The State Heraldry Register of the Russian Federation contains data on individual symbols of all regions of the country. But it so happens that the government of a region or republic does not agree with the decision of the heraldic council and differences arise between them. The coat of arms of Mari El has long been a subject of controversy.
Description of the new coat of arms
The new coat of arms of Mari El is a French shield with a silver background, inside of which there is a brown bear, standing on its hind legs and turned to the right. In the right paw, the beast holds a long sword in blue scabbard, pointing down, and a golden hammer with a silver hilt. In the left paw there is a blue shield, framed by a gold ribbon. In the middle of the shield is a golden beveled Mari shield.
The entire design is crowned with a land golden crown stylized as a Mari ornament.
This version of the coat of arms was adopted in 2011 and did not pass the commission for the following reasons:
- The procedure for registering and submitting a new coat of arms to the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation was violated.
- It is believed that the government of the republic had no reason to radically change the individual symbol, because such changes are possible only if the object changes its name, borders, national composition, status, etc. Otherwise, it is possible to carry out a light adjustments during which the main elements will not be affected.
- Also, the council noted that the land crown can be used only in the arms of settlements, but not regions.
All these factors indicate that the coat of arms of Mari El should be changed to the previous one.
Symbolism
The coat of arms of the Republic of Mari El, as well as other symbols, is filled with deep meaning. Each individual element has its own meaning:
- The bear symbolizes strength, caution, indicating that the republic is rich in forests.
- The sword speaks of readiness for defense, and the fact that it is sheathed shows the nobility, peacefulness and the desire to restore order in the region.
- The hammer reminds us that hardworking people live in the republic.
- Shield. It depicts the Mari amulet, which symbolizes the rule of law and security.
- The crown speaks of the status of the republic and shows its significance for the country.
The government of the republic came to the conclusion that a radical change in the coat of arms is necessary for a more accurate justification of the status.
History
The coat of arms of Mari El has often changed, so for a more accurate description of the symbol, you need to plunge a little into history.
In the days of the USSR and until 1993, the emblem completely copied the symbol of the state and differed only in the presence of 2 inscriptions ("Mari ASSR" and "Proletarians of all countries, unite"), which were made in Russian and Mari.
From 1993 to 2006, the coat of arms looked as follows:
- The heraldic shield, the background of which is executed in tan, shows a beveled Mari cross, and the lower part was decorated with an inscription with the name of the republic.
- The shield is framed by ears of spruce and oak branches, which have long been considered a symbol of fertility and rich forestry.
- Also in the composition there is a ribbon made in the colors of the Mari flag (blue, white, red).
In 2006, it was decided that the emblem does not comply with the rules of heraldry. In accordance with this, a decision was made to change it. Until 2011, the symbol was a golden shield, inside of which was a scarlet Mari beveled cross. A ribbon in the colors of the national flag of Mari El was chosen as a frame.
Coats of arms of districts
Coats of arms of Mari El districts and cities of the republic are as follows:
- Yoshkar-Ola. The French shield is made on a blue background, and inside it is a silver moose with golden horns. The design is crowned with a tower crown with a traditional ornament.
- Volzhsk. The shield is divided in half: the bottom is blue and the top is blue. The center of the composition is a silver osprey with golden paws, in which it holds a silver-gold pike.
- Kozmodemyansk. On a red background lies a golden bow with three crossed arrows.
- Volzhsky district. A silver ornament is shown on the left side of the shield, the rest is painted in azure color. Closer to the edge is a silver woodpecker with its wings raised, under the wing there are 8 inverted wedge-shaped crosses.
- Gornomariysky district. On a scarlet background, a silver leopard holding 3 golden arrows.
- Zvenigovsky district. A golden helm is shown on a blue background, in the middle of which, instead of knitting needles, a Mari cross. Hop branches frame the figure, 4 golden squirrel skins are symbolically shown in the upper part.
- Kilemar region. In the middle of the coat of arms, on a green background, a silver spruce is shown, in the center of which there is a black grouse sitting on a scarlet bow with 2 arrows, around the spruce on two sides are shown lynxes looking in different directions.
- Kuzhenersky district. A flying silver moose with golden horns and wings is depicted on a burgundy background. In the lower part there are 3 spruces through which the azure ribbon passes.
- Mari-Turek district. The lower part is painted in silver color, inside is a black grouse with a gold wreath on the neck. Separated above is a green ribbon with seven golden bees.
- Medvedevsky district. The shield is divided into 3 flat parts: the lower and upper are painted in blue, and the middle is in silver. In the center of the composition is a red rhombus sign.
- Morkinsky district. The upper left part of the shield is sickle-shaped and painted green, and inside is a golden squirrel with the same bump. The upper right and lower left are silver, and the lower right is red. The top and bottom are separated by ornaments.
- Novotoryalsky district. On a blue background is a silver arc with a red ornament and a golden bell in the middle. A silver duck sits above the arc, and under the arc is the same curved fish.
- Orsha district. On a purple background, an open linen wreath is shown, inside which is a ritual Mari ladle with a bird sitting above. All elements are made in gold color.
- Parangin district. The left side of the shield is painted red and the right side is green, a silver ribbon with an ornament passes below. In the middle of the composition is a silver horseshoe crowned with the same aster. On the sides of the horseshoe are 2 golden bees.
- Sernursky district. The right side of the shield is made in silver, and the left - in green. At the bottom, with a variable color, a spearhead is depicted, on the sides of it there are 2 birds, and half the beveled Mari cross completes the composition.
- Sovetsky district. On a red background is a silver inverted point with scarlet branches of mountain ash in the middle. At the top are 3 cutting crosses.
- Brinsky district. A castle is depicted on a green background, on the towers of which there are 2 golden lions holding a gold-colored shield in their paws, inside of which there is a laurel wreath, a crown and 2 crosses. At the bottom of this shield are a sword and a spade. Lions also hold a scepter. The composition is crowned by the count's crown.
Flag
The emblem and flag of Mari El are similar to each other. The cloth is divided into 2 parts in a ratio of 1: 8. The right one is made in the form of a scarlet ribbon with a Mari ornament, and the coat of arms of the republic is depicted on a silver background in the left part.
The coat of arms of Mari El, although surrounded by many disputes, but in any case it is a symbol of the republic and indicates its historical significance for the state.