As in all powers, autonomous and territorial-administrative units, the emblem and flag of Tatarstan are state symbols. They were developed and approved by the Supreme Council of the Republic on February 7, 1992. A detailed description of the flag and coat of arms is contained in Decree of the Government of Tatarstan No. 1415-XII. These signs of statehood are also entered under number 377 in the Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation. The Law of the Republic of Tatarstan “On State Symbols” strictly regulates the rules and the procedure for their use. What is depicted on the emblem of Tatarstan and what does this image symbolize? Has it changed over the long history of this land? Let's find out the details.
What is the emblem of Tatarstan
It is round, the so-called "Byzantine" shape. The emblem shows the main colors of the flag of Tatarstan: red at the bottom, and green at the top, separated by a thin white stripe. The idea of heraldic depiction belongs to Nazim Gabdrakhmanovich Khanzafarov, Doctor of Philology, and was embodied by a well-known master in Tatarstan, a member of the Union of Artists Fakhrutdinov Rif Zagreevich. In the center of the two-tone circle, a winged white leopard flaunts against the backdrop of a red rising sun. The image is framed by the Tatar national ornament, on the bottom of which is written "Tatarstan". The winged beast raised its right front paw, on its side there is a shield in the form of a round aster with eight petals.
What does the coat of arms of Tatarstan mean?
In heraldry, each image, gesture, color has a certain meaning, symbolizes something. Hanzafarov N.G., the developer of the idea of the coat of arms of Tatarstan, studied in detail local mythology. According to her, the rising sun of red means the nascent life, success, growth, happiness. And the luminary itself in antiquity was a pagan deity of many eastern peoples. Of particular note is the beast on the emblem of Tatarstan - the winged leopard. Having analyzed the myths of the Volga Bulgars, Khanzafarov discovered that this animal symbolized the deity of fertility, was the totem patron of the region.
Heraldic gestures
The pose of the leopard, the movement of its paw and tail - all this matters in heraldry. Wings with seven feathers in each of them symbolize the fact that the power of a mythical beast spreads both on earth and in heaven. A curved tail means friendliness, peaceful thoughts, but at the same time sharp teeth and claws indicate that the leopard is able to stand up for itself and protect those whom it protects. A traditional heraldic gesture is a raised front right paw - it is found in many coats of arms, where animals appear. This means a good start to the movement, the rightness of the supreme power, success on the path of renewal. A round shield, as you might guess, means the protection of the inhabitants of Tatarstan, but the aster is longevity, an eternal source of life.
Symbolic colors
The coloring of the coat of arms, which duplicates the national flag, is no less important than the image. Green color symbolizes spring, which means the endless revival of the country. This is indicated by the tulip, as well as the floral ornament, which is edged with the coat of arms of Tatarstan. Red color means vitality, determination and strength of the inhabitants of the region. Immaculate whiteness is present in the color of the winged mythical animal, as well as in the outlet on the shield. In heraldry, it is a symbol of purity of thoughts. The coat of arms encompasses three golden belts expressing the idea of infinity, perfection and unity. This color in heraldry is a symbol of wealth, prosperity and beauty. He executed and the inscription with the name of the republic.
What was he like before
What was the emblem of Tatarstan and other national symbols of the region before the collapse of the Soviet Union? After all, this land has an ancient history dating back to the Khan era. Unfortunately, we do not know. Scientists can trace the change in heraldic symbolism only from the time of the Kazan kingdom, when in 1552 it passed into the hands of Ivan the Terrible. The ancient emblem of this kingdom depicted a black dragon lying on a yellow background. The basilisk had four legs, a pair of wings, a tongue and a tail in the form of an arrow, and his head was turned back, as if a beast was looking around. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who inherited, among others, the title of Tsar of Kazan, in 1666 ordered a banner with a coat of arms. He describes his symbolism as follows: "In the crown is a basilisk, gold is its wings, its tail is also gold." A similar image we see in the royal titular from 1672. The Tsarist Serpent is the protector of the weak among all Turkic peoples. Therefore, this basilisk (in mythology, its name Zilant) was decorated with the coat of arms of Tatarstan until the abolition of the Kazan province and the formation of the Soviet Union. But scientists also find other images that can be called symbols of the Kazan kingdom: a black owl on a gold background.
Symbols of the TASSR
Since 1920, workers and peasants began to redraw the heraldic symbols of the lands of the former Russian Empire. The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established as part of the RSFSR . A new coat of arms was required for this territorial-administrative unit. It was supposed to reflect the happiness with which the local proletariat radiated from the new government. The developers of the heraldic signs did not like the one depicted on the emblem of Tatarstan: some kind of Serpent-Gorynych, and even in the imperial crown - the symbol of tsarism. It was decided to redo it. At one of the coat of arms projects, a bow was drawn against the background of the rising sun framed by ears of corn. A peasant with a scythe and a worker with a pickaxe, pictured below, were supposed to illustrate the level of scientific and technological progress. But this innocent symbol did not like the new government. A project was established that actually repeats the emblem of the RSFSR, with the only difference being the inscription "Tatarstan ASSR." By the way, until 1937 this text was written by “Latin”. When in 1981 the country entered the phase of “developed socialism”, the coats of arms of all the territories of the USSR were supplemented in the upper part with a red five-pointed star.