The Republic of Karelia is part of the Russian Federation and is located in the northwestern part of the country. What is depicted on the flag and coat of arms of Karelia? What is the meaning of these heraldic symbols?
Republic flag
The anthem, flag, coat of arms of Karelia are official symbols of the Republic. The flag and coat of arms were approved in 1993, although they were formed long before that. The flag of the Republic consists of three wide horizontal stripes. The first bar is red, then blue, and then green.
Red color means courage, the power of Karelians, as well as the main color, which is used in folk embroidery. Green and blue symbolize Karelian nature. Blue is water in the lakes and at the same time a sign of purity and greatness. Green means faith and hope, and is also a symbol of the dense forests of the republic.
The modern flag of Karelia is a compromise between the flag of the Karelian-Finnish SSR of 1940 and 1953. An early version of the flag was completely red, with a hammer and sickle in the upper corner. The late version consisted of three actual colors, only the upper red strip was twice as much as blue and green.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, discussions were held on choosing the flag of Karelia. One option was the flag of 1920, with a red and black cross on a green background, which was a symbol of the republic during the Finnish occupation.
The choice focused on the modern version of the flag, which does not give advantages to any ethnic group of Karelia, but retains a connection with the history of the region.
Coat of arms of Karelia: history
The first Karelian coat of arms appeared in 1562. He depicted the long-term struggle between Russia and Sweden for the possession of the territories of Karelia. On his semicircular shield, a crown was depicted, under which two hands point a sword and saber at each other.
The new coat of arms of Karelia was approved in 1920 as a symbol of the Ukhta independent republic. A red-green shield depicted a bear with a Karelian cleaver in its paws. There were broken chains at the feet of the bear. The coat of arms of Karelia did not last long (until 1922).
Until 1937 the emblem and flag of the republic were absent, and after that the period of Soviet heraldry began. In these years, the coat of arms of Karelia appears with a hammer and sickle in the center of the composition. There is a red star above the shield, and ears of corn are located on its sides.
From 1937 to 1991, the appearance of the coat of arms was periodically modified. A star in its head either appeared or disappeared. The inscriptions on the emblem changed. In 1940, the changes were the most radical. The composition was performed in brown rather than red colors. Under the sickle and hammer, the Karelian landscape was depicted on the shield. Bundles of ears on the sides were braided by a ribbon with national red and white embroidery.
The modern coat of arms of the Republic of Karelia was approved in 1993. Its author is Yuri Nivin.
Description and Symbols
The coat of arms is rounded to the bottom and bordered by a gold stripe. The composition of the shield consists of three horizontal stripes, the colors of which overlap with the colors of the flag. In the middle is a black bear standing on its hind legs. The bear is turned sideways, its red tongue is stuck out of the mouth.
The bear has long been a symbol of Finns and Karelians and one of the main folk characters of these peoples. A similar figure of the “forest beast” was on the coat of arms of the Ukhta Republic in 1920.
Above the coat of arms is an eight-pointed star of gold color. She has a lot of meanings. The main ones are an indication of the path and eternity, abundance and hope. The eight-pointed star is a talisman, therefore it is often found in the motifs of embroidery of the northern peoples.
On both sides, the shield is supported by stylized images of pine and spruce branches - symbols of the Karelian forests, as well as grandeur and wealth, as they are made in gold color.