Dolphin is a creature that lives in two elements, sea and air. He serves as a link between the earthly and heavenly and is the king of fish, the savior of shipwrecked people, the guide of souls in the other world. The dolphin is an allegory of salvation, inspired by ancient legends that portray it as a friend of man. It symbolizes the sea, sea power, safety and speed, freedom, nobility, love, pleasure.

Two dolphins, looking in different directions, personify the duality of nature, the cosmic flows of involution and evolution, two dolphins together - the golden mean between extremes, a symbol of balance. Dolphin with an anchor means prudence.

IN Sumero-Semitic mythology, the dolphin is associated with Enki, the god of wisdom, the owner of the underground world ocean of fresh waters. According to legend, people lived like animals until the first man emerged from the sea, the cultural hero Oannes (an epithet of the god Enki) in the form of a half-dolphin (according to another version, half-fish-half-man). He taught the inhabitants of Babylonia writing, science, construction, and agriculture. In addition, the dolphin is an attribute of the goddess Ishtar and is dedicated to Atargatis, the goddess of fertility and prosperity in West Semitic mythology.

At Egyptians Isis, goddess of fertility, wind, water and navigation, may be depicted with a dolphin.

IN Hinduism the dolphin is the horse of Kama, the god of love.

IN Minoan culture he personifies power on the seas. Almost four thousand years ago, ancient artists depicted dolphins on a fresco of the Knossos Palace on the island of Crete: like sea deities, huge animals, smoothly gliding, perform their dance in transparent waters, protecting the peace and tranquility of the underwater kingdom.

IN Greek mythology dolphins often accompany the gods - Aphrodite, Poseidon, Apollo, Dionysus. A dolphin can have both lunar and solar signs: next to Delphic Apollo, it symbolizes light and the sun, but if depicted with Aphrodite or Eros, then it has lunar symbolism. In its origin, Aphrodite is close to the Phoenician Astarte, the Assyrian Ishtar, the Egyptian Isis, and often, like them, is depicted with dolphins. Dolphin is one of the incarnations of Poseidon. According to legend, one of the dolphins married the god of the seas and Amphitrite. After a fight with the monstrous Python, Apollo in the form of a dolphin catches up with the ship of the Cretan sailors and brings it to the pier of the city of Chrisa. From there, through the fertile valley, the sailors come to the foot of Parnassus, where the main shrine of the Hellenic world is located - the Delphic oracle and the temple of Apollo - and become the first Delphic priests. According to legend, the Tyrrhenian sea robbers were turned into dolphins, who did not see the powerful god Dionysus in the beautiful young man they captured. Since then, they are destined to serve forever in his retinue. In the ancient mysteries, Dionysus was compared to a magical dolphin diving into the abyss and rising to the surface of the water... He is immortal and exists outside the boundaries of space and time, either appearing or disappearing in an endless chain of incarnations...

At Etruscans and Romans the dolphin symbolizes the journey of the soul through the sea of ​​death to the promised land. In Mithraism, the dolphin is associated with Mithra, the symbol of light.

IN Christian symbolism the dolphin is identified with Jesus Christ as the creator and savior, with resurrection and salvation. A dolphin with an anchor or a ship represents the church led by Christ. In Christianity, this symbol sometimes replaces the ark of salvation and rebirth. A dolphin pierced by a trident or chained to an anchor means the crucified Christ.

The myths of many peoples speak of a dolphin as a divine being, possessing the gift of prophecy, capable of flying out of the water with one jump and reaching the sky in order to take its place among the constellations...

Arion

Towards the day in the clear space
He swims, sitting on a dolphin;
The wind subsides, and the gray wave
Slightly splashing, echoing the sweet cithara.

And Nereids with him in a consonant choir
They sing, leaving the underwater chamber,
And multiply the echo, weaving voices
In the solemn amphitheater of the sea.

Nereus with Dorida, and the great himself
Neptune, and old Glaucus, with wonderful singing
Awakened, emerge from the abyss.

Oh, the power of irresistible music!
You are treated with equal admiration
Winds and waves, gods and dolphins.

Juan de Argijo

Andrey Zapolsky, captain 2nd rank,
responsible for conducting military heraldic work in the Black Sea Fleet.

Alexander Osadchiy, captain 1st rank,
historiographer of the Black Sea Fleet.

Heraldry of the Black Sea Fleet - state and problems

In the early 90s. In the twentieth century in Russia, after fundamental changes in all areas of life, many processes interrupted by the 1917 revolution began to revive and received their new continuation. Heraldry also began to revive: state, territorial, corporate and personal. The double-headed eagle returns to the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. Interest is awakening in the acquisition of historical and the creation of new regional and city coats of arms, coats of arms of organizations and departmental structures, personal coats of arms of individual citizens of Russia. This desire is natural and justified, because through heraldry, among other things, the connection of times is restored, the connection of generations, which carries the spirit of pride for Great Russia and glorifies the accomplishments of our ancestors, who defended, preserved and grew it over many centuries of heroic history.

The process of the revival of heraldry did not pass by the Armed Forces of Russia, where heraldry has always played an important role in the system of educating the defenders of the Fatherland in the spirit of love for their Motherland. Heraldic symbols and signs were aimed at instilling patriotism, courage and pride in belonging to one or another military formation of the army and navy of the Russian Empire.

The beginning of extensive work on the creation and development of new symbols of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation can be considered 1993, when the Central Commission of the Ministry of Defense was established to prepare draft regulations on flags and military symbols of the Armed Forces.

In the same years, the heraldry of the Black Sea Fleet also developed, at the origins of which stood the captain of the fleet, Captain 1st Rank Doroshko Valery Nikolaevich. Under his leadership and with personal participation in the period from 1994 to 2002. a significant number of coats of arms of the military formations of the fleet were developed. However, in the initial period of heraldic work, there were no official requirements for the development of military heraldic signs, and therefore the heraldry of the Black Sea Fleet developed without a specific system. Despite this, a lot of useful work was done to create naval symbols.

February 27, 1994 Commander of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Eduard Baltin approved the coat of arms of the Black Sea Fleet. The image of a dolphin wrapped around a sea dagger was chosen as the main symbol of the coat of arms - a small emblem. But the fate of this symbol of the Black Sea Fleet is still not easy.

In the late 90s. the organization of military heraldic work in the Armed Forces was streamlined, a number of guidelines were issued regulating the rules for the development and establishment of military heraldic signs. In 2004, Captain 2nd Rank A. Zapolsky was appointed responsible for conducting military heraldic work in the fleet. Measures were taken to organize military heraldic work in the fleet, a system of heraldic signs of the military formations of the fleet was developed, taking into account the requirements of the Methodological Manual on the rules for the development of military heraldic signs of the RF Armed Forces. To bring it in line with these requirements, the image of the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet was redesigned, in which the image of a dolphin was left as a small emblem.

On December 14, 2004, the Commander of the Fleet, and currently the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the Russian Federation, Admiral V. Masorin approved the draft coat of arms and descriptions for it. In January 2005, a set of documents on the coat of arms of the Black Sea Fleet was sent to the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for examination and establishment.

From that moment, problems began around the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet, the cause of which was the subjective attitude of the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to the depiction of animals on the emblems of military formations and their indiscriminate prohibition, despite the fact that animals are one of the main symbols historically used in heraldry.

In April 2005, the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation received an unjustified refusal to establish the coat of arms of the fleet, which stated the following: “As a result of the examination, it was established that the drawings of signs were made with violations of the recommendations of the Methodological Manual for the Development of Military Heraldic Signs of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and require improvement”. However, no specific examples of these violations were cited. But it was not indicated for the sole reason that there were no violations, but there was a subjective desire to ban the images of animals on the coats of arms of military formations.

In July 2005, the commander of the fleet sent materials to the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with additional justifications for the choice of the small emblem of the Black Sea Fleet.

They said that the heraldic figure - a dolphin wrapping around edged weapons, historically symbolized the tranquility and security of the Fatherland, courage and readiness for self-sacrifice, power over the sea, the fulfillment of military duty to the Motherland, the protection and protection of the sea borders of the state, readiness for war and peace, which, without any cuts, is suitable for the Black Sea Fleet.

The image of the small emblem of the fleet has long been an easily recognizable symbol not only for the Black Sea sailors who accepted it, fell in love with it and are proud of it. He is known not only in Sevastopol - the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, in the Crimea and in Russia, but also abroad. Hundreds of friendship visits, business calls, various joint exercises, sea and ocean voyages were made by ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. At the same time, the demonstration of the Russian flag, the St. Andrew's naval flag was and is being carried out in combination with the coat of arms of the Black Sea Fleet. The fleet dolphin is now known in many countries of Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, the Mediterranean basin and Europe.

Citizens of Russia, including those residing on the territory of Ukraine, have had the opportunity to watch permanent television programs on the Reflection channel for more than five years, which is prepared and aired by the television center of the Black Sea Fleet. Broadcasting of this channel is carried out on the territory of Ukraine, Krasnodar Territory, Novorossiysk. The image of the small emblem of the Black Sea Fleet - a dolphin - was chosen as the logo of the "Reflection" channel. On the Russian TV channel Zvezda, which is broadcast not only in Russia and the CIS countries, but also in far abroad countries, the Black Sea Fleet channel Reflection is allocated airtime, again with the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet - a dolphin.

For more than seven years, the symbol of the Black Sea Fleet has been inextricably linked with the emblem of School No. 8 of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. This school is the only Russian school in the hero-city of Sevastopol, where children of the Black Sea Fleet military personnel study according to the Russian educational program. And since 2000, the Black Sea branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University has been opened in Sevastopol, where hundreds of young people from Russia and Ukraine study, and where, along with the Russian state symbols, the symbols of the Black Sea Fleet are also used.

For the Black Sea Fleet, the symbolism is of particular importance. The main forces of the fleet today are based on the territory of a foreign state. Taking into account the difficult political and social situation, changing the symbol or its cancellation can be interpreted as a weakening of the position of the fleet, a retreat from historical continuity. In order to preserve, strengthen and further revive the Black Sea Fleet, along with other important issues, it is also necessary to preserve the existing symbols that have become an integral part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. These symbols are associated with tens of thousands of destinies of people who defended their fleet in difficult times of division and change and remained faithful to it, people who come to the fleet today in order to serve the Fatherland. And it would not be right to dismiss these symbols, which have already flowed into the blood of the Black Sea and Sevastopol residents.

However, these additional justifications for the choice of the small emblem of the fleet remained unanswered. As a result, the opinion of one person - the head of the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is opposed to the established and already established historical tradition of the Black Sea Fleet, the opinion of the entire personnel of the fleet and the opinion of many thousands of Sevastopol residents.

In this situation, we needed to make sure that the coat of arms of the Black Sea Fleet was developed in full compliance with the rules and requirements of heraldry. For this purpose, in January 2006, materials on the coat of arms of the Black Sea Fleet were sent to the Chairman of the Heraldic Council under the President of Russia, the State King of Arms G. Vilinbakhov. On the submitted materials, a conclusion was received, which states: "The main element of the emblem - a dolphin wrapping around a naval dagger - in our opinion is a satisfactory sign and its use in the heraldic support of the Black Sea Fleet seems to us possible".

However, this did not change the attitude of the head of the military heraldic service of the RF Armed Forces towards the coat of arms of the Black Sea Fleet. The rejection of animal images in military heraldry has become a stumbling block for our "unsuspecting" dolphin.

It was necessary to understand the reasons for the rejection of heraldic animals. We found the answer to this question in one of the articles of the Chief Military King of Arms, Candidate of Historical Sciences Colonel O. Kuznetsov on the topic "The system of awards of the RF Ministry of Defense: historical experience, development prospects and problems of heraldic support" dated October 07, 2005. In it, the author says the following : “The fact is that changes in the public self-consciousness of Russian citizens, including military personnel, brought to life a spontaneous process of creating military heraldic signs directly in military units. As a rule, the upcoming anniversaries of military units or memorable dates served as the reason for the creation of these signs. By the mid 90s. There are two distinct trends in this process.

The first trend was aimed at borrowing the principles of constructing military insignia in the armies of the states of Western Europe, the USA, etc. This trend reflects the priorities of the European type of civilizational development, and the signs characteristic of it, figuratively speaking, “bristled with fangs” of panthers, leopards and other predators not typical for Russia, supposedly symbolizing the high fighting qualities of military units and subunits. These signs carry the idea of ​​individualism, exclusivity, but do not contain the main idea - traditional for the "Christ-loving" army of the Russian sense of duty, selfless service to the Fatherland, humanistic principles and deep historical roots.

The point of view of the chief military king of arms became clear, but the fact is that we do not agree with it. Here you can discuss for a long time, but we will try to briefly state our opinion on this issue.

Firstly, it is in military units that military heraldic signs should be directly born. Where, if not locally, the details and nuances of the historical, material and spiritual plan are known and understood, which are used and from which they are repelled in the development of symbols that reflect the specific features of a particular military formation and its team. If only the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, without joint creative work with the herald masters in the field, is engaged in the development of symbols for military formations, then this will take more than a dozen years. During the time of Empress Elizabeth, the Heraldry took more than 20 years to develop 200 coats of arms, but was never completed.

Secondly, predators with bristling fangs in no way diminish the really high fighting qualities of the armies of other countries. These are just heraldic symbols. In addition, one should treat one’s “colleagues in the shop” with a certain degree of respect, including from the point of view of heraldry, which they have been and have been doing for decades and hundreds of years, unlike, unfortunately, from us. And it is completely incomprehensible to us what can be aggressive in the image of a dolphin, which symbolizes not aggression, but readiness for defense and the historical warning “whoever comes to us with a sword will die by the sword”?

Third. Yes, panthers, leopards and other animals are not typical predators for Russia. But if we talk about this problem, then we are for a reasonable, heraldically balanced approach to the choice of animal images. So in the navy at one time unreasonable coats of arms of ships and units with images of elephants, crocodiles, etc. were developed, which are really not typical for Russian traditions. Naturally, these coats of arms will be necessarily processed.

Fourth. The unity of military partnership, mutual assistance, the spirit of collectivism, a sense of duty - these features inherent in the Russian army are based on the high individual professional skills of each soldier and his readiness to sacrifice himself for the commander and comrade. This is what emphasizes the individualism and exclusivity of the Russian soldier and sailor. Therefore, the words "individualism" and "exclusivity" must be approached in the context of an individual approach to the education of each serviceman in the best traditions of the army and navy. And the “love of Christ” of the Russian army must be approached with particular prudence. Besides Orthodox Christians, representatives of many other religions have always served in the Russian army and navy. Therefore, talking about a “Christ-loving” army in the context of constantly emerging conflicts on national grounds is somewhat thoughtless and fraught with dangerous consequences.

This is our opinion, which has remained unheard for several years. And instead of joint work, the fleet receives ready-made solutions that have not been agreed with us.

So on August 15, 2006, the Black Sea Fleet received proposals from the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the system of military heraldic signs of the Navy and the Black Sea Fleet, which for some reason were not sent to the Main Headquarters of the Navy.

These proposals are as follows:

As a basis for the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet, it is proposed to take an element of territorial heraldry - a griffin from the historical coat of arms of the city of Sevastopol.

Draft system of military heraldic signs of the Black Sea Fleet (proposals of the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation)

The emblem of the Black Sea Fleet will look like this: in the black field of the shield, superimposed on a silver anchor, bordered on the outside with a wide silver border, an azure rhombic fortification with a golden griffin. The shield is framed with a laurel branch and crowned with the emblem of the Navy (a golden double-headed eagle with outstretched wings, holding two silver Admiralty anchors crossed behind its back, on the chest of the eagle there is a red shield topped with a golden imperial crown, on the field of the shield is a silver horseman, spearing a dragon).

In our opinion, when considering these proposals, it is necessary to dwell on the following very important and fundamental points.

The use of elements of territorial heraldry in the emblems of fleets proposed by the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as the main symbol is unacceptable, since these elements are strictly tied to a specific geographical area, which is not typical for fleets. The fleet is not a territorial formation, but an operational-strategic association, which is characterized, among other things, by a basing system and an operational area of ​​responsibility. So, the Black Sea Fleet has, and had historically a vast operational zone, including the Azov, Black and Mediterranean Seas, and it is undesirable to tie it to a specific settlement, even if it is a hero city and the main base of the fleet, Sevastopol! The use of elements of territorial heraldry is justified and logical, in cases where the names of military formations contain the geographical name of the area, which was awarded for military victories achieved, valor and heroism shown. For example, a separate Sevastopol naval assault aviation regiment, the Sevastopol brigade of missile ships and boats, a separate Konstansky submarine division, and so on. Elements of territorial heraldry can and should be used in the coats of arms of ships bearing their own geographical names: the guards missile cruiser Moskva, large anti-submarine ships Kerch, Ochakov, large landing ships Azov, Yamal, Novocherkassk, Saratov, etc. During the Great Patriotic War, the legendary battleship Sevastopol was part of the Black Sea Fleet. It is quite possible that one of the ships under construction for the Black Sea Fleet, in order to preserve naval traditions and the continuity of generations, will be given the name "Sevastopol", where the image of a griffin from the historical coat of arms of Sevastopol would be appropriate.

The symbols used in the heraldic signs of the military formations of the Navy must be naval, since the forces of the fleet operate at sea. These requirements are fully met by the bottlenose dolphin, which has lived since prehistoric times only in the Black Sea, wrapping itself around a naval dagger. It also carries a generalizing meaning, and at the same time is specifically tied to the region in which the Black Sea Fleet has operated, is operating, and will operate for several centuries.

If we consider the project of the coat of arms of the fleet proposed by the military heraldic service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from the point of view of heraldic expertise, then here, in our opinion, there are shortcomings that contradict the basic rules of heraldry.

For example, the use of the symbol of a fortress (fortress) in relation to the Black Sea Fleet as a whole is incomprehensible. The fleet is not a fortress, but, as mentioned above, an operational-strategic association, since the time of Empress Catherine the Great. The proposed symbol belittles the historical role of the fleet and limits its functional purpose. The use of this symbol is acceptable for a naval base, which is an operational-tactical territorial association.

The image of the anchor in the proposed size suppresses the perception of the main symbol of the coat of arms, which is lost against its background along with the fortification, and the large emblem of the fleet in this version is overloaded with anchors, since the emblem of the Navy already contains two anchors.

In the frame of the heraldic shield, the oak branch, symbolizing power and strength, is excluded. Only glory remains. Why this was done is incomprehensible and inexplicable.

The validity of the introduction of badges of distinction according to the servicemen's belonging to the Black Sea Fleet is doubtful. Why and why do we need these signs in general? A patch on the sleeve and a sign on the breast pocket will entail excessive saturation with the same signs. The introduction of such signs is inexpedient and economically. This will entail significant costs of public financial resources, since the bill goes to tens of thousands of characters. With the cost of only one sign at least 150 rubles, it is not difficult to calculate how much it will cost the state the “need” to distinguish an officer of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol from an officer of the Baltic Fleet, for example, in Kaliningrad.

The proposed insignia "For Merit" and "For Distinction" are impersonal. Why introduce two more badges into the already established system of insignia. Again, the question of the economic component arises. It is better to invest these funds in the repair and construction of new ships, in which the fleets are now in great need.

Thus, the proposed military heraldic signs for the Black Sea Fleet are neither typical nor acceptable. They were considered at a meeting of the military-heraldic commission of the fleet, and its decision was sent to the military-heraldic service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and in copies to the military-heraldic commission of the Navy and the heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation.

In November 2006, the fleet received other proposals from the military heraldic service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, agreed with the Heraldic Council under the President of Russia without the participation of the Black Sea Fleet. The fleet is completely excluded from the process of developing and establishing its own symbols.

As a small emblem of the Black Sea Fleet, two letters "Black Sea Fleet" are proposed, all in the same fortress superimposed on the anchor. At the same time, the methodological manual on the rules for the development of military heraldic signs of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation does not allow images of inscriptions of the actual names of military formations or other inscriptions that reveal their organizational and staff structure. And if you look into the classical theory of heraldry, then you can cite an excerpt from the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Heraldry" by the author S. Slater, Eksmo Publishing House, Moscow 2005, p. 67 "Letters and words used as heraldic figures on a shield are not uncommon in coats of arms, but many heralds consider their use to be second-rate heraldry".

Thus, the problem with the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet still remains unresolved. It can and should be solved. The Black Sea Fleet is ready for constructive joint work. For this, there are developments, desire, skill and knowledge of the subject among the people who do this. Haste in the current situation is not appropriate.

In the meantime, work on the development of the symbols of the Black Sea Fleet continues. And it is conducted in close cooperation with the command of the units, based on an analysis of the history and functional characteristics of specific military formations. One of the examples of constructive and productive work was the drafting of the coat of arms for the Sevastopol Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment. The initial version of the image of the coat of arms was compiled by us independently, taking into account only our vision. After the project was submitted for consideration by the command of the regiment, they put forward a number of their own noteworthy proposals based on historical facts and traditions of the regiment. One of these proposals has its roots in the combat annals of the regiment. During the Great Patriotic War, pilots depicted a sword on the fuselages of their aircraft, the handle of which turned into a stylized wing. The sword cut the swastika in two. This emblem remains the emblem of the regiment to this day. It remains only to "transform" this symbol into the coat of arms of the unit. As a result, the emblem, born in battles, in essence and in its image has become a heraldic symbol, linking the history of the regiment in time.

In order to bring all heraldic work in the fleets in line with the requirements of the centuries-old rules of heraldry and with the provisions of the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a number of measures are proposed, which boil down to the following:

Work on the development of projects for military heraldic signs should be carried out with close creative cooperation between the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and local kings of arms. At the same time, one cannot indiscriminately reject the experience accumulated over more than ten years.

Military heraldic work has been carried out in the Black Sea Fleet since 1993. Since about the same time, work has been carried out in the Northern Fleet. Much work has been done in the Baltic and Pacific fleets. Each fleet created its own symbols, the basis of the Northern Fleet is a polar bear, the Black Sea fleet is a dolphin. The chosen symbols, being the heraldic emblems of these fleets, characterize the specifics of these fleets in the best possible way. You can, of course, directively cancel them and introduce new ones. We, as military men, will obey the order. But it is unlikely that the new symbols will take root among the personnel.

The categorical rejection of the use of animal images in the emblems and signs of military formations is not logical, it contradicts the centuries-old rules of heraldry. But then what about the double-headed eagle in the emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation? With such an approach, what to do with the horse on which George the Victorious sits? And the United Russia party needs to abandon its symbol - the bear.

Thus, the approach of blanket prohibition for heraldry is unacceptable, and can lead to a dead end in all heraldic work. The historically established heraldic practice involves the use of the symbol in the coat of arms, which is chosen and justified by the coat of arms owner himself, of course, subject to the rules of heraldry. And to take away this right is unnatural.

At present, the system of operational information and communication of materials (results) of activities carried out under the leadership of the Military Heraldic Service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation does not work in the fleets. It is expedient to bring to the military heraldic commissions the results of the measures taken, the results of heraldic examinations, and the analysis of work on various general issues. Systematically plan and hold meetings or conferences, gatherings, exhibitions with the involvement of those responsible for military heraldic work and chairmen of commissions at all levels.

For the purposeful conduct of military heraldic work, the continuity of experience and developments in matters of symbolism, it is necessary to introduce full-time units or full-time positions as part of the military-scientific and military-historical work of the fleets.

The resolution of the proposed proposals will significantly improve the quality of military heraldic work and the responsibility of performers for the created military heraldic signs to subsequent generations.

PROJECTS OF HERALDIC SIGNS OF THE BLACK SEA FLEET

Black Sea Fleet

In a black field of a quadrangular shield with slightly rounded lower corners, a heart-shaped sharpening downwards, a golden dolphin wraps around an officer's naval dagger. The base of the shield rests on four golden cores with a relief image of the numbers "1", "7", "8", "3".

The shield is framed by gold laurel and oak branches connected by a ribbon of the Order of the Red Banner and topped with the emblem of the Navy (a gold double-headed eagle with outstretched wings holding two silver Admiralty anchors crossed behind its back. On the chest of the eagle there is a red shield crowned with a gold imperial on the field of the shield is a silver rider slaying a dragon with a spear).

• the color of the field of the heraldic shield corresponds to the traditional color of the instrumental cloth of the sailors of the navy; the shape of the heraldic shield reflects the rank of the military formation - fleet;
• black color symbolizes constancy in trials, wisdom, prudence, modesty, education;
• the dolphin is a symbol of wisdom, strength;
• the dagger symbolizes the fulfillment of military duty, protection and guarding, defense, readiness for military trials;
• a dolphin wrapping around a dagger symbolizes courage and readiness for self-sacrifice, calmness and safety at sea frontiers;
• cannonballs symbolize the overcoming of the opposing force, courage, valor and high moral qualities of the fleet soldiers;
• the inscription on the cores "1783" - the year of birth of the Black Sea Fleet;
• the ribbon of the Order of the Red Banner symbolizes the awarding of the Black Sea Fleet with the Order of the Red Banner in 1965;

Novorossiysk Naval Base

In a black field of a quadrangular with a slightly curved rounded bottom side of the shield, lowered on the right is the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet (golden dolphin wrapping around an officer's naval dagger), on the left is the coat of arms of the city of Novorossiysk (gold, Orthodox eight-pointed cross hoisted on a silver overturned crescent), bordered by a wide with a silver border on the outside and narrow on the inside, an azure rhombic fortification with a gold anchor in a scarlet field, covering two gold crossed cannons.

The shield is framed with gold laurel and oak branches connected by a red ribbon, topped with the emblem of the Navy (a gold double-headed eagle with outstretched wings holding two silver Admiralty anchors crossed behind its back, on the chest of the eagle there is a red shield topped with a gold imperial crown, on the field of the shield is a silver horseman slaying a dragon with a spear).

The elements of the heraldic sign symbolize:

• the color of the field of the heraldic shield corresponds to the traditional color of the instrumental cloth of the sailors of the navy; the shape of the heraldic shield reflects the rank of the military formation - a naval base;
• silver (white color) symbolizes purity, hope, nobility, wisdom;
• scarlet (red color) - a symbol of courage, courage, generosity;
• fortification (fortress) with an anchor symbolizes the naval defensive function, power, security, reliability;
• a golden, Orthodox eight-pointed cross hoisted on a silver overturned crescent - the coat of arms of the city of Novorossiysk determines the location of the association (Novorossiysk naval base);
• cannons symbolize courage, military honor, valor, readiness to perform military duty;
• laurel branch - the emblem of glory;
• oak branch - an emblem of strength, power, valor;
• the emblem of the Navy of the Russian Federation determines the affiliation of the military formation to the Navy of the Russian Federation.

Air Force of the Black Sea Fleet

In an azure field of rectangular with beveled upper corners, slightly curved, rounded bottom side of the shield, lowered by the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet (a golden dolphin wrapping around an officer's naval dagger), a golden propeller covering a golden anchor between two golden reversed years.

The elements of the heraldic sign symbolize (semantics):

• the color of the field of the heraldic shield corresponds to the traditional color of the instrumental cloth of the pilots of the navy, the shape of the heraldic shield reflects the rank of the military formation - the unification of the fleet;
• gold symbolizes power;
• the propeller covering the anchor between two golden, reversed years symbolizes naval aviation;
• a dolphin wrapped around a dagger - a small emblem of the Black Sea Fleet, determines the belonging of a military formation to the Black Sea Fleet;
• laurel branch - the emblem of glory;
• oak branch - an emblem of strength, power, valor;
• the emblem of the Navy of the Russian Federation determines the affiliation of the military formation to the Navy of the Russian Federation.

Rear of the Black Sea Fleet

In a black rectangular field with notches at the upper corners, a slightly curved, rounded lower side of the shield, lowered by the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet (a golden dolphin wrapping around an officer's naval dagger), a golden wheel with twelve spokes with an ocher bale superimposed on it. Behind the shield are two crossed golden halberds.

The shield is framed with golden laurel and oak branches, crowned with the emblem of the Navy (a golden two-headed eagle with outstretched wings, holding two silver Admiralty anchors crossed behind its back, on the chest of the eagle there is a red shield topped with a golden imperial crown, on the field of the shield - silver horseman slaying a dragon).

The elements of the military heraldic sign symbolize (semantics):

• the color of the field of the heraldic shield corresponds to the traditional color of the instrumental cloth of the sailors of the navy, the shape of the heraldic shield reflects the rank of the military formation - the rear of the fleet;
• gold symbolizes power;
• the wheel and the bale indicate the functional purpose of the military formation for the mobile, integrated supply of the forces of the fleet with supplies administered by the military formation;
• the twelve spokes of the wheel symbolize the twelve main structural divisions of the rear of the fleet;
• a dolphin wrapped around a dagger - a small emblem of the Black Sea Fleet, determines the belonging of a military formation to the Black Sea Fleet;
• halberds symbolize military honor, valor, readiness to perform military duty;
• laurel branch - the emblem of glory;
• oak branch - an emblem of strength, power, valor;
• the emblem of the Navy of the Russian Federation determines the affiliation of the military formation to the Navy of the Russian Federation.

Surface Ship Division

In a black quadrangular field with a concave head, beveled upper corners, sides concave at the top and broadened at the bottom, rounded lower corners, sharpening at the tip of the shield, lowered by the emblem of the Black Sea Fleet (golden dolphin wrapping around an officer's naval dagger), edged azure and gold St. Andrew's cross superimposed on three crossed golden swords.

The shield is framed by gold laurel and oak branches, connected by a gold chain and a blue ribbon with a silver inscription: "Faith, loyalty, will" and topped with the emblem of the Navy (a gold double-headed eagle with outstretched wings, holding in its paws two silver Admiralty crossed behind its back anchors, on the chest of the eagle there is a red shield topped with a golden imperial crown, on the field of the shield is a silver rider slaying a dragon with a spear).

The elements of the military heraldic sign symbolize (semantics):

• the color of the field of the heraldic shield corresponds to the traditional color of the instrumental cloth of the sailors of the navy; the shape of the heraldic shield reflects the rank of the military formation - the formation;
• gold symbolizes power, justice, generosity;
• azure (blue color) symbolizes the sea, glory, honor, fidelity, impeccability;
• St. Andrew's Cross - symbolizes the belief of the personnel of the unit in the rightness of their cause, loyalty to military duty and the flag of the Navy of the Russian Federation;
• three swords symbolize the will of the unit's personnel to win, the possibility of the unit using weapons in three environments (water, air, earth);
• St. Andrew's cross and three swords symbolize the number "30" in the proper name of the formation "30th division of surface ships" (the shape of the St. Andrew's cross corresponds to the spelling of the Roman numeral 10, tripled with three swords);
• a dolphin wrapping around a dagger - a small emblem of the Black Sea Fleet, determines the belonging of a structural unit to the Black Sea Fleet;
• laurel branch - the emblem of glory;
• oak branch - an emblem of strength, power, valor;
• the emblem of the Navy of the Russian Federation determines the affiliation of the structural unit to the Navy of the Russian Federation.

D. as a coat of arms is depicted bent over. If his tongue is visible, then he is called alive (munter, vif); if his mouth is open, then he is called dying (schmachtend, se pâmant). In the coats of arms, he served as an emblem of strength ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Wiktionary has an entry for "dolphin" Dolphin: Dolphins (lat. Delphinidae ... Wikipedia

Coat of arms of the municipality of Portaine, Switzerland The bear in heraldry is a common armorial figure related to natural non-heraldic figures ... Wikipedia

This article is proposed for deletion. An explanation of the reasons and a corresponding discussion can be found on the Wikipedia page: To be deleted / August 9, 2012. While the discussion process is not completed, the article can be improved, but should be ... ... Wikipedia

Sword (fr. épée, épée haute, claymore, eng. sword, sword in plane) is one of the most common armorial figures depicting a cold weapon in the form of a long double-edged blade with a hilt and hilt. ... ... Wikipedia

Heraldic raven The raven is a natural non-haraldic emblem. According to Alexander Lakier, in heraldry, the raven is ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Lev (meanings). Heraldic lion The lion and its leopard variety is one of the oldest and most popular ... Wikipedia

Ants (lat. Formicidae) are one of the rare objects of the living world used in heraldry. Ants are depicted on less than 10 coats of arms of European cities and other settlements. According to Alexander Lakier, an ant (as well as ... ... Wikipedia

It is hard that one has to repeat after Rusconi and all other heraldists that the dolphin "is the noblest fish" but what can you do. His ancient and unrequited human friendliness has led him to become a symbol of "sincere protection, loyalty, a dexterous warrior."

But what I like the most is this image: dolphin on coat of arms of the Manuzio family: a silent expression of the truth "hurry slowly", or a small image of great wisdom.

How the dolphin is depicted on the coat of arms

The dolphin is depicted in two forms:

1. heraldic
2. realistic

There is no need to explain that the first is basic and canonical, while the second, certainly more like the original, belongs to the last period of heraldic illustrations.

Dolphin Poses

In its classical pose, the dolphin appears in a curved form, resembling a semicircle, in which the head and tail are turned to the right (a). This image rightly reflects observations of dolphins jumping over water. In this position, a dolphin of the Dauphine region is depicted, which got its name precisely from the old coat of arms of incomprehensible and ancient origin (possibly dating back to the time of the First Crusade).

We note in passing that the heirs of this region, the counts of Viennese, had a special title of "dauphin" (dolphin) even before 1140, as evidenced by the agreement between Count Guy IV and the Bishop of Grenoble. The treaty mentions that this count has a dolphin as a helmet emblem and is therefore called the “dolphin knight” (chevalier du dauphin, fr.).

In 1349, the "dolphin" Humbert, greatly impoverished and burdened with numerous debts, transferred, or rather, sold (for 120 thousand gold florins) his possessions to Charles, the grandson of King Philip VI of France, Valois, who was destined to inherit the throne under the name of Charles V after death his father John II.

Among the terms of the agreement on the transfer of possession, in addition to listing the privileges that the feudal lord had since ancient times, an obligation was included by virtue of which the king of France had to inherit these possessions to his first-born, that is, the crown prince, and only to him, as a result of which he He also inherited the title of Dauphin (of France). This condition was observed until 1830, until the exile of Charles X, whose son, the Count of Angouleme, was the last "dolphin". In this case, the coat of arms gave the name of the region and the title to the crown prince, and not the other way around, as some think.

In addition to the position of the figure described above, dolphin on coat of arms may be "inverted" (b), "upturned" (c) or "lying" (d). In all these cases, the curved shape of the body is preserved, but if the dolphin is located in a column or belt, then it takes on a wavy shape.

Image of a dolphin in classical heraldic variants

The appearance of a dolphin in classical heraldic images is quite fantastic, if not caricatured. For blazoning, special heraldic terminology is used.

The dolphin has a beak similar to a duck, sometimes it is equipped with teeth, a long fin ridge runs along the spine, ending at the tail (“with a crest ... color”), pectoral fins are either completely absent or barely outlined (“with fin feathers ... colors"), the caudal fin is always depicted in a horizontal position, with large "artistic embellishments" ("with a tail ... colors").

The dolphin on the coat of arms can also be:

• "with a beard (... colors)", becoming like a rooster,
• "with ears (... colors), and even "with scales (... colors)".

Another cetacean, or rather just a whale, is very rare in coats of arms, its symbolic meaning is “hard useful work”.

Among numismatists, the coins of the city-states and colonies of the Northern Black Sea region are of considerable interest. One of them for almost a thousand years was the Greek colony of Olbia. Our review will provide general information necessary to get acquainted with the monetary business and the history of Olbia.

Let us first turn to the historical part of our review. So, in the first quarter of the 6th century BC. On the right bank of the Southern Bug River at its confluence with the Black Sea, the Greek colony of Olbia was founded. This settlement, which later became one of the most significant city-states in the Northern Black Sea region, was founded by settlers from the city of Miletus. Olbia was able to achieve a high level of development and influence in the region, became the center of fishing and trade. Around the colony, there were several dozen small settlements that were part of its chorus.

The entire time of the existence of the city can be divided into three periods:

1. The period of greatest development and prosperity of Olbia. It can be dated from the time of foundation in the 6th c. BC. and until the time of the Getic invasion in the middle of the 1st century. BC.

2. The period from the restoration of the city at the end of the 1st c. BC. before the second invasion ready in the 3rd c. AD During this period, the city's economy is in decline, does not have the same influence. In the 2nd century AD Olbia is allied with the Roman Empire and even hosts a Roman garrison. In 198 the city was incorporated into the Roman province of Moesia Inferior. The ensuing two invasions of the Goths forced the inhabitants to leave the settlement.

3. In the third period there is a gradual extinction of the city-state. Their territory is shrinking, trade is reduced to nothing, subsistence farming prevails. After the invasion of the Huns, Olbia disappears completely.

From the point of view of numismatics, we are interested in coins, the minting and casting of which took place at the mint of Olbia, i.e. their own monetary system. However, we will not deny that foreign coins had a great influence on the Olbia market.

In the nascent policy, the coins of Asia Minor, from which the founders of Olbia were originally, were used as money. These were "electronic" coins. Electrum is an alloy of gold and silver. On the territory of the Northern Black Sea region, the so-called "kizikin" coins of the city of Kyzik were most widespread. The need of the internal markets of policies for a bargaining copper coin and the lack of it in the Greek metropolis leads the inhabitants of the colonies to the manufacture of money bars. For their casting, they use cheap and affordable metal from local deposits - copper.

Olvius began to cast his own money bars at the mint in the second half of the 6th century. BC. they take the form of a dolphin (a symbol of the main deity of Miletus - Apollo Delphinius, the patron saint of navigation) and are made of bronze. Findings of dolphins of different weights suggest the presence of a number of coin denominations. Active walking of dolphins is attributed to the second half of the 6th century. BC. - 5 in. BC.

Beginning of the 5th c. BC. in Olbia is characterized by economic growth. The too low cost of dolphins and arrow-shaped coin ingots, which were in circulation here, in relation to the smallest denominations of the electra, leads to the appearance of a new bronze change coin - the Olbian asses. Assy had several denominations. On the coins of the first issue, Athena and a dolphin are depicted on the obverse, on the reverse - a wheel with four spokes. These aces had two denominations. Coins of lower denominations of the second series on the obverse have the image of a gorgonion, on the reverse of the wheel. The emblem of Olbia appears on the asses of the highest denomination - an eagle with a dolphin in its paws. Coins of the third and fourth issues - Gorgon or Demeter on the obverse, an eagle and a dolphin on the reverse.

In the middle of the 5th c. BC. in the Northern Black Sea region there was a need for a silver coin and the issue of Eminak became the answer to this. The Eminak coins are silver coins cast at the Olbia mint with the image of kneeling Hercules on the obverse and a solar wheel surrounded by four dolphins on the reverse. The weight of these coins was close to that of the stater.

At the beginning of the 4th c. BC. in Olbia there was a change of tyranny to slave-owning democracy, the city's economy continued to develop. Changes also took place in the coin production: they refused to issue dolphins; of the three denominations of the asses, only the middle one was left.

In the middle of the 4th c. BC. resumed the issue of bronze coins of the highest denomination, which had on the obverse - Demeter, on the reverse - an eagle sitting on the back of a dolphin, and the inscription "OLBI" above them. At the beginning of the same 4th c. BC. in Olbia, they begin to mint silver and even gold coins on cast circles.

After the attempt to subjugate the city to the Empire of Alexander the Great and the retreat of his commander Zopyrion from the city walls, a series of reforms take place in Olbia. As a result, instead of cast asses, they began to mint a copper coin, retaining the traditional images of Demeter and the symbol of the city.

In the Hellenistic period from the beginning of the 3rd c. BC. until the middle of the 1st c. BC. in Olbia, the issue of coins is characterized by a variety of denominations. Coins were minted from copper, silver and gold. Moreover, the Olviopolites preferred the Chios-Rhodian system (with a relatively lighter weight norm). I would also like to emphasize that the foreign electors of Cyzicus were forced out of the markets of the Northern Black Sea region by the gold staters of Alexander the Great and Lysimak.

For the Hellenistic period, the most common bronze coins were “boristhenes” - obols (higher denominations of copper) with the image of Borisfen on the obverse and weapons (quiver and ax) on the reverse. There, on the reverse, there was the inscription "OLVIO" and abbreviations denoting magistrates. There are more than seventy such abbreviations on boristhenes. Beginning of the 2nd c. BC. was marked by the issue of coins with the image of Hercules, Apollo and Artemis on the obverse. The reverse was decorated with images of a stick, kifala, bow and quiver.

"Borisfen" Olbia.

In the 2nd century BC. Olbia turns out to be dependent on the Scythian kings, pays tribute to them, and this was also reflected on the coins. On one of the issues of a copper coin in three denominations, the profile of the Scythian king Skilur appears on the obverse, on the reverse - his title and name, and the inscription "OLVI".

After Skilur, the polis falls under the influence of Mithridates Eupator. In the market of the city, the coin of the Pontic kingdom gets circulation. During this period, the local mint minted only small change coins. Soon, the inscription indicating belonging to the city disappears from the Olbian coins.

The destruction of the settlement by the Getae stopped the issuance of coins. The restoration of coinage begins only in the 1st century AD. Emission becomes irregular. Gold coins of the Sarmatian king Farzoy and a local copper token are issued. Gradually, Olbia switches to the Roman monetary system (weight norm). Recognizing the power of the Roman Empire at the end of the 2nd century AD. The Olbian mint stops minting its own coins and starts issuing coins with the faces and names of Roman emperors.

A little history of Olbia in video format: