The coat of arms of the city of Khimki reflects the history of this corner of the Moscow region. In Russian heraldry, the image of characters of ancient mythology is rarely used, but on the Khimki coat of arms you can see the winged centaur horse. This is a rather unusual symbol for a city near Moscow. What does such an image mean?
The history of the creation of the coat of arms
The first coat of arms project in Khimki was proposed back in 1994. Against a blue background with golden stars, the author depicted a tree with a lush green crown, standing on the river waves of the color of azure.
What did the heraldist artist want to express by this? Most likely, the coat of arms was supposed to symbolize the nature of the Khimki district. This city near Moscow is located on the banks of the Moscow Canal, and there are a lot of green spaces on its streets. The project was sent for consideration to the Russian Heraldic Chamber. There were no objections to such an exisis of the coat of arms. However, there is no evidence of project approval.
In 1996, the city administration announced a competition for the best coat of arms project. Heraldry artists proposed three variants of the Khimki symbol:
- "Centaur";
- "Swifts";
- "Oak".
The Commission recognized the first two projects as the best. They were sent for examination to the Heraldic Chamber. The coat of arms sketch depicting swifts was rejected. As a result, they approved the Centaur project.
In 1999, the emblem of the city of Khimki was finally approved with the image of a winged horse - a centaur surrounded by gold stars. Its author is the artist Alexander Mustafin. This project has become a symbol of the city, it can be seen at the entrance to Khimki on the Leningrad highway.
Coat of arms description
The emblem has the shape of a rectangle with a sharp point at the bottom. Such a heraldic sign is called the French shield. This form is characteristic of all coats of arms of Russian cities.
A winged horse with a human torso is depicted on a black background. This is a character in ancient Greek mythology - a centaur. His arms are outstretched. In one of them he holds a bow, and in the other - arrows. This is somewhat reminiscent of the image of Sagittarius - one of the signs of the zodiac.
Seven stars are scattered around the centaur on a black background. This number in numerology and heraldry symbolizes happiness and luck. It seems that a winged mythical creature swims in the night starry sky. A photo of the coat of arms of the city of Khimki on the flag can be seen below.
What does the centaur symbolize?
In ancient times, the centaur horse symbolized the unity of human intelligence and natural forces. It can often be seen on ancient heraldic signs and emblems. Why is this mythological character depicted on the modern coat of arms of the city of Khimki?
A winged horse flying among the stars represents space. Such symbolism reflects the history of the city. Back in the 50s of the XX century, Khimki became one of the most important centers of the aviation and space industry. Here are the large enterprises for the production of rockets:
- ICB "Torch";
- NGO named after Lavochkin;
- NPO Energomash.
It was in this city near Moscow that many space exploration projects were implemented.
Black sky and golden stars: the meaning of symbols
Each sign and color in heraldry has its own meaning. On the coat of arms of the city of Khimki, you can see gold stars on a black background. What do these elements represent?
Golden stars on a black background is an image of the cosmic sky. It complements the figure of a centaur. In heraldry, black is considered one of the most noble. It is associated with peace, peace and wisdom. Golden color symbolizes such wonderful human qualities as magnanimity, justice, valor.
The same colors can be found on the flag of the city. Its cloth is divided diagonally into two parts: black (the color of the cosmos) and golden (the color of the sun). And on a dark background is an image of a centaur jumping in a starry cosmic sky.