Crimea is a unique and inimitable land, "an order on the chest of the planet Earth," as one of its researchers said. Tourists, getting here for the first time, are surprised how all the diversity of nature could fit in such a small area. After all, there are mountains, rocks, and the sea coast with pebble beaches, as well as noisy waterfalls and dozens of beautiful caves.
However, this article will not focus on the natural beauties of Crimea, but on its symbolism. You will learn what the Crimean flag symbolizes, as well as what kind of semantics carries the coat of arms of Crimea. Pictures of the main symbols of the republic are also presented here. We hope you find it interesting!
Flag and coat of arms of Crimea - the main symbols of the peninsula
Any country, republic, region or city has its own official symbols - flag and coat of arms. They have developed historically, and most often reflect (show) the identity of a particular locality or territory.
A flag is a flag of rectangular shape, which has a certain coloring. As a rule, these are stripes of different colors and directions (less commonly, patterns or drawings). There is even a whole science that deals with their study - vexillology .
The word "coat of arms" (herb) is of German origin and literally means "inheritance". The fact is that initially the emblem served as a distinction for a specific genus, and this symbol was passed down from generation to generation, by inheritance. Later it began to be used as symbols of cities or countries. The science that comprehensively studies coats of arms is called heraldry .
Now it is worth familiarizing yourself with what constitutes the coat of arms and flag of the Republic of Crimea. What is their semantics?
Coat of arms of Crimea: photo and description
The basis of the modern Crimean coat of arms is the Varangian shield. It depicts a mythical creature - a griffin, which looks to the left and holds in its paw a blue pearl in a silver shell. The rising yellow sun is depicted above the head of the griffin, and the shield itself is framed by two Greek columns on both sides. Below the shield is bordered by a ribbon (in the traditional colors of the Crimean flag, which will be discussed later) with the inscription: "Prosperity - in unity."
It is worth noting that the coat of arms of the Crimea, in its modern form, was issued in 1991, and approved at the official level in 1992. In March 1995, it was legalized by the Ukrainian authorities through the adoption of the law "On the Autonomous Republic of Crimea".
As you know, in March 2014, the territory of Crimea was annexed to Russia. At the same time, the local authorities of the republic decided not to change the existing symbolism of the peninsula by adopting the corresponding law in June of that year.
Here is a story experienced by the modern coat of arms of Crimea. You can see a photo of this symbol below:
Coat of arms
Further, we will discuss the semantics of this symbol of the republic. Coat of arms of Crimea - what does it mean?
It is known that the griffin has long been used in heraldry of the Northern Black Sea region. So, this mythical creature was present on the emblems of the ancient Panticapaeum (now Kerch), as well as Chersonesos.
The coat of arms of the Republic of Crimea is basically a red shield. And this is no accident, because the scarlet color is a reminder of the heroic and sometimes tragic fate of the Crimean people. It is no accident that the presence of a pearl in the paw of a griffin. This is a direct allusion to the uniqueness and originality of the Crimean land.
The connection of Crimea with Ancient Greece is also shown on the coat of arms - with the help of two columns at the edges. But the sun above the shield symbolizes the dawn and bright future of the region.
Historical coats of arms of Crimea
Typically, the symbols of countries and cities often change over time. And the coat of arms of Crimea here is no exception.
It is interesting to follow how it changed throughout the history of the peninsula. Indeed, at different times, various state entities existed on its territory. And the emblem, accordingly, also changed.
Coat of arms during the Crimean Khanate
This powerful state entity has existed for more than three centuries: from 1441 to 1783. Moreover, it occupied not only the Crimean peninsula, but also the Kuban, as well as almost the entire southeast of modern Ukraine. The capitals of this state at different times were Old Crimea and Bakhchisaray. Only in 1783 the territory of the Crimean Khanate was annexed by the Russian Empire. A little later, the Ottoman Empire recognized this annexation .
The coat of arms of the Crimean Khanate can be considered the patrimonial emblem of the Giree dynasty - the sign of Tarak-Tamga. By the way, today it is the national symbol of all Crimean Tatars and is depicted on their flags. It is known that it was this sign that was minted on coins during the Crimean Khanate, and also applied to some public buildings.
It is curious that today there is no single interpretation of this sign. According to one of them, tarak-tamga symbolizes balanced scales.
Coat of arms of the Tauride province
After the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 1783, the administrative unit of the Russian Empire, the Tauride province, which officially existed from 1802 to 1921, was formed on its territory. Its center (capital) was the city of Simferopol, which immediately began to develop rapidly. By the way, the toponym "Tauris, Taurica" was brought to the peninsula by the ancient Hellenes, even during the colonization of the Crimean coast.
What did the coat of arms of Crimea look like in those days, in the 19th - at the beginning of the 20th century? On the golden shield in the center was a double-headed eagle of black color. On the chest of the eagle was another, small-sized shield depicting a cross (exactly the one that the Greek emperors sent to Ancient Russia).
Above the shield of the coat of arms is crowned by the imperial crown - a symbol of royal power. It is bordered by its yellow oak branches, into which a blue ribbon is woven. As you know, this emblem was officially approved on March 8, 1784, when the province itself, in fact, did not yet exist. The image of this Crimean coat of arms is shown below:
Coat of arms of the Crimean ASSR
The next stage in the history of the peninsula is associated with the advent of Soviet power. In 1921, the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created on its territory, which lasted until 1992. The capital of the republic remained the city of Simferopol. Until 1954, Crimea was part of the RSFSR, and after it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR.
What did the coat of arms of Crimea look like at that time? It is worth noting that he had two editions: the first - from 1921, and the second - from 1938. The only difference between them is in the inscriptions. So, initially on the Crimean coat of arms there were inscriptions in the Crimean Tatar language, and in 1938 they were supplemented by Russians.
The emblem of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic looked as follows: in the center - a red shield, on which a sickle and hammer were depicted - the central symbol of the Soviet system. At the same time, he was illuminated by the rays of the rising sun from below. Below, under the shield of the coat of arms, the main motto of the country was inscribed : "Workers of all countries, unite!" On both sides the shield of this coat of arms was bordered by golden ears of wheat: seven on the right and on the left.
The flag of the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic looked simple and laconic. In the upper left corner of the solid red panel, only two inscriptions were placed: "RSFSR" and "KrASSR" (under the first inscription).
Flag of the Republic of Crimea
Now it’s worth telling about another symbol of the Republic of Crimea - its flag.
A flag is a mandatory attribute of any territorial entity. At the same time, it should reflect and accurately show the identity of a city, region or state. What does the modern Crimean flag mean and what is its history?
The date of birth of this flag is considered September 24, 1992. In 1999, it was re-approved, but already as the official flag of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as part of Ukraine. After the annexation of Crimea to Russia in March 2014, the authorities of the republic decided not to change the flag of Crimea.
The flag of the Republic of Crimea is a rectangular cloth consisting of three horizontal stripes of unequal thickness. At the top of the flag is a blue stripe (1/6 of the entire thickness of the canvas), in the center is white (the thickest, occupying 2/3 of the thickness of the canvas), and below is a red strip (1/6 of the entire thickness of the canvas). It is this kind of Crimean flag that is the reference. The authors of this symbol were A. Malgin and V. Trusov.
What semantics does the flag of Crimea carry?
It is believed that the red bar at the bottom symbolizes the heroic and dramatic past of the peninsula, and the blue at the top - its bright and promising future. Moreover, the widest strip in the center is the present of Crimea. It is not by chance that the authors made this strip the widest, hinting that all the events that take place in the life of the peninsula are very significant for its future fate. And Crimea itself has a great future.
Conclusion
Thus, the flag and coat of arms of Crimea are the most important symbols of the republic. They reflect the whole essence of the difficult, but very bright history of the Crimean people.