The reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (1462-1505) was the most important stage in the process of creating a unified Russian state. This is the time of the formation of the main territory of Russia, its final liberation from the Mongol yoke and the formation political foundations centralized state.

In the 15th century, the term “Russia” appeared for the first time in written sources. From then on, we began to be called Ros State.

In January 1478, the Novgorod authorities capitulated, the veche was cancelled, the veche bell was removed and taken to Moscow, instead of posadniks and thousanders, Moscow governors now ruled in Novgorod.

Ivan III also began streamlining legislation. In 1497, a new collection of laws was published - the Code of Laws. The new collection of laws established a unified procedure for judicial and administrative activities. Laws on land use, especially the law on St. George's Day, occupied an important place in the Code of Laws. In Rus' there was an old custom: in the fall, after harvesting, peasants could move from one owner to another. By the beginning of the 16th century. this custom took on the character of a disaster: the peasants left their master even before the harvest, and often the fields remained unharvested. The Code of Law of Ivan III limited the right of peasants to transfer from one owner to another to two weeks a year - before and after St. George's Day (November 26). The formation of serfdom began in Rus'.

Under Ivan III there are important changes in system government controlled: the process of forming an unlimited monarchy began. The reasons for the formation of an unlimited monarchy are Mongol and Byzantine influence.

Ivan III was the first of the Russian princes to pursue a policy of increasing the power of the Grand Duke. Before this, appanage princes and boyars were free servants. At their own request, they could serve the Moscow Grand Duke or go to serve in Lithuania and Poland. Now they began to swear allegiance to the Moscow prince and sign special oaths.

In 1497, Ivan III for the first time, as the coat of arms of the Moscow state, adopted the unofficial coat of arms of Byzantium - the double-headed eagle - a sacred religious symbol (By this time, the double-headed eagle in Byzantium symbolized the unity of spiritual and secular power, in our country: the interests of the Russian state extend in both directions ). Under him, signs of grand-princely dignity were adopted: the “Monomakh cap”, which became a symbol of autocracy, precious mantles - barmas and a scepter. A private seal was also introduced. After adopting the coat of arms and seal, he forced himself to be called “Sovereign of All Rus'.”

At the end of his life, I III realized that all his efforts could fail. The consequence of this was the decree on succession to the throne: power is transferred to the eldest son, then to the middle one, etc.

The growing state from now on had no right to share with its capital in Moscow. The remaining princes were given lands on the outskirts. The land cannot be divided after the death of the prince.

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 two-headed eagle on a red background. Three crowns are depicted above the heads of the eagle, now symbolizing the sovereignty of both Russian Federation, and its parts, subjects of the Federation; in the paws there is a scepter and an orb, personifying state power and a unified state; on the chest is an image of a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear. This is one of the ancient symbols of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, and the defense of the Fatherland.

History of changes to the coat of arms

The first reliable evidence of the use of the double-headed eagle as a state emblem is the seal of John III Vasilievich on the exchange charter of 1497. During its existence, the image of the double-headed eagle has undergone 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) was 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, and Perm lands. The country began to actively develop ties with other European countries, and its foreign policy position strengthened. In 1497, the first all-Russian Code of Law was adopted - a unified set of laws of the country.
It was at this time - the time of successful construction of Russian statehood - that the double-headed eagle became the coat of arms of Russia, personifying supreme power, independence, what was called “autocracy” in Rus'. The very first surviving evidence of the use of the image of a double-headed eagle as a symbol of Russia is the grand-ducal seal of Ivan III, which in 1497 sealed his “exchange and allotment” charter for the land holdings of appanage princes. At the same time, images of a gilded double-headed eagle on a red field appeared on the walls of the Garnet 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 horseman (“rider”) appeared - one of ancient symbols 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 surmounted by a cross.

End XVI - beginning of XVII century
During the reign of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich, between the crowned heads of the double-headed eagle, the 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 connotation to the state emblem. The appearance of the “Golgotha ​​cross” in the coat of arms of Russia coincides with the establishment of the patriarchate and ecclesiastical independence of Russia in 1589.

In the 17th century Orthodox cross 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, in which a double-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 18th 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, with a rider on it in a red field.”

But if in this Decree the rider on the coat of arms was still called a rider, then among the drawings of coats of arms presented in May 1729 by Count Minich to the Military Collegium and which received the highest approval, the double-headed eagle is described as follows: “The State Coat of Arms in the old way: double-headed eagle, black , on the heads of the crown, and at the top in the middle is a large Imperial crown in gold; in the middle of that eagle, George on a white horse, defeating the serpent; the cap and spear are yellow, the crown is yellow, the snake is black; the field is white all around, and red in the middle.” In 1736, Empress Anna Ioannovna invited the Swiss engraver Gedlinger, who by 1740 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 18th-19th 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 a short time reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), Russia was active foreign policy, faced with a new enemy - Napoleonic France. After 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 state emblem Maltese cross and crown. On the eagle’s chest, under the Maltese crown, there was a shield with St. George (Paul interpreted it as the “indigenous coat of arms of Russia”), superimposed on the Maltese cross.

Paul I made an attempt to introduce a full coat of arms 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 above-described coat of arms in the form of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross, larger than the others. 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 appears. The shield holders, the archangels Michael and Gabriel, support the imperial crown over the knight's helmet and mantle (cloak). The entire composition is placed against the background of a canopy with a dome - a heraldic symbol of sovereignty. From behind the shield with coats of arms emerge two standards with a double-headed and a single-headed eagles. This project has not been finalized.

Soon after ascending 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
Images of the double-headed eagle at this time were very diverse: it could have one or three crowns; in the paws are not only the already traditional scepter and orb, but also a wreath, lightning bolts (peruns), and 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 established.
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 orb in its paws. The second type was an eagle with raised wings, on which the titular coats of arms were depicted: on the right - Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian, on the left - Polish, Tauride, Finland. For some time, another version was in circulation - with the coats of arms of the three “main” Old Russian Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod lands) and three kingdoms - Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian. An eagle under three crowns, with St. George (as the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow) in a shield on the chest, with a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, with a scepter and an orb in its 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 state eagle was changed under the influence of German designs. At the same time, St. George on the eagle’s chest, 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 coats of arms of Kazan, Poland, Tauride Chersonese and the combined coat of arms of the Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod), on the left were shields with the coats of arms of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia, Finland.

On April 11, 1857, the Supreme approval of the entire set of state emblems followed. It included: Big, Middle 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, Middle and Small state seals, arks (cases) for seals, as well as seals of the main and lower official places and persons were approved. In total, one hundred and ten drawings lithographed by A. Beggrov were approved in one act. On May 31, 1857, the Senate published a Decree describing the new coats of arms and the rules for their use.

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

Small State Emblem, 1883-1917.
On February 23, 1883, the Middle and two versions of the Small coat of arms were approved. On the wings of the double-headed eagle (Small Coat of Arms) were placed eight coats of arms of the full title of the 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 Chersonese Tauride; combined coat of arms of the Kyiv, Vladimir and Novgorod great 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 highest order was given to leave unchanged the drawing of the state eagle made by academician A. Charlemagne.

The latest act - “Basic provisions of the state structure of the Russian Empire” of 1906 - confirmed all previous legal provisions relating to the State Emblem.

Coat of arms of Russia, 1917
After February Revolution In 1917, on the initiative of Maxim Gorky, a Special Meeting 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 famous artists and art historians A. N. Benois and N. K. Roerich, I. Ya. Bilibin, heraldist V. K. Lukomsky. It was decided to use images of a double-headed eagle on the seal of the Provisional Government. 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. This image continued to be used after 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 in the state emblem not land, but political, party symbols: the double-headed eagle was replaced by a red shield, which depicted a crossed hammer and sickle and rising 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, secured with a red ribbon with the inscription “Workers 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: a five-pointed Red Star, a 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 republics, was included in the coat of arms of the RSFSR.

Came into force in 1992 last change coat of arms: the abbreviation above the hammer and sickle was replaced by the inscription “Russian Federation”. But this decision was almost never carried out, 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 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 occurred 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.

A golden double-headed eagle on a red field maintains historical continuity in color scheme coats of arms of the late XV - XVII centuries. The eagle design goes back to images on monuments from the era of Peter the Great.

The restoration of the double-headed eagle as the State Emblem of Russia personifies continuity and continuity national 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 Russian history and continues them on the eve of the third millennium.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

The word coat of arms comes from the German word erbe, which means inheritance.

Each state has its own symbols that reflect its internal structure: power, territory, natural features and other priorities. One of the symbols of the state is the coat of arms.The coat of arms of each country has its own history of creation. There are special rules for drawing up a coat of arms; this is done by the special historical discipline of HERALDICS, which developed back in the Middle Ages.

Seal of Ivan III the Great

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

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

History of the coat of arms double-headed eagle

The eagle in the coat of arms dates back to Byzantium. Later he appeared on the coat of arms of Rus'. The image of an eagle is used in the coats of arms of many countries of the world: Austria, Germany, Iraq, Spain, Mexico, Poland, Syria, and the USA. But the double-headed eagle is present only on the coats of arms of Albania and Serbia. The Russian double-headed eagle has undergone many changes since its appearance and emergence as an element of the state emblem. Let's look at these stages.
As mentioned above, coats of arms appeared in Russia a long time ago, but these were only drawings on the seals of the kings, they did not obey heraldic rules. Due to the lack of knighthood in Rus', coats of arms were not very common.Until the 16th century, Russia was a divided state, so there could be no talk of a state emblem of Russia. But under Ivan III (1462-
1505) his seal acted as a coat of arms. On its front side there is a horseman piercing a snake with a spear, and on the back side there is a double-headed eagle.

Ivan III and his seal. 1497

First famous images double-headed eagle belongs to XIII century BC. - This is a rock carving of a double-headed eagle that grabbed two birds with one stone. This was the coat of arms of the Hittite kings.
The double-headed eagle was a symbol of the Median kingdom - an ancient power in the territory of Western Asia under the Median king Cyaxares (625-585 BC). The double-headed eagle then appeared on the emblems of Rome under Constantine the Great. After the founding of the new capital, Constantinople, in 330, the double-headed eagle became the state emblem of the Roman Empire.After the adoption of Christianity from Byzantium, Rus' began to experience the strong influence of Byzantine culture and Byzantine ideas. Along with Christianity, new political orders and relations began to penetrate into Rus'. This influence especially intensified after the marriage of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan III. This marriage had important consequences for the monarchical power in Moscow. As a spouse Grand Duke Moskovsky becomes successor Byzantine Emperor, considered the head of the entire Orthodox East. In relations with small neighboring lands, he already bears the title of Tsar of All Rus'. Another title, "autocrat", is a translation of the Byzantine imperial title autocrator ; initially it meant the independence of the sovereign, but Ivan the Terrible gave it the meaning of the absolute, unlimited power of the monarch.Since the end of the 15th century, the Byzantine coat of arms - a double-headed eagle - appears on the seals of the Moscow sovereign; it is combined with the former Moscow coat of arms - the image of St. George the Victorious. Thus, Rus' confirmed the continuity from Byzantium.

From Ivan III to Peter I

Big state seal Tsar Ivan IV Vasilyevich (the Terrible)

The development of the Russian coat of arms is inextricably linked with the history of Rus'. The eagle on the seals of John III was depicted with a closed beak and looked more like an eaglet. Russia at that time was still an eaglet, a young state. During the reign of Vasily III Ioannovich (1505-1533), the double-headed eagle is depicted with open beaks, from which tongues protrude. At this time, Russia was strengthening its position: the monk Philotheus sent a message to Vasily III with his theory that “Moscow is the Third Rome.”During the reign of John IV Vasilyevich (1533-1584), Rus' gained victories over the Astrakhan and Kazan kingdoms and annexed Siberia. The power of the Russian state is also reflected in its coat of arms: the double-headed eagle on the state seal is crowned with a single crown with an eight-pointed Orthodox cross above it. The obverse side of the seal: on the chest of the eagle there is a carved German shield with a unicorn - the personal sign of the king. All symbols in the personal symbolism of John IV are taken from the Psalter. Reverse side of the seal: on the eagle’s chest is a shield with the image of St. George the Victorious.21 February 1613 Zemsky Sobor Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was elected to the throne. His election put an end to the unrest that took place in the period after the death of Ivan the Terrible. The eagle on the coat of arms of this period spreads its wings, which means new era in the history of Russia, which at this time was becoming a unified and fairly strong state. This circumstance is immediately reflected in the coat of arms: above the eagle instead of eight-pointed cross the third crown appears. The interpretation of this change is different: a symbol of the Holy Trinity or a symbol of the unity of Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians. There is also a third interpretation: the conquered Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian kingdoms.
Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov (1645-1676) ends the Russian-Polish conflict with the conclusion of the Truce of Andrusovo with Poland (1667). Russian state becomes equal with other European states. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, the eagle received symbols of power: scepter and orb .

Great state seal of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich

At the request of the tsar, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I sent his king of arms Lavrentiy Khurelevich to Moscow, who in 1673 wrote an essay “On the genealogy of the Russian great princes and sovereigns, showing the existing, through marriages, affinity between Russia and eight European powers, that is Caesar of Rome, the kings of England, Denmark, Spain, Poland, Portugal and Sweden, and with the image of these royal coats of arms, and in the middle of them the Grand Duke St. Vladimir, at the end of the portrait of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.” This work marked the beginning of the development of Russian heraldry. The eagle’s wings are raised up and fully open (a symbol of the complete establishment of Russia as a powerful state; its heads are crowned with three royal crowns; on its chest there is a shield with the Moscow coat of arms; in its paws there is a scepter and an orb.Lavrenty Khurelevich in 1667 was the first to give an official description of the Russian coat of arms: “The double-headed eagle is the sovereign coat of arms of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great and Lesser and White Russia, the autocrat, His Royal Majesty of the Russian Empire, on which three crowns are depicted, signifying the three great Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms, submitting to the God-protected and highest power of His Royal Majesty, the Most Gracious Sovereign... on the Persians is the image of the heir; in the box there is a scepter and an apple, and they reveal the most merciful Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor.”

From Peter I to Alexander II

Coat of arms of Peter I

Peter I ascended the Russian throne in 1682. During his reign, the Russian Empire became an equal among the leading powers of Europe.
Under him, according to heraldic rules, the coat of arms began to be depicted as black (before that it was depicted as gold). The eagle has become not only a decoration of state papers, but also a symbol of strength and power.

In 1721, Peter I accepted the imperial title, and on the coats of arms instead royal crowns imperial ones began to be depicted. In 1722, he established the office of the King of Arms and the position of King of Arms.
The state emblem under Peter I also underwent other changes: in addition to changing the color of the eagle, shields with coats of arms were placed on its wings.Great Duchies and Kingdoms. On the right wing there were shields with the coats of arms (from top to bottom): Kyiv, Novgorod, Astrakhan; on the left wing: Vladimir, Siberian, Kazan. It was under Peter I that a complex of attributes of the coat of arms eagle emerged.And after Russia entered the “expanses of Siberia and Far East“The double-headed eagle began to symbolize the inseparability of European and Asian Russia under one imperial crown, since one crowned head looks to the west, the other to the east. The era after Peter I is known as the era of palace coups. In the 30s of the 18th century. the leadership of the state was dominated by immigrants from Germany, which did not contribute to the strengthening of the country. In 1736, Empress Anna Ioannovna invited a Swiss by birth, the Swedish engraver I. K. Gedlinger, who engraved the State Seal by 1740, which was used with minor changes until 1856.

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

Coat of arms of Catherine I

Paul I

Having become emperor, Paul I immediately tried to modify the Russian coat of arms. By decree of April 5, 1797, the double-headed eagle became an integral part of the coat of arms of the imperial family. But since Paul I was the Master of the Order of Malta, this could not but be reflected in the state emblem. In 1799, Emperor Paul I issued a decree on the image of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross on the chest. The cross was placed on the eagle’s chest under the Moscow coat of arms (“the indigenous coat of arms of Russia”). The emperor is also making an attempt to develop and introduce a complete coat of arms of the Russian Empire. At the upper end of this cross was placed the crown of the Grand Master.

Coat of arms of Russia with the Maltese cross

Coat of arms of the Russian Empire from the time of Paul I. 1799.

In 1800, he proposed a complex coat of arms, on which forty-three coats of arms were placed in a multi-field shield and on nine small shields. However, they did not have time to adopt this coat of arms before Paul’s death.Paul I was also the founder of the Great Russian Coat of Arms. The Manifesto of December 16, 1800 gives it Full description. The large Russian coat of arms was supposed to symbolize the internal unity and power of Russia. However, Paul I's project was not implemented.

Alexander I, having become emperor in 1801, abolished the Maltese cross on the state emblem. But under Alexander I, on the coat of arms, the eagle’s wings are spread wide to the side, and the feathers are lowered down. One head is more inclined than the other. Instead of a scepter and an orb, new attributes appear in the eagle’s paws: a torch, peruns (thunder arrows), a laurel wreath (sometimes a branch), a lictor’s bun intertwined with ribbons.

Portraits of Alexander I and Nicholas I, united by a coat of arms

Alexander I

Nicholas I

Coat of arms of Nicholas I

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

The large state emblem of the Russian Empire was introduced in 1857 by decree of Emperor Alexander II (this was the idea of ​​Emperor Paul I).The large coat of arms of Russia is a symbol of the unity and power of Russia. Around the double-headed eagle are the coats of arms of the territories that are part of the Russian state. In the center of the Great State Emblem is a French shield with a golden field on which a double-headed eagle is depicted. The eagle itself is black, crowned with three imperial crowns, which are connected by a blue ribbon: two small ones crown the head, the large one is located between the heads and rises above them; in the eagle's paws are a scepter and an orb; on the chest is depicted “the coat of arms of Moscow: in a scarlet shield with gold edges, the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious in silver armor and an azure cap on a silver horse.”

Great Coat of Arms of the Empire, approved Alexander III in 1882

The shield, which depicts an eagle, is topped with the helmet of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, around the main shield is a chain and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On the sides of the shield there are shield holders: on the right side (to the left of the viewer) - Saint Archangel Michael, on the left - Archangel Gabriel. The central part is under the shadow of the large imperial crown and the state banner above it.

Average State Emblem of the Russian Empire
To the left and right of the state banner, on the same horizontal line with it, are depicted six shields with the connected coats of arms of the principalities and volosts - three to the right and three to the left of the banner, almost creating a semicircle. Nine shields, crowned with crowns with the coats of arms of the Grand Duchies and Kingdoms and the coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty, are a continuation and most of the circle that the united coats of arms of the principalities and volosts began. Coats of arms counterclockwise: the Astrakhan Kingdom, the Siberian Kingdom, the Family Coat of Arms of His Imperial Majesty, the united coats of arms of the Grand Duchies, the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland, the coat of arms of Chersonis-Tauride, the coat of arms of the Polish Kingdom, the coat of arms of the Kazan Kingdom.The top six shields from left to right: combined coats of arms of the principalities and regions of the Great Russian, combined coats of arms of the principalities and regions of the South-Western, combined coats of arms of the Baltic regions.
At the same time, the Middle and Small state emblems were adopted.

Small State Emblem of the Russian Empire

The middle state coat of arms was the same as the Great one, but without state banners and six coats of arms above the canopy; Small - the same as the Middle one, but without a canopy, images of saints and the family coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty.Adopted by decree of Alexander III on November 3, 1882, the Great State Emblem differed from that adopted in 1857 in that it added a shield with the coat of arms of Turkestan (became part of Russia in 1867), combined the coats of arms of the principalities of Lithuania and Belarusian.

The large state emblem is framed by laurel and oak branches - a symbol of glory, honor, merit (laurel branches), valor, courage (oak branches).The Great State Emblem reflects “the triune essence of the Russian idea: For the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.” Faith is expressed in the symbols of Russian Orthodoxy: many crosses, Saint Archangel Michael and Saint Archangel Gabriel, the motto “God is with us,” the eight-pointed Orthodox cross above the state banner. The idea of ​​an autocrat is expressed in the attributes of power: a large imperial crown, other Russian historical crowns, a scepter, an orb, a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.The Fatherland is reflected in the coat of arms of Moscow, the coats of arms of Russian and Russian lands, in the helmet of the Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. The circular arrangement of the coats of arms symbolizes equality between them, and the central location of the coat of arms of Moscow symbolizes the unity of Rus' around Moscow, the historical center of Russian lands.

Modern coat of arms of the Russian Federation (tyts)

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

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 already from 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 gradually began to play a major role in Russian heraldry. 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, divinity and the greatness of power.

Coat of arms of the Russian kingdom

How the eagle got on the coat of arms of Russia

But you and I are most interested in how such 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 (Zoe) Paleologus took place. It was under Ivan III that the unification of the Russian lands was completed, the dependence on the Golden Horde was finally destroyed and ties with different countries Europe. In 1497, the all-Russian Code of Law was adopted - a unified set of laws of the country.

Small coat of arms of the Russian Empire

The desire and opportunity to be on an equal footing with all European rulers prompted the Grand Duke to adopt a 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 the 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 accepted in all monarchical states. But the son Fyodor Ioannovich placed an Orthodox cross between the crowned heads of the eagle. This is due to the fact that in 1589 there was ecclesiastical 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 chest of the eagle. Paul I could not resist making changes. Under him, the Maltese cross and crown appeared on the coat of arms. A few years later, Alexander I removed the Maltese symbols. After the victorious Patriotic War In 1812, the eagle began to be depicted with lowered, spread wings. In the paws, instead of a scepter and orb, a wreath, lightning bolts and a torch appeared.

The most serious changes affected 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 coat of arms of the Russian Empire; a month later, the Senate published a decree describing the new coats of arms and the norms for their use. The new coat of arms lasted until 1917; instead, the hammer and sickle became the emblem of the USSR.

USSR coat of arms

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

The word coat of arms comes from the German word erbe, which means inheritance. Coat of arms is a symbolic image,
which shows the historical traditions of a state or city. The coats of arms themselves appeared a very long time ago -
their predecessors can be considered the totems of primitive tribes. Among coastal tribes as totems
there were figurines of dolphins, turtles, among steppe tribes - snakes, among forest tribes - bears, deer, wolves. special
the role was played by the signs of the Sun, Moon, earth and water...

How the coat of arms changed in the Russian Federation

The reign of Grand Duke Ivan III (1462-1505)
Ivan III married the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologus and to increase his authority in the relationship
with foreign states, adopts the family coat of arms of the Byzantine kings - a double-headed eagle.

The double-headed eagle of Byzantium personified the powerful Roman-Byzantine Empire, covering significant
lands both in the East and in the West. Emperor Maximilian II, however, spared Sophia his Imperial Eagle,
the eagle depicted on the banner of Sophia Paleologus did not have an Imperial crown, but only a Caesar’s crown.

Nevertheless, the opportunity to become equal with all European sovereigns prompted Ivan III to accept this
coat of arms as a heraldic symbol of one's state. Having turned from the Grand Duke into the Tsar of Moscow and taken
for his state, a new coat of arms - the Double-Headed Eagle, Ivan III in 1472 placed Caesar's crowns on both heads.

Ivan IV, who later received the name Grozny, was still small; the regency of his mother Elena Glinskaya began
(1533-1538), and the actual autocracy of the boyars Shuisky, Belsky (1538-1548). And here the Russian Eagle undergoes
a very comical change.

When Ivan IV turns 16 and is crowned king, Orel immediately undergoes a very significant
change, as if personifying the entire era of the reign of Ivan the Terrible (1548-1574, 1576-1584).

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
clearly Western style. But that's not all, on the chest of the Eagle, instead of the icon of St. George the Victorious appears
image of a unicorn. Why and why? One can only guess about this. True, for the sake of fairness it is necessary
It should be noted that this Eagle was quickly canceled by Ivan the Terrible. Apparently the king guessed that such a fairy-tale zoo
inappropriate on the state emblem.

Ivan the Terrible dies and the weak, limited Tsar Fyodor 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 two-headed
The eagle appears as a sign of the passion of Christ: the so-called Calvary cross. The cross on the state seal was
a symbol of Orthodoxy, giving a religious connotation to the state emblem. The appearance of the "Golgotha ​​cross" in the coat of arms
Russia coincides with the establishment of the patriarchate and ecclesiastical independence of Russia in 1589.

Until the mid-17th century, a seal in which a double-headed eagle with a rider on his chest was crowned was widely used
two crowns, and between the heads of the eagle rises an Orthodox eight-pointed cross.

In connection with the Polish occupation, the Eagle becomes very similar to the Polish one, differing only in its two heads.

The attempt to establish a new dynasty in the person of Vasily Shuisky (1606-1610), the painters from the official hut reflected in
Orel, deprived of all the attributes of sovereignty and, as if in mockery, from the place where the heads join together, either a flower or a
that's a bump.

Under the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty - Mikhail Fedorovich (1613-1645), popularly nicknamed "The Quietest" -
The state emblem changes slightly. In 1625, for the first time, a double-headed eagle was depicted under three crowns,
St. George the Victorious returned on the chest, but no longer in the form of an icon, in the form of a shield.

In contrast to the Byzantine pattern and perhaps influenced by the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, the double-headed eagle
starting in 1654, he began to be depicted with raised wings. And then the eagle “flew up” onto the spiers of the Moscow Kremlin towers.

In 1667, the first decree in the history of Russia appeared on December 14 “On the royal title and on the state seal”,
which contained the official description of the coat of arms: “The double-headed eagle is the sovereign coat of arms of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and
Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great, Lesser and White Russia, autocrat, His Royal Majesty
Russian reign, on which three crowns are depicted signifying the three great Kazan, Astrakhan,
Siberian glorious kingdom. On the chest (chest) there is an image of the heir; in the claws (claws) there is a scepter and an apple,
and reveals the most merciful Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor."

In 1696, the throne went to Peter I Alekseevich “the Great” (1689-1725). And almost immediately the State Emblem
changes its shape dramatically. The eagle takes on 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 highest state awards in Russia. Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, one of the heavenly
patrons of Peter Alekseevich, was declared the patron of Russia.

The blue oblique St. Andrew's cross (at the bottom of the eagle's plumage) becomes the main element of the badge of the Order of St. Andrew
First-Called and a symbol of the Russian Navy. Since 1699, images of a double-headed eagle have been found,
surrounded by a chain with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew. And next year the Order of St. Andrew will be placed around the shield
with a rider.

With minor or significant, but short-term, changes, this image of the coat of arms of Russia existed
until the beginning of the reign of Paul I (1796-1801), who made an attempt to introduce the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire.

Forty-three coats of arms were placed in the multi-field shield and on nine small shields. In the center was the above-described coat of arms
in the form of a double-headed eagle with a Maltese cross, larger than the others. Shield with coats of arms superimposed on Maltese
cross, and under it the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called again appeared. Shield holders, archangels Michael and Gabriel,
support the imperial crown over the knight's helmet and cloak. The entire composition is placed against the background of a mantle with a dome -
heraldic symbol of sovereignty. From behind the shield with coats of arms emerge two standards with a double-headed and a single-headed eagles...
This project has not been approved.

In 1855-1857, during the heraldic reform, the type of state eagle was changed under the influence of German
samples. 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 coats of arms of Kazan, Poland, Tauride Chersonesos and the united coat of arms
Grand Duchies (Kyiv, Vladimir, Novgorod), on the left - shields with the coats of arms of Astrakhan, Siberia, Georgia,
Finland.

On April 11, 1857, the Supreme approval of the entire set of state emblems followed. It included:
Large, Middle and Small, coats of arms of members of the imperial family, as well as “title” coats of arms.
On July 24, 1882, Emperor Alexander III in Peterhof approved the drawing of the Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, on
in 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 at coronations.

With minor changes introduced in 1882 by Alexander III, the coat of arms of Russia existed 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 characteristics, therefore, him, deprived of a crown, scepter, orb, coats of arms of the kingdoms,
lands and all other heraldic attributes were “left in service” - completely naked...

The Bolsheviks had a completely different opinion. By Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of November 10, 1917, together with the estates,
ranks, titles and old regime orders, the coat of arms and flag were completely abolished. But it turned out to be a decision
easier than done. Government bodies continued to exist and function, so for another six months
the old coat of arms was used where necessary, on signs indicating authorities 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
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.

The double-headed eagle was finally retired, remaining only to “sit” on the towers of the Moscow Kremlin.
The Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks replaced them with ruby ​​stars only in 1935.

In 1990, the Government of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the creation of the State Emblem and State Flag
RSFSR. After a comprehensive discussion, the Government Commission proposed to recommend the coat of arms to the Government -
golden double-headed eagle on a red field. In 1993, by decree of President B.N. Yeltsin, the double-headed Eagle was returned
approved as the state emblem. And only in 2000 the double-headed Eagle was finally approved
State Duma. The modern coat of arms is based on the coat of arms of Peter I. But the double-headed eagle is golden in color, not
black, and it is placed on a red heraldic shield.