The national emblem and flag of Belarus are official symbols of the country. What is depicted on them? What do they say about the state? How has the coat of arms of Belarus changed over the entire history of the country? Let's find out.
Flag of the Republic of Belarus
Since 1991, the official symbol of the state has been a white-red-white banner. Such a set of colors is considered traditional for the country and goes deep into its historical past. He was replaced in 1995.
The modern flag is divided into two horizontal unequal stripes. The lower region is smaller and colored green; the upper region is larger and colored red. Their width applies as 2: 1. The pole has a thin vertical strip of white, which depicts a red ornament.
The red color is associated with the partisan movement during the war, the Red Army and the Battle of Grunwald. Green is a symbol of local natural resources, as well as the country's hope for a prosperous future. The ornament speaks of the rich culture of Belarus and its deep traditions.
Coat of arms of Belarus: photo and description
The current emblem of the country was adopted in 1995. With his features, he repeats the symbol that acted during the time of the BSSR. Nevertheless, the modern state coat of arms of the Republic of Belarus has many differences from its long-standing predecessor.
Its main feature is the lack of a shield. His composition encloses inside a round wreath tied with a red-green ribbon. On the left (from the side of the viewer), lilac clover flowers are woven into it, on the right - blue flax flowers. On top of them on two sides are golden ears of wheat. And between them is a red five-pointed star.
Inside the wreath, a part of the globe peeks out, above which the sun rises. Long golden rays depart from it, against the background of which the outline of the state border of the country is depicted in green. Below, at the base of the wreath, it is written in gold letters: "Republic of Belarus."
Soviet coat of arms
In 1919, the Byelorussian SSR was formed, and its coat of arms completely copied the symbol of the RSFSR. On his shield in the center was an image of the rising sun with long rays, against which gold sickle and hammer were placed. He was framed by rye ears, and at the base of the shield on a red ribbon there was an inscription: “Workers of all countries, unite!”, And at the top was the abbreviation of the republic.
When the country united with Lithuania (in the same year), inscriptions on the coat of arms of Belarus began to be written in five languages: Polish, Belarusian, Yiddish, Lithuanian and Russian. Already in 1920, the association broke up, the republic became again the BSSR, and the inscriptions were placed only in the Belarusian language.
A new change came in 1927. Then the sickle and hammer were painted in natural metallic colors with wooden handles. In addition to the sun, beneath them was part of the globe. On the left, the wreath consisted of ears of corn and clover, on the right - of oak branches and leaves. Between them at the top was a red star. On each side, the wreath was tied with two turns of a red ribbon, and on each of its turns was a proletarian motto in Polish, Yiddish, Belarusian and Russian.
In 1938, the motto in Yiddish and Polish was removed, and the oak branches were replaced by ears of corn and flowers of flax. Such a coat of arms of Belarus served until 1991. From time to time, only minor stylistic amendments were made to it.
Historical coat of arms
The current coat of arms of Belarus, in fact, continues the Soviet tradition, but the country has another, more ancient symbol. In the Middle Ages, part of the state was occupied by the Principality of Polotsk. Historians attribute the first coat of arms of Belarus to that time - it was a trident on the seal of Prince Izyaslav, the son of Kiev, Vladimir the Great.
With the beginning of the formation of the Principality of Lithuania on the seals of local rulers (Gleb Polotsky, Alexander Tversky), an image of a rider on a horse appears. This motive was called the “Chase”. It is repeatedly found in heraldry. Historians claim that he was present before in the symbolism of the Baltic Slavic tribes.
In the XIII century, “Pursuit” became the emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (which covered Belarus, part of Ukraine and Russia). On the red background of the shield is a figure of a rider on a running horse. With his right hand he holds a sword, swinging it over his head. Above the heraldic shield is a red crown with golden teeth.
At the end of the 19th century, a similar motif was on the coat of arms of the Vitebsk and Vilna provinces as part of the Russian Empire. The silver rider on a red background was a symbol of the BNR from 1918 to 1919. In addition, he was the emblem of Belarus from 1991 to 1995 after the collapse of the Union and the declaration of independence by the country.