As you know, St. Petersburg plays the role of the Northern capital of Russia, in addition, bears the status of the cultural capital of the country. However, some cities periodically try to challenge this right at the city of St. Peter. But our conversation will not be about this, but about the symbols that represent St. Petersburg today - about the flag and coat of arms.
Flag description
The flag of St. Petersburg now looks like a solid red rectangular cloth. Its sides in the official version are in a proportion of 2: 3. In the center of the canvas is the emblem of the city, which consists of two anchors crossed - the river and the sea. Anchors are represented by white flags. Behind them is a golden scepter crowned with a knob in the form of a two-headed eagle. It is known that the coat of arms of the Vatican, also the city-state of St. Peter, the prince of the apostles, served as the prototype of this composition.
Symbolism
The fact that one anchor on the flag of the river, and the other - the sea, speaks of the unity of the two ports located in the city. The scepter as a symbol of the imperial autocracy is also located on the flag for a reason. Such a flag of St. Petersburg underlines its metropolitan status, which he once had officially, but today retains the right of honor. This is a reminder that the city was built on the direct initiative of the Russian emperor and for many years served as the center of the empire and the sovereign house.
The history of the flag of St. Petersburg
That version of the banner, which today plays the role of the official banner of the Northern capital, was approved as such in 1992, on June 8. The flag of St. Petersburg was entered in the heraldic register with the assignment of the number 49. It happened for a reason. In 1991, that is, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a city referendum took place, during which most of the residents spoke in favor of returning the city its historical name and symbolism.
Alternative option
But before the modern flag of St. Petersburg was adopted, other alternative options were proposed in place of the Soviet flag. One of them was a typical Russian tricolor, near the pole of which in the upper corner there was a golden boat from the spire of the Admiralty. This ship, by the way, already played the role of the official symbol of the city during the Soviet era. And today it is one of the most recognizable, albeit unofficial symbols associated with St. Petersburg. It can be found on various souvenirs, postcards and T-shirts with branded St. Petersburg symbols. It is also included in the design of some enterprises producing souvenir flags and flagpoles. St. Petersburg has a flag, the basis of which is a red canvas. Which is also no coincidence. It is believed that this is a symbol of the bloody Northern War, during which there were fierce battles with the Swedes. These military operations played a huge role in the history of the capital city. You can also understand this color as a symbol of the blood on which the city is built and stands, because it is known at the cost of how many lives it was erected.
Coat of arms of St. Petersburg
The emblem and flag of St. Petersburg are very similar. Both of them include the same composition of anchors and a scepter on a red background. But the emblem, as it should be, is not located on the canvas, but on the heraldic shield. Behind are two more sovereign golden scepters, similar to those depicted behind the anchors. The scepters are crossed among themselves. The emblem crown with a cross crowns the coat of arms. And all this composition is framed around the perimeter by a blue St. Andrew's ribbon. This coat of arms appeared in 1857. More precisely, it basically arose earlier, back in the 18th century. But in the indicated year it was supplemented for the last time and has not changed since then, until the approval of party symbols after the revolution. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, cities began to regain the historical, original symbols that they had before the party leaders imposed their signs on them, completely breaking with the monarchical and imperial past. This process also touched the Northern capital - St. Petersburg. He was returned both the historical name and the set of characters reflecting his status in the history of the Russian state.