Each city has its own emblem and flag. Together with the anthem, they make up the three main symbols of the urban community. Of course, there is a hero city of Sevastopol. When was the first coat of arms of Sevastopol approved? What kind does he have now? And what does the city flag look like? Look for answers to all these questions in our article.
Sevastopol: a brief about the city
Sevastopol is a city on the Black Sea coast, in the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula. A major European port, an important cultural and recreational center. It bears the proud title of a hero city.
Deep in the city is the Sevastopol Bay, on the south side of which the historical center is located. This bay, by the way, is one of the most convenient for calling ships in the world. The total length of the coastline of Sevastopol is 150 kilometers. Three of the five most full-flowing rivers of Crimea flow through the city. These are Belbek, Kacha and Black.
About 390 thousand people live in the city, the vast majority are Russians (81%).
Sevastopol is a tourist and resort city. There are dozens of boarding houses and children's camps, about 80 hotels and more than two hundred guest houses. Vacationers can choose one of the many beaches, the total length of which within the city limits is almost 50 kilometers. Yacht tourism is also developing in Sevastopol.
Among the sights of the city, the most popular include Sapun Mountain, the panorama "Defense of Sevastopol", the city zoo, the Monument to the sunken ships and others. In the vicinity of modern Sevastopol, the ruins of ancient Chersonesos have been preserved. The complex of monuments of this object is now under the protection of UNESCO.
Symbols of the city: flag, coat of arms and anthem
The flag, coat of arms, as well as the anthem of the city - this is primarily his calling card. However, they also laid the historical heritage of the city, the heroic pages of its biography.
The coat of arms is a key symbol of any settlement. This is a special symbolic image, which is created on the basis of certain rules and can serve as a distinctive sign not only for a city, but also for a region, a specific kind or institution. Any emblem, as a rule, reflects the history of the village, its natural-geographical or economic features. There is even a special science that studies image data - heraldry.
Of course, the city of Sevastopol has its own emblem and flag. Moreover, they also have their own history and symbolic meaning.
So, the flag and coat of arms of Sevastopol - what are they? Read about it in the following sections of the article.
Coat of arms of Sevastopol: the history of the creation of the first option
As early as 1892, discussions began on the need to create a coat of arms for the city. Soon, the Department of Heroldia developed a draft, which the Duma approved without hesitation. This event happened in 1893. What did the first coat of arms of the city look like?
Sevastopol is an ancient port city. These two of his features were perfectly reflected in his first coat of arms (photo below).
The shield was taken in red, which depicted a beautiful silver griffin. Moreover, his tongue and eyes were brightly accented. It is important to note that the griffin originally served as a symbol of the ancient Chersonesos. The inhabitants of the ancient polis considered him their talisman and protector.
The first coat of arms of Sevastopol also included a coat of arms of the Tauride province, to which the city belonged administratively. It was located in the free part of the project sheet. And right above the griffin, they placed the golden royal crown crowned by the traditional eagle of the empire. On the coat of arms you can also see images of anchors (a hint of the peculiarities of the geographical location of the city) and red banners interconnected by St. George ribbons.
This coat of arms of Sevastopol (version of 1893) at one time took a worthy place among the best works in the coaching of the Russian Empire. He was impeccable both from an artistic and from a heraldic point of view. In this form, it existed until 1968, after which it was significantly changed.
By the way, the first coat of arms of Sevastopol today can be seen on the bridge that connects the city embankment with Primorsky Boulevard.
But what happened to the fate of this symbol further?
Coat of arms of Sevastopol: photo and description of the modern version
As mentioned above, during the Soviet era, the main symbol of the city was significantly altered. What does the modern coat of arms of Sevastopol look like?
Its description is as follows: on a French-type shield are two iconic objects for the city - the Golden Star and the Monument to the Scuttled Ships. Both of them embody the spirit of the heroic defense of the city from the invaders. The shield itself is diagonally divided into two halves - white and blue. The choice of colors is not accidental: the first symbolizes the white-stone city of Sevastopol, and the second - the surrounding Black Sea. Both parts are connected by a golden laurel branch - as a symbol of a continuous historical connection between the past, present and future.
The authors of this project were artists N. Krylov and S. Shakhunov. The coat of arms was approved in 1969 and is the official symbol of the city to this day. Another (unofficial) version of the coat of arms is widespread, which is additionally decorated with a St. George ribbon.
Flag of Sevastopol: description and history
The flag of Sevastopol is another official city symbol. Its modern appearance was approved relatively recently - in April 2000 - by a decision of the City Council.
What does a flag look like?
It is represented by a standard rectangular cloth (2: 3) in burgundy color, in the central part of which the official coat of arms of Sevastopol is placed (described in the previous section). In width, it takes 2/5 of the total width of the flag.
New project of the city flag and coat of arms
In February 2015, one of the deputies of the city Council (A. Kovshar) submitted a bill to amend the main symbols of Sevastopol - the flag and coat of arms. In particular, it was proposed to return to the original version of the coat of arms of 1893, but with some changes. On its basis, it was planned to create a new flag.
It is curious that the sketches even passed the relevant examination in the Heraldic Council and were recommended for approval as official symbols for Sevastopol. However, in October of that year, the bill was withdrawn by its immediate initiator.
Finally...
The flag and coat of arms of any city are not just its business cards. This is something more. After all, urban symbols reflect the spiritual heritage of all previous generations, do not allow the city to lose touch with its past.
The first coat of arms of Sevastopol (a photo with its image is presented in this article) was adopted back in 1893. Today, another is used, and discussions about the feasibility of returning to the historical option continue.