of a new Eagle. He had one crown, the wings of an eagle were depicted lowered (spread out), and in the paws not the traditional scepter and orb, but a wreath, lightning bolts (peruns) and a torch.

In 1825, Alexander I (according to the official version) dies in Taganrog and Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855), strong-willed and aware of his duty to Russia, takes the throne. Nicholas contributed to the powerful, spiritual and cultural revival of Russia. This revealed a new Eagle, which changed somewhat over time, but still carried all the same strict forms.

In 1855-1857, during the heraldic reform, which was carried out under the leadership of Baron B.Kene, the type of the state eagle was changed under the influence of German designs. The drawing of the Small Coat of Arms of Russia, executed by Alexander Fadeev, was approved by the highest on December 8, 1856. This version of the coat of arms differed from the previous ones not only in the image of an eagle, but also in the number of “title” coats of arms on the wings. On the right were shields with the emblems of Kazan, Poland, Tauric Chersonesos and the combined emblem of the Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod), on the left - shields with the emblems of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland.

Also known is another Eagle of Emperor Alexander II (1855-1881), where the gleam of gold returns to the Eagle again. The scepter and orb are replaced by a torch and a wreath. In the course of his reign, the wreath and torch are replaced several times by the scepter and orb, and several times they return again.

On July 24, 1882, Emperor Alexander III approved the drawing of the Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire in Peterhof, on which the composition was preserved, but the details were changed, in particular the figures of the archangels. In addition, the imperial crowns began to be depicted like real diamond crowns used during the coronation.

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

On February 23, 1883, the Middle and two variants of the Small Coat of Arms were approved. In January 1895, the royal command was given to leave unchanged the drawing of the state eagle, made by Academician A. Charlemagne.

The most recent act - "The Basic Provisions of the State Structure of the Russian Empire" of 1906 - confirmed all previous legal provisions regarding the State Emblem, but with all the strict contours it is the most elegant.

With minor changes made in 1882 by Alexander III, the coat of arms of Russia lasted until 1917.

The Commission of the Provisional Government came to the conclusion that the double-headed eagle itself does not carry any monarchical or dynastic signs, therefore, deprived of a crown, scepter, orb, emblems of kingdoms, lands and all other heraldic attributes "left in the service."

The Bolsheviks held a completely different opinion. By a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of November 10, 1917, along with estates, ranks, titles and old regime orders, the emblem and flag were abolished. But the decision turned out to be easier than the execution. State bodies continued to exist and function, so for another six months the old coat of arms was used where necessary, on signboards with the designation of government bodies and in documents.

The new coat of arms of Russia was adopted along with the new constitution in July 1918. Initially, the ears were not crowned with a five-pointed star; it was introduced a few years later as a symbol of the unity of the proletariat of the five continents of the planet.

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

In 1990, the Government of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the creation of the State Emblem and the State Flag of the RSFSR. After a comprehensive discussion, the Government Commission proposed to recommend to the Government a coat of arms - a golden double-headed eagle on a red field.

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

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

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

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

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

The final version of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation was approved by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 30, 1993. The author of the sketch of the coat of arms is the artist E.I. Ukhnalev.

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

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

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

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

sources

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

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

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

And I will remind you

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