Coats of arms of cities reflect the key geographical, natural, economic, historical features of specific settlements. And this is their main essence and value. In this article we will tell you in detail about the meaning of the official symbols of Khimki: coat of arms and flag.
Khimki: general information about the city
Khimki is the third most populated city in the suburbs and one of the largest satellite cities in Moscow. It is located on the banks of the canal. Moscow and directly adjacent to the northwestern part of the Russian capital (the border runs along the Moscow Ring Road).
In the first half of the XIX century, the territory in the area of modern Khimki became a popular place for a summer vacation. In 1851, the Khimskaya railway station was opened here, around which a small station settlement was formed. This event was the starting point in the history of the future city. The village grew quite quickly and by the beginning of the twentieth century there were 47 yards. Khimki received the status of the city in the late 30s, thanks to the construction of an aircraft factory here.
Today, about 250 thousand people live in Khimki. The modern economy of the city is represented by three powerful enterprises: Energomash (production of rocket engines), Fakel (production of anti-aircraft missile systems) and NPO them. Lavochkina (development of unmanned spacecraft). Khimki is one of the most developed areas of the Moscow Region. Today, more than two dozen residential complexes are under construction here.
Coat of arms of Khimki
Like any other city in Russia, Khimki has its own official symbols: coat of arms, flag and anthem. The words for the city anthem were written by the honored artist of the Russian Federation Andrei Morgunov. The idea of the flag and coat of arms of Khimki belongs to the local artist Alexander Mustafin. These two characters will be described in more detail below.
The city coat of arms is based on the French shield - one of the most common forms used in heraldry. This is a black rectangle with a sharp point in the center of its lower part. The main figure on the coat of arms of Khimki is a gold galloping centaur. He holds a bow in his right hand, and an arrow in his left. Around the figure of the centaur are seven golden four-pointed stars.
The coat of arms of Khimki dates back to the mid-90s of the last century. It was approved in January 1998 as a result of a previous competition. At the final stage, three different versions of the coat of arms were considered: “Centaur”, “Swifts” and “Oak”. The last two were discarded as not meeting the basic heraldic requirements. Ultimately, they chose the coat of arms depicting a centaur of authorship by Alexander Mustafin. Only one remark was put forward for this project: to remove the image of the Khimki railway bridge from the shield.
Khimki flag
Another official symbol of Khimki is the flag. It is a rectangular cloth of standard sizes, divided by an oblique line into two fields: black (right) and yellow (left). The black part of the canvas depicts figures from the city coat of arms - a galloping centaur and gold stars. The yellow field is free of any heraldic figures and elements.
The appearance of the Khimki flag was developed by a team of two authors: A. S. Mustafin and K. F. Mochenov. The flag of the city was officially approved on September 2, 2004.
The meaning of urban characters
Both on the flag and on the coat of arms of the city of Khimki we see the figure of a winged centaur. This is a mythical creature with the head and torso of a person and the body of a horse. A similar image is found in various cultures and religions. It can be seen in the interiors of Buddhist temples, and on the frescoes of ancient Pompeii, and on the walls of ancient temples of Kievan Rus. The oldest image of a centaur came to us from Mesopotamia.
These winged mythical creatures are present on many city and tribal emblems. According to the author of the Khimki symbolism Alexander Mustafin, “a centaur is a combination of incongruous, oxymoron.” That is why he is able to combine different religions and cultures, as well as a variety of people into one whole.
On the emblem and flag of Khimki, the centaur, first of all, symbolizes space exploration, which is the identity of this city. Golden stars surrounding the central figure are associated with the enterprises of the aerospace complex that work in Khimki. The yellow-black color scheme represents cosmic radiance. In addition, the yellow (gold) color in heraldry means valor, wealth and generosity.