A. BARYBIN.

The coat of arms - a double-headed eagle - was inherited by Russia from Byzantium after the marriage of Sophia Palaeologus, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, with Grand Duke Ivan III. Why did the Greek princess choose the Moscow prince over the other contenders for her hand? But there were applicants from the most distinguished European families, and Sophia refused them all. Maybe she wanted to marry a man of the same Orthodox faith as her? Perhaps, but it is unlikely that marriage with a fiance would be an insurmountable obstacle for her, for example, catholic faith. After all, it didn’t interfere Orthodox faith go under the allegiance of the Islamic sultan to her uncle Demetrius Paleologus, and later to her brother Manuel. The main motive was, undoubtedly, the political calculation of the Pope, who raised Sophia. But this decision did not come suddenly or simply.

people of the Middle Ages... From some of them only names and meager information on the pages of chronicles have been preserved, others were participants in turbulent events, the intricacies of which scientists are trying to understand today.

In 1453, Ottoman troops laid siege to Constantinople - this is how an ancient engraving depicts the siege. The Empire was doomed.

Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III (left) in battle with the Tatar Khan. Engraving XVII century so symbolically depicts the end of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.

Ivan III Vasilyevich reigned on the Moscow throne from 1462 to 1505.

On the left is the state seal of Ivan the Terrible. On the right is the state seal Russian Empire late XVII century.

State banner with the image of the coat of arms.

First, let's look at the history of Byzantium. In 395, the Roman Empire was divided into eastern (Byzantine) and western. Byzantium considered itself the successor of Rome and rightfully so. The West entered a period of decline in culture and spiritual life, but in Constantinople social life was still vibrant, trade and crafts flourished, and the legal code of Justinian was introduced. Strong state power limited the influence of the church on intellectual life, which had a beneficial effect on education, science and art. Byzantium, being a bridge between Europe and Asia, occupied an important strategic position. But she was forced to fight on all four sides - with the Persians, Goths, Avars, Huns, Slavs, Pechenegs, Cumans, Normans, Arabs, Turks, Crusaders.

Since the end of the 12th century, the star of Byzantium has been gradually declining. It was a time of desperate, dramatic struggle with a powerful rival - the Turks, energetic, warlike and numerous people. (His pressure did not weaken and kept Europe in terror until the 18th century.) Gradually, piece by piece, the Turks captured the lands of the empire. At the end of the 14th century, the Balkan Slavic countries were conquered by them, and the position of Byzantium became critical. The culmination of the struggle occurred in the 15th century. Byzantium fought stubbornly, courageously, and inventively. The famous Byzantine diplomacy showed miracles of resourcefulness. To a large extent, it was through her efforts that the famous Crusades knights, which significantly weakened the Turkish Sultanate and delayed the collapse of the empire.

Byzantium did not have enough strength to cope with the Turkish danger. Only the united efforts of all of Europe could stop Turkish expansion. But European politicians were unable to achieve such a unification: the stumbling block remained the religious discord between Orthodox Byzantium and the Catholic West (as is known, the split of the Christian Church occurred in the 9th-11th centuries). And then Emperor John VII Palaiologos made a truly historic attempt in 1438 to bring the churches closer together. Byzantium at that time was in a very difficult situation: the nearest suburbs of Constantinople, several small islands and the Despotate of Morea, with which there was no land communication, remained under its rule. The thin thread of the existing truce with the Turks was about to break.

John III negotiates with Pope Eugene IV to convene Ecumenical Council with the goal of finally bringing about the unification of the churches. The Byzantines are making the maximum possible preparations under the circumstances for the council, which, according to their plan, should adopt church dogmas common to the entire Christian world. In the course of this preparation (for our story the fact is very important) a famous church leader, diplomat, speaker and thinker Isidore, a staunch supporter of the unification of churches (it was he who unwittingly played a big role in the fate of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan Vasilyevich).

In 1438, a delegation led by the emperor and patriarch left Constantinople for Italy. Metropolitan Isidore and a delegation from Russia arrived separately. Fierce theological debates continued for more than a year in Ferrara, then in Florence. They did not lead to agreement on any point. By the end of the council, strong pressure was put on the Greek side, and the Byzantines signed the final document, the so-called Union of Florence, in which they agreed with the Catholics on all positions. However, in Byzantium itself, the union divided the people into its supporters and opponents.

So, the merger of churches did not happen, the only correct political move did not take place. Byzantium was left face to face with a powerful enemy. WITH light hand French enlighteners of the 18th century, who saw Byzantium as a stronghold of monarchism, it is traditionally customary to speak of it as a country that is decaying, stagnant, and decrepit (this attitude was strengthened by hostility towards Orthodoxy). Our thinkers Chaadaev and Herzen also did not like it. Western historians still have a slight disdain for Byzantium.

Meanwhile, she stood at the most important strategic point, on the border of East and West, owned the straits and held out for 1100 years! Byzantium, although weakened, not only heroically fought against numerous invasions, but also preserved the colossal cultural potential accumulated by the ancient Greeks and Romans. When church obscurantism and intolerance to any deviation from the biblical canons reigned in Europe, Roman law was taught at the University of Constantinople, all citizens of Byzantium were legally equal before the law, literate people read ancient authors, and in schools they were taught to read Homer! And it is not yet known when the Italian Renaissance would have appeared, turning man from sterile scholasticism to brilliance ancient culture, if not for the constant cultural contacts of Europeans with their eastern neighbor.

In April 1453, Constantinople was besieged by the troops of the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, numbering, according to various estimates, from 200 to 300 thousand soldiers. The most powerful artillery for those times, a huge amount of siege equipment, a large fleet, excellent specialists in undermining and blasting - everything was directed against the great city. The siege was carried out continuously and stubbornly. In order to deprive the Greeks of the relative safety of their sea walls, the Turks, already in the course of the battles, transported wooden flooring 70 heavy warships.

What could the Byzantines oppose to all this force? Powerful vintage stone walls and towers, deep ditches, traps and other defensive structures built at different times by excellent fortification engineers. The city was inaccessible to pre-firearms. But there was almost no artillery on the walls, and the besieged used only stone-throwing machines in battle. The emperor was able to place only 7 thousand soldiers on the walls, and there were only 25 ships in the harbor. In the city itself there were ongoing religious disputes between Orthodox and Catholics, provoked by the adoption of the Union of Florence. Religious strife greatly weakened the defense potential of Constantinople. And Mehmed also took this into account.

But, despite everything, the morale of the defenders turned out to be incredibly high. The heroic defense of Constantinopolis became legendary. Defense led and inspired the last Emperor Byzantium Constantine XI Palaiologos, a courageous and experienced warrior with a strong and decisive character. For a month and a half, all assaults, all attacks from the sea are repelled, tunnels are unraveled and eliminated.

But on May 29, 1453, during the last assault, part of the wall collapsed under the blows of cannonballs. Selected units of the Janissaries rushed into the gap. Konstantin gathers the remaining defenders around him and launches a final counterattack. The forces are too unequal. Seeing that it was all over, he, a descendant of the ancient Greeks, rushed into the thick of the battle with a sword in his hands and died a hero. The great city fell. Byzantium died, but died undefeated. "I'm dying, but I'm not giving up!" - the motto of its heroic defenders.

The fall of Constantinople made a deafening impression throughout the world at that time. The Europeans seemed to believe in a miracle and expected that the city would stand again, as had happened more than once in the past.

For three days the conquerors kill, rob, rape, and drive the inhabitants into slavery. Books and works of art perish in the fire. Few could escape on ships. The exodus to Europe from the still free Byzantine lands began.

Of Constantine's closest relatives, two brothers survived - Demetrius and Thomas, who each ruled their own part of the Despotate of Morea on the Peloponnese Peninsula. The Turks systematically annexed the remaining lands of Byzantium to the sultanate. Morea's turn came in 1460. Dimitri remained in the service of the Sultan. Thomas went to Rome with his family. After his death, his two sons, Andrei and Manuel, and his daughter Sophia were in the care of the Pope.

Sophia, with her charm, beauty and intelligence, earned universal love and respect in Rome. But as the years passed, it was time for her to get married. Pope Paul II proposes high-ranking suitors, but she rejects all of them (even the King of France and the Duke of Milan) under the pretext that they are not of her faith. The final decision to marry Sophia to Prince Ivan of Moscow III Vasilievich, widowed several years ago, the pope accepted under the influence of Cardinal Vissarion. Vissarion of Nicea, one of the most enlightened people of his era, in the past Orthodox metropolitan- a close friend and like-minded person of Isidore of Moscow in his desire to unite the churches. They actively spoke together at the Council of Florence, and, naturally, Vissarion heard and knew a lot about Russia.

The Grand Duke of Moscow was at that time the only Orthodox monarch independent of the Turks. Experienced politicians in Rome saw that a growing Russia had a future. Roman diplomacy was constantly looking for ways to counter Ottoman expansion to the West, realizing that after Byzantium it might be Italy’s turn. Therefore, in the future one could count on Russian military assistance against the Turks. And here is such an opportunity: by marriage to involve Ivan Vasilyevich in the sphere of Roman politics and make an attempt to subordinate a huge and rich country to Catholic influence.

So, the choice is made. The initiative came from Pope Paul II. In Moscow, all the subtle intricacies in the papal palace were not suspected when the embassy from Italy arrived with a proposal for a dynastic marriage. Ivan, as was his custom, consulted with the boyars, the metropolitan, and his mother. Everyone unanimously told him the same thing, and he agreed. An exchange of embassies followed. Then there was the bride’s triumphant journey from Rome to Moscow, Sophia’s ceremonial entry into the Kremlin, the young couple’s first date, the bride’s acquaintance with the groom’s mother and, finally, the wedding.

Now let's look in historical retrospect at some important events in the life of two countries - Byzantium and Russia - related to the double-headed eagle.

In 987 Grand Duke Vladimir I of Kiev concluded an agreement with the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II, according to which he helped the emperor suppress the rebellion in Asia Minor, and in return he had to give Vladimir his sister Anna as his wife and send priests to baptize the pagan population. In 988, Orthodoxy according to Byzantine rites was officially introduced in Rus'. This step determined future fate and Russian culture. But the princess did not come. And then in 989 the Grand Duke captured the Byzantine colony of Chersonesos in Tauris. In the subsequent negotiations, they came to an agreement: Vladimir would return the city to the Greeks as soon as Anna came to her groom. That's how it all happened. This dynastic marriage was an exceptional event at the time: Anna is the sister of Vasily II and the daughter of the previous emperor Roman II. Until this moment, not a single porphyry-born princess or Byzantine princess had married a foreigner.

The children of emperors, born in a special room in the female half of the imperial palace in Constantinople - Porphyra, were considered porphyritic. Even random people could become emperors in Byzantium, which, by the way, often happened. But only the children of ruling emperors could be porphyritic. Generally in early middle ages the authority and prestige of the Byzantine court in the eyes of Europeans was enormous. The royal houses of Europe considered it the highest honor to have at least some sign of attention from the emperor, not to mention family ties. Therefore, Vladimir’s marriage to Anna had a great resonance in that world and increased the international weight of the new Christian power at the very beginning of its Christian path.

And now, five centuries later, the last princess of the already lost Byzantium also marries the Russian Grand Duke. As a legacy, she brings to our country an ancient coat of arms Byzantine Empire- double-headed eagle. The fallen once great empire seemed to be passing the baton to an also Orthodox country with an emerging Great Russian nation.

A few words about the very first consequences for Russia of Sophia’s arrival with the coat of arms of her ancestors. Highly educated for those times, she herself and her Greek entourage clearly had a positive influence on the cultural level at the court of the Grand Duke, on the formation of a foreign department, and on increasing the prestige of the Grand Duke's power. The new wife supported Ivan III in his desire to improve relations at court, abolish appanages and establish the order of succession to the throne from father to eldest son. Sophia, with her aura of imperial grandeur of Byzantium, was an ideal wife for the Russian Tsar.

It was a great reign. The figure of Ivan III Vasilyevich, who basically completed the unification of Russian lands into single state, was for its time comparable in scale of deeds only to Peter I. One of the most glorious deeds of Ivan III was Russia’s bloodless victory over the Tatars in 1480 after the famous “standing on the Ugra River.” Complete legal liberation from the remnants of Horde dependence was marked by the appearance of a Byzantine, and now Russian, double-headed eagle on the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower.

Double-headed eagles in coats of arms are not that uncommon. Since the 13th century, they appear in the coats of arms of the counts of Savoy and Würzburg, on Bavarian coins, and they are known in the heraldry of the knights of Holland and the Balkan countries. At the beginning of the 15th century, Emperor Sigismund I made the double-headed eagle the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, and after its collapse in 1806, the double-headed eagle became the coat of arms of Austria (until 1919). Both Serbia and Albania have it in their coats of arms. It is also in the coats of arms of the descendants of the Greek emperors.

How did he appear in Byzantium? It is known that in 326, the emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine the Great, made the double-headed eagle his symbol. In 330, he moved the capital of the empire to Constantinople, and from that time on, the double-headed eagle was the state emblem. The empire splits into western and eastern, and the double-headed eagle becomes the coat of arms of Byzantium.

There is still much that is unclear about the appearance of the double-headed eagle as a symbol. It is known, for example, that he was depicted in the Hittite state, a rival of Egypt, which existed in Asia Minor in the second millennium BC. In the 6th century BC. e., as archaeologists testify, the double-headed eagle can be traced in Media, east of the former Hittite kingdom.

In 1497, it first appears as the state emblem on the double-sided wax state seal of Russia: on its obverse side is the coat of arms of the Moscow principality - a horseman slaying a dragon (in 1730 it officially received the name of St. George), and on the reverse side - a double-headed eagle. Over almost five hundred years of life in Russia, the image of the eagle on the Russian coat of arms has changed several times. On seals the double-headed eagle existed until 1918. The eagles were removed from the Kremlin towers in 1935. And so on November 30, 1993, by Presidential Decree Russian Federation B. N. Yeltsin, the double-headed sovereign eagle of Russia was again returned to the Russian coat of arms. And at the end of the 20th century, the Duma legalized all the attributes of the symbols of our country.

The Byzantine Empire was a Eurasian power. Greeks, Armenians, Turks, Slavs and other peoples lived in it. The eagle in her coat of arms with heads looking to the West and East also symbolized the unity of these two principles. This could not be more suitable for Russia, which has always been a multinational country, uniting under one coat of arms the peoples of both Europe and Asia. The sovereign eagle of Russia is not only a symbol of its statehood, but also a symbol of a thousand years of history, of our ancient roots. He is a symbol of the historical continuity of cultural traditions - from the lost great empire, which managed to preserve Hellenic and Roman cultures for the whole world to the young and growing Russia. The double-headed eagle is a symbol of the unification and unity of Russian lands.

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On April 11, 1857, Alexander II approved the state emblem of Russia. It is considered one of the most complex coats of arms in the entire history of states in the world.

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Let us remember the history of the appearance of the double-headed eagle, how it changed and in what form it has reached the present day.

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West and East

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The state emblem of Russia is an ancient symbol of our statehood. The eagle is present on the coats of arms of many states, but the two-headed one is preserved in only a few: Russian, Serbian and Albanian. For the first time such a symbol appeared in the 13th century BC and later appeared on many emblems.

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The question of where the image of the double-headed eagle came from in Rus' is still controversial to this day.. Even in “History of the Russian State,” Nikolai Karamzin drew attention to this fact. He suggested that such a coat of arms first appeared in Russia in the 15th century, when Tsar Ivan III married the niece of the Byzantine emperor. Wanting to emphasize the kinship with the rulers of a strong state, the king ordered a double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of Byzantium, to be depicted on the back of the princely seal.

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There are other versions of the origin of the coat of arms: according to one, Ivan III simply wanted to get closer to the countries of Western Europe, where, at that time, a similar symbol was actively used. On the other hand, to establish relations with close South Slavic states, such as Serbia or Montenegro.

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One way or another, since the 15th century this symbol has been firmly entrenched in Russian emblems.

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During times During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the image of St. George the Victorious began to be placed on the eagle’s chest.

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In the 17th century, a scepter and an orb appeared in the bird’s paws. They symbolized the unity and integrity of the empire and the protection of sovereignty.

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Later three crowns appeared: two on the heads of the eagle, the third large one is on top in the middle. They meant the Holy Trinity, although later they were also interpreted as a symbol of the unity of Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians.

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Peter I made a great contribution to Russian heraldry, which gave the Russian state the title of empire. He ordered to add to the coat of arms chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Then the eagle turned from gold to black, and the background on which it was located turned yellow.

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The right wing was decorated with shields with the coats of arms of Kyiv, Novgorod and Astrakhan, and the left wing - with shields of Vladimir, Kazan and the Siberian kingdom.

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After Peter I adopted the title of emperor, the royal crowns were replaced on the coat of arms with imperial ones.

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The double-headed eagle has become a symbol of the inseparability of European and Asian Russia, united under one imperial crown: one crowned head looks to the West, the other to the East.

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Return of the Eagle

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Alexander II brought the image of the coat of arms in accordance with the rules of international heraldry. After all, neither under Peter nor under the following Russian emperors never a single official document was created approving the image of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. Therefore, kings often experimented in the field of state heraldry. For example, under Alexander I the eagle lowered its wings.

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On April 11, 1857, the Large, Middle and Small coats of arms, compiled by the artist Boris Vasilyevich Kene, were approved. The large state emblem has become one of the most complex coats of arms in the entire history of states in the world. Its description alone takes up several pages of text. During creation, the author made several inaccuracies. For example, the Moscow horseman who strikes a snake with a spear was turned to the right, although before that he had always been turned to the left.

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In this form, the coat of arms of Russia remained unchanged until October revolution 1917.

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A new coat of arms appeared in the USSR, which looked completely different. He represented an image of a sickle and a hammer against the backdrop of the globe in the rays of the sun and framed by ears of corn. On them was the inscription “Workers of all countries, unite,” written in all the languages ​​of the union republics. Later, a five-pointed star was located at the top of the coat of arms. The Soviet coat of arms took its final form in 1978.

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Only in 1993 did the double-headed eagle return to the coat of arms Russian state.

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It again became a symbol of the eternity of Russian statehood, its continuity with the great empires of antiquity.

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Anna Nenasheva

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The Russian state emblem is, along with the flag and anthem, one of the main official symbols of our country. Its main element is a double-headed eagle spreading its wings. Officially, the state emblem was approved by decree of the first President of the Russian Federation on November 30, 1993. However, the double-headed eagle is a much more ancient symbol, the history of which is lost in the dark depths of past centuries.

The image of this heraldic bird first appeared in Rus' at the end of the 15th century, during the reign of John III. Since then, transforming and changing, the double-headed eagle has invariably been present in the state symbols, first of the Moscow Principality, then of the Russian Empire, and, finally, modern Russia. This tradition was interrupted only in the last century - for seven decades the huge country lived under the shadow of the hammer and sickle... The wings of the double-headed eagle helped the Russian Empire take off powerfully and swiftly, however, its fall was completely tragic.

However, despite this long history, there are many mysterious and incomprehensible moments in the origin and meaning of this symbol, which historians still argue about.

What does the coat of arms of Russia mean? What metamorphoses has it undergone over the past centuries? Why and where did this strange two-headed bird come to us, and what does it symbolize? Were there any alternative options Russian coat of arms in ancient times?

The history of the Coat of Arms of Russia is indeed very rich and interesting, but before moving on to it and trying to answer the above questions, a brief description of this main Russian symbol should be given.

Coat of arms of Russia: description and main elements

The state emblem of Russia is a red (scarlet) shield, on which there is an image of a golden double-headed eagle spreading its wings. Each of the bird's heads is crowned with a small crown, above which there is a large crown. They are all connected with tape. This is a sign of the sovereignty of the Russian Federation.

In one paw the eagle holds a scepter, and in the other - an orb, which symbolizes the unity of the country and state power. In the central part of the coat of arms, on the chest of the eagle, there is a red shield with a silver (white) rider who pierces a dragon with a spear. This is the oldest heraldic symbol of the Russian lands - the so-called rider - which began to be depicted on seals and coins since the 13th century. It symbolizes the victory of the bright principle over evil, the warrior-defender of the Fatherland, who has been especially revered in Russia since ancient times.

To the above, we can also add that the author of the modern Russian state emblem is the St. Petersburg artist Evgeny Ukhnalev.

Where did the double-headed eagle come from to Russia?

The main mystery of the Russian coat of arms, without a doubt, is the origin and meaning of its main element - an eagle with two heads. In school history textbooks, everything is explained simply: the Moscow prince Ivan III, having married the Byzantine princess and heir to the throne Zoya (Sophya) Paleologus, received the coat of arms of the Eastern Roman Empire as a dowry. And “in addition” is the concept of Moscow as the “Third Rome”, which Russia is still trying (with more or less success) to promote in relations with its closest neighbors.

This hypothesis was first expressed by Nikolai Karamzin, who is rightly called the father of Russian historical science. However, this version does not suit modern researchers at all, because there are too many inconsistencies in it.

Firstly, the double-headed eagle was never the state emblem of Byzantium. He, as such, did not exist at all. The strange bird was the coat of arms of the Palaiologos, the last dynasty to rule in Constantinople. Secondly, it raises serious doubts that Sophia could have conveyed anything to the Moscow sovereign at all. She was not the heir to the throne, she was born in Morea, spent her adolescence at the papal court and was far from Constantinople all her life. In addition, Ivan III himself never made any claims to the Byzantine throne, and the first image of a double-headed eagle appeared only several decades after the wedding of Ivan and Sophia.

The double-headed eagle is a very ancient symbol. It first appears among the Sumerians. In Mesopotamia, the eagle was considered an attribute of supreme power. This bird was especially revered in the Hittite kingdom - powerful empire Bronze Age, which competed on equal terms with the state of the pharaohs. It was from the Hittites that the double-headed eagle was borrowed by the Persians, Medes, Armenians, and then the Mongols, Turks and Byzantines. The double-headed eagle has always been associated with the sun and solar beliefs. In some drawings, the ancient Greek Helios rules a chariot drawn by two double-headed eagles...

In addition to the Byzantine one, there are three more versions of the origin of the Russian double-headed eagle:

• Bulgarian;
• Western European;
• Mongolian

In the 15th century, Ottoman expansion forced many South Slavs to leave their homeland and seek refuge in foreign lands. Bulgarians and Serbs fled en masse to the Orthodox Principality of Moscow. The double-headed eagle has been common in these lands since ancient times. For example, this symbol was depicted on Bulgarian coins of the Second Kingdom. Although, it should be noted that the appearance of Eastern European eagles was very different from the Russian “bird”.

It is noteworthy that at the very beginning of the 15th century, the double-headed eagle became the state emblem of the Holy Roman Empire. It is possible that Ivan III, having adopted this symbol, wanted to equal the power of the strongest European state of his time.

There is also a Mongolian version of the origin of the double-headed eagle. In the Horde, this symbol was minted on coins since the beginning of the 13th century; among the clan attributes of the Genghisids there was a black two-headed bird, which most researchers consider to be an eagle. At the end of the 13th century, that is, long before the marriage of Ivan III and Princess Sophia, the Horde ruler Nogai married the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Euphrosyne Paleologus, and, according to some historians, officially adopted the double-headed eagle as an official symbol.

Considering the close ties between Muscovy and the Horde, the Mongol theory of the origin of the main Russian symbol seems very plausible.

By the way, we do not know what color the Russian eagle of the “early versions” was. For example, on the royal weapons of the 17th century it is white.

Summarizing all of the above, we can state that we do not know for certain why and where the double-headed eagle came to Russia. Currently, historians consider the “Bulgarian” and “European” versions of its origin to be the most likely.

The very appearance of the bird raises no less questions. Why she has two heads is absolutely unclear. The explanation about turning each head to the East and West appeared only in the middle of the 19th century and is associated with the traditional location of the cardinal points on geographical map. What if it were different? Would the eagle look north and south? It is likely that they simply took the symbol they liked, without particularly “bothering” with its meaning.

By the way, before the eagle, other animals were depicted on Moscow coins and seals. A very common symbol was the unicorn, as well as a lion tearing a snake.

The horseman on the coat of arms: why it appeared and what it means

The second central element of the Russian national coat of arms is a rider on a horse slaying a serpent. This symbol appeared in Russian heraldry long before the double-headed eagle. Today it is strongly associated with the saint and great martyr George the Victorious, but initially it had a different meaning. And he was most often confused with George by foreigners coming to Muscovy.

For the first time, the image of an equestrian warrior - a “rider” - appears on Russian coins at the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries. By the way, this cavalryman was not always armed with a spear. Options with a sword and a bow have reached us.

On the coins of Prince Ivan II the Red, a warrior strikes a snake with a sword for the first time. True, he was on foot. After this, the motive for the destruction of various reptiles becomes one of the most popular in Rus'. During feudal fragmentation it was used by various princes, and after the formation of the Moscow state, it turned into one of its main symbols. The meaning of “rider” is quite simple and lies on the surface - it is the victory of good over evil.

For a long time, the horseman symbolized not the heavenly warrior, but exclusively the prince and his supreme power. There was no talk of any Saint George. So, for example, on the coins of Prince Vasily Vasilyevich (this is the 15th century) there was an inscription next to the rider that clarified that this was really a prince.

The final change in this paradigm occurred much later, already during the reign of Peter the Great. Although, they began to associate the horseman with St. George the Victorious already during the time of Ivan the Terrible.

Russian sovereign eagle: flight through centuries

As mentioned above, the double-headed eagle became the official Russian symbol under Ivan III. The first evidence of its use that has survived to this day was the royal seal that sealed the exchange document in 1497. Around the same time, an eagle appeared on the walls of the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin.

The double-headed eagle of that time was very different from its later “modifications”. His paws were open, or, translating from the language of heraldry, there was nothing in them - the scepter and orb appeared later.

It is believed that the placement of the rider on the chest of the eagle is associated with the existence of two royal seals - the Greater and the Lesser. The latter had a double-headed eagle on one side and a rider on the other. The great royal seal had only one side, and in order to place both state seals on it, they simply decided to combine them. For the first time such a composition is found on the seals of Ivan the Terrible. At the same time, a crown with a cross appears above the eagle’s head.

During the reign of Fyodor Ivanovich, the son of Ivan IV, the so-called Calvary cross appears between the heads of the eagle - a symbol of the martyrdom of Jesus Christ.

Even False Dmitry I was involved in the design of the Russian state emblem. He turned the rider in the other direction, which was more consistent with the heraldic traditions accepted in Europe. However, after his overthrow, these innovations were abandoned. By the way, all subsequent impostors gladly used the double-headed eagle, without trying to replace it with anything else.

After the end of the Time of Troubles and the accession of the Romanov dynasty, changes were made to the coat of arms. The eagle became more aggressive, attacking - it spread its wings and opened its beaks. Under the first sovereign of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, the Russian eagle first received a scepter and orb, although their image had not yet become mandatory.

During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the eagle for the first time receives three crowns, which symbolize the three new recently conquered kingdoms - Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberian, and the scepter and orb become mandatory. In 1667, the first official description of the state coat of arms appeared (“Decree on the Coat of Arms”).

During the reign of Peter I, the eagle becomes black, and its paws, eyes, tongue and beak become gold. The shape of the crowns also changes, they acquire a characteristic “imperial” look. The dragon became black, and St. George the Victorious - silver. This color scheme will remain unchanged until the 1917 revolution.

Russian Emperor Paul I was also the Supreme Master of the Order of Malta. He tried to immortalize this fact in the state emblem. A Maltese cross and crown were placed on the eagle’s chest under a shield with a rider. However, after the death of the emperor, all these innovations were canceled by his successor Alexander I.

Loving order, Nicholas I began standardizing state symbols. Under him, two state emblems were officially approved: standard and simplified. Previously, inappropriate liberties were often taken in the images of the main sovereign symbol. The bird could hold in its paws not only a scepter and an orb, but also various wreaths, torches, and lightning. Her wings were also depicted in different ways.

In the mid-19th century, Emperor Alexander II carried out a major heraldic reform, which affected not only the coat of arms, but also the imperial flag. It was led by Baron B. Kene. In 1856, a new small coat of arms was approved, and a year later the reform was completed - medium and large state emblems appeared. After her appearance The eagle has changed somewhat, it has become more like its German “brother”. But, most importantly, now St. George the Victorious began to look in a different direction, which was more in line with European heraldic canons. Eight shields with the coats of arms of the lands and principalities that were part of the empire were placed on the eagle’s wings.

Whirlwinds of revolution and modern times

The February Revolution overturned all the foundations of the Russian state. Society needed new symbols that were not associated with the hated autocracy. In September 1917, a special commission was created, which included the most eminent experts in heraldry. Considering that the issue of a new coat of arms was primarily political, they proposed temporarily, until the convocation Constituent Assembly, use the double-headed eagle of the period of Ivan III, removing any royal symbols.

The drawing proposed by the commission was approved by the Provisional Government. The new coat of arms was in circulation throughout almost the entire territory former empire until the adoption of the Constitution of the RSFSR in 1918. From that moment until 1991, completely different symbols fluttered over 1/6 of the land...

In 1993, by presidential decree, the double-headed eagle again became the main state symbol of Russia. In 2000, parliament adopted a corresponding law regarding the coat of arms, in which its appearance was clarified.

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 eagle’s heads, now symbolizing the sovereignty of both the entire Russian Federation and its parts, the 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 Vasilyevich on the exchange document 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) - the most important stage 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 of the 16th - beginning of the 17th 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, the Orthodox cross was often depicted on Russian banners. The banners of foreign regiments that were part of the Russian army had their own emblems and inscriptions; however, an Orthodox cross was also placed on them, which indicated that the regiment fighting under this banner served the Orthodox sovereign. Before mid-17th century centuries, a seal was widely used, on 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 serpent 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.
During the short reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801), Russia pursued an 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 the Maltese cross and crown in the state emblem. On the eagle’s chest, under the Maltese crown, 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 the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire. On December 16, 1800, he signed the Manifesto, which described this complex project. Forty-three coats of arms were placed in the multi-field shield and on nine small shields. In the center was the 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, the drawings of the Big, Middle and Small were approved state seals, arks (cases) for seals, as well as seals of main and lower official places and persons. 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 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, and heraldist V. K. Lukomsky. It was decided to use images of a double-headed eagle on the seal of the Provisional Government. The execution of the design of this seal was entrusted to I. Ya. Bilibin, who took as a basis the image of the double-headed eagle, deprived of almost all symbols of power, on the seal of Ivan III. This image continued to be used after the October Revolution, until the adoption of the new Soviet coat of arms on July 24, 1918.

State emblem of the RSFSR, 1918-1993.
In the summer of 1918, the Soviet government finally decided to break with the historical symbols of Russia, and the new Constitution adopted on July 10, 1918 proclaimed 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 an ascending the sun as a sign of change. Since 1920, the abbreviated name of the state - the RSFSR - was placed at the top of the shield. The shield was bordered wheat ears, 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.

In 1992, the last change to the coat of arms came into force: the abbreviation above the hammer and sickle was replaced by the inscription “Russian Federation”. But this decision was 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 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 the continuity and continuity of Russian history. Today's coat of arms of Russia is a new coat of arms, but its components are deeply traditional; it reflects different stages of Russian history and continues them on the eve of the third millennium.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources