Yakutsk, a city located on the left bank of the Lena, is the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Russia. Since 1632, the history of the settlement begins. The modern coat of arms of Yakutsk in 2013 was included in the State Heraldic Register.
What does the modern symbol of the city look like and what is its history? Read the article below.
How did the history of the symbolism of Yakutsk begin?
The coat of arms of Yakutsk originates in 1632. It was at this time that the prison of the same name was formed. In the documents of 1635 you can find a description of the seal of the prison. Babr (or the Amur tiger) carries sable in its mouth, mountains and grass are located around them - this is what the first symbol of the city looks like.
According to the documents of 1682, it is clear that the seal has changed. Now it depicts the Lena River and the mighty eagle that caught the sable.
Symbols of the Yakut regiment
Since 1711, the Tobolsk regiment was formed in the city. Already in 1720 he was part of the Siberian garrison. Since 1727, the regiment has been called the Yakut Garrison Regiment. A year later, the Supreme Council issues a decree on the need to appoint new symbols of the city. The garrison needs regimental banners decorated with city and state symbols that would be officially recognized. This was to maintain the fighting spirit of the soldiers.
Soon, General B.K. Minikh and the artist A. Baranov compose the “Signed Stamp”. In the spring of 1730, the new coat of arms of Yakutsk was approved. It looked like this: against a red background stood a white throne, on which lay the golden gospel. This image did not take root, and when in 1790 work began on the compilation of the first coat of arms of the city (and not the symbol of the regiment), it was temporarily decided to return to the symbolism of the press.
By the way, the coats of arms of 1730 were required to be placed not only on regimental banners, but also on the seals of the governor and governors.
The first official emblem of the city of Yakutsk
In 1790 (when increased interest in heraldry began in the Russian Empire), Empress Catherine II approved the first official emblem of the city. We remind you that before this Yakutsk did not have an official symbol, but had only a seal and the coat of arms of the regiment.
Together with other settlements of the Irkutsk governorate, Yakutsk received its shield. It looked like this: an eagle flew in a silver field, holding a sable in its claws.
In 1875, the Kene heraldic reform was carried out, and the coat of arms slightly changed its appearance. The shield remained silver, and the eagle changed color to black. In his paws, he still holds a scarlet sable. The shield was crowned with a magnificent crown with three prongs. The coat of arms of Yakutsk (like almost all the coats of arms of that time) is surrounded by oak leaves and the Alexander ribbon. This option has not been officially approved as a symbol of the city. But he became the official emblem of the Yakutsk region.
The symbol of the city in the Soviet years
In September 1967, the Soviet government decided to change the coat of arms of Yakutsk, a photo of which is presented in the article. Now the shield is divided into four fields and has an additional field right in the middle. This fifth shield has a silver background. It houses the tower of the Yakutsk prison (as its main symbol) and the date of foundation of the settlement (1632). The first and fourth quarters have red fields, which depict a squirrel and a silver theodolite. In the second and third quarters of blue, a crystal and a snowflake are located.
The author of the sketch of the new coat of arms was the architect D. I. Savvinov.
At a meeting of city deputies in 1995, this emblem was re-approved as the official symbol of Yakutsk. At the same meeting, its significance was again established. The quadrangular shield pointed from below (the so-called French) is taken as a basis, since it is canonical. The squirrel is a symbol of the rich fauna of Yakutia and its uniqueness. Diamond is a symbol of the underground wealth of the area, a snowflake on the coat of arms of Yakutsk speaks of the harsh climate of the city, and theodolite - of the transformation of the republic. This emblem did not go into the official state register of the Russian Federation, as it has numerous heraldic violations.
Attempts to create a new coat of arms
In 2006, a competition was announced for the best sketch for the new coat of arms of the city. The competition did not give results, so it was held again in 2009. The team of I. Androsov was recognized as the best. A shield lined with city landscapes was proposed. He was crowned by a national jug called the choron. In the center of the field was an eagle, above it - crystals. They were recognized to say about the main wealth of the land - the extraction of diamonds. This option has not received official recognition.
In 2010, R. Akhmadulin is trying to recreate the old symbol of Yakutsk. In the first sketch, he crowned the coat of arms with a tower crown and a wreath of laurel. On the second proposed sketch, the shield was crowned with a diamond ornament. They are stylized under the national creativity of the republic. This project also has not received official recognition.
What does the new city emblem look like?
In the summer of 2012, the project of the artist M.O. Chernikov was accepted for consideration. He laid the foundation of the symbolism of the historical emblem of 1790. In September of that year, the full coat of arms of Yakutsk was approved. What does he look like?
Four representatives of the fauna adorn the modern coat of arms of the city of Yakutsk, a photo of which you can see below. Two animals adorn the emblem’s field itself, and two are its shield holders. They are not unusual: the eagle, horses and sable are frequent guests of urban symbolism. True, the friendly position of the sable with respect to the eagle is unusual - it sits in its claws (whereas usually the eagle carried a sable in its claws). The full coat of arms includes:
- A silver shield depicting an eagle and a sable.
- A tower crown with two hoops as the crown of composition.
- Shield holders: powerful Yakut horses (their tongues are scarlet) and scarlet cult pillars of Yakutia (serge).
- Foot: green grass and a source of water.
- Silver ribbon with the motto of the city "The center of the eight-edged land."
Symbols of the coat of arms of Yakutsk
The coat of arms of Yakutsk, the description of which is in the article, of course, has its own symbolism. The main figures of the shield are the eagle and sable. Eagle in heraldry denotes power and dominance. On the shield of Yakutsk, it also means generosity, because it holds the sable softly, carrying it in the sky. Sable is a symbol of the rich fauna of the city. The eagle flies to the left, one of its wings is lowered, and the other is raised to heaven. Sable has a tail down.
What is the meaning of the coat of arms in heraldry?
- Silver - purity of thoughts and spirituality of the inhabitants.
- The scarlet is courage and courage.
- Gold is wealth and generosity.
- Black color - modesty and stamina.
- Greens - fertility and freedom.
- Blue color - clarity and beauty.
The coat of arms of Yakutsk is filled only with positive symbolism. However, this did not help him not to be criticized by the residents of the city. Some of them considered that the emblem was insolvent on the part of official heraldry and had a “non-national” shield color. Many did not like the drawing of its main characters. Despite the attacks, the coat of arms continues to be the official symbol of Yakutsk to this day.