The national emblem and flag of Russia are legislatively established and enshrined in the Federal Constitutional Laws of the Russian Federation No. 2 FKZ and No. 1 FKZ on December 25, 2000, signed by President Putin V.V. But even before that they had been approved by the executive branch: 08/22/1991 by the Extraordinary Commission of the Supreme Council The RSFSR was adopted as the flag of Russia white-blue-red tricolor. On November 30, 1993, its historical emblem, the double-headed eagle, was returned by a presidential decree of Russia.
Russia entered the new millennium with historically restored and legalized traditional state symbols ... They unite the nation, express state sovereignty and fidelity to historical tradition. Meanwhile, their appearance is strictly regulated and described in detail in the aforementioned laws.
Russian symbols of sovereignty: coat of arms and flag
The way the emblem and flag of Russia look is described in detail in the first articles of the aforementioned constitutional laws. The sovereign coat of arms is represented by a red heraldic quadrangular shield, the lower edges of which are rounded, and the center is pointed downwards. The shield shows a golden double-headed eagle spreading its wings. Each head is crowned with a small crown, and above them is a large crown, connected to smaller ribbons. The royal Russian eagle has a scepter and power. The shield on his chest is decorated with the image of a silver horseman (George the Victorious), striking a dragon with a spear trampled by a horse.
The flag of Russia is represented by a rectangular panel (the ratio of height to width is two to three), consisting of three horizontal stripes of equal size. The order of their sequence (in color): white, blue, red.
Regulation on the use of the coat of arms and flag of Russia
The legislation has officially defined the scope of use of the coat of arms and the flag of Russia. They are placed on the buildings of the Supreme State Power: the residence of the President of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council, the State Duma, and the courts - the Constitutional, Supreme, and Higher Arbitration. The coat of arms and flag of Russia are also used in a wide network of government agencies throughout Russia, including law enforcement agencies. On public holidays, the right to decorate their homes with flags was granted to residents of Russia.
Three State symbols of Russia (coat of arms, flag, anthem) are a kind of triad that developed by the end of the XIX century. The most historically capacious can be called the process of creating the State Emblem. Of course, the symbolism of Russia was created in different eras, each of which left its mark. So, the tracing of the elements of our coat of arms was encountered in antiquity (which we will talk about later). You can also talk about the ancient Russian creative process of creating the State flag, which took place in the Middle Ages. Among the many colors, those that testified to belonging to Russia were chosen spontaneously; those that "clung to the soul" of the Russian person were selected from the many graphic elements.
The heraldic images of the double-headed eagle, which served as the basis for its creation, appeared in the Middle Ages.
Double-headed eagle. The coat of arms of Russia is a product of an ancient ethnic group
Where did the double-headed eagle come to us, where does the emblem of Russia take its roots? What does he mean? Perhaps the answer can be given only to History. Even from Plato, a tradition, allegedly inherent in the Atlanteans, came to associate wings with divinity. The eagle was interpreted by many ancient ethnic groups as a symbol of immortality, strength and fearlessness. The double-headed eagle symbolizes double wisdom, omniscience, perfection.
The idea of creating a symbol in the form of the aforementioned bird originated in the territory of Asia Minor, for 2-3 thousand years BC. e. By the XIII century BC. e. include a cave painting of a two-headed eagle created by the Hittites.
Double-headed eagle in ancient Russia
In 1472, after the conclusion of the royal marriage of John III Vasilyevich to the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, Konstantin Paleolog XII, Sofia Paleolog, the Russian tsar received the right to use the image of the double-headed crowned eagle as his patrimonial emblem. In fact, the monarchical Moscow government becomes the successor to the head of the Orthodox East, the Byzantine emperor.
Since then, the double-headed eagle appeared on the seals of the Russian Tsar, symbolizing the highest state power.
He still looked a little like the modern coat of arms of Russia: the wings are down, the feathers are not fluffy, the beaks are closed, the shield of the eagle is missing. After liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke, under King John III, the wings of an eagle rise. The coat of arms adorns public buildings.
After the transfer of power to his son, Vasily III, the beaks of an eagle open. This small detail is associated with the fact of the transformation of Russia into the center of Orthodoxy and the growth of its state power. In the fourteenth century, during the reign of John IV the Terrible (the son of Basil III), both Russian symbols — the double-headed eagle and the horseman slaying the dragon — finally merged. The presence of George the Victorious was due to the accession to Russia of the Astrakhan and Kazan kingdoms and Siberia.
As you can see, heraldry is gradually developing, over the centuries literally outlining the State Emblem of Russia. With the coming to power of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (1613), which marked social stability and prosperity, a third crown appears - a symbol of the Holy Trinity. The heraldic eagle spread its wings picturesquely. Explanation to the latter: the Russian Kingdom has become a single state association.
Alexei Mikhailovich in 1667 legitimizes the existing state emblem. Under him, the scepter and power appeared in the clutches of the royal bird, which symbolized the absolute affirmation of a monarchical system in Russia.
From Peter I to Nicholas I
Since 1682, Russia has been ruled by a highly educated and active person, the great reformer and autocrat Peter the Great. Under him, the double-headed eagle turned from gold to black (which corresponded to the heraldic rules). On October 22, 1721, Peter I took the title of emperor (before him the kings ruled Russia). This affected the coat of arms: crowns became imperial (instead of imperial). The expanded wings of the eagle are decorated with shields with the emblems of the Kings and Grand Duchies. Peter I connects the three crowns with a blue Andreev ribbon.
In the short reign of Paul I (from 1796 to 1901), a large coat of arms of Russia appeared (photo attached). The sovereign crowned the royal bird with the Order of Malta, but this innovation did not take root. The efforts of Alexander I to smooth feathers, asymmetrically bow their heads, and replace the scepter and power with feathers and lightnings were not confirmed.
He returned the emblem to the classic features introduced by Peter the Great, the tough and powerful emperor Nicholas I. The emblem of Russia (photos are presented below) becomes again concise, heraldically verified and strict. The black two-headed bird with spread wings acquired classic features.
Regression of state heraldry
The collapse of the empire and the entire social system regressively affected state heraldry. Attempts by the Provisional Government to deprive the double-headed eagle of monarchic regalia were unsuccessful. Then the Bolsheviks changed the historical Russian coat of arms to their own, non-national. History does not forgive such liberties, and 83 years later puts all the points over i ... It's about the return of historical state symbols by the aforementioned presidential decrees and Constitutional Laws. Below we discuss what all the same means the eagle on the arms of Russia.
Some features of the current coat of arms of Russia
What does the modern State Emblem of Russia mean from the standpoint of heraldry? The Modern Interpretation of the Two-Heads: The Unity of Conservatism and Progress. The structure of the wings is symbolic: 12 wing feathers on each of them reflect the sacred union and equality of the subjects of the Federation. 3 rows of feathers embody Good, Truth and Beauty. The red shield is associated with courage, heroism, Russian historical tradition, the golden color of the eagle with dignity, fame and eternity. The scepter is a symbol of sovereignty, power - power and integrity. Three crowns are now interpreted, in the secular sense, as the unity of the legislative, executive and judicial powers.
Such is it, the ancient and modern, majestic emblem of Russia, holistic in content and deep in symbol of historical tradition embodied in it, a symbol of a great power.
We also recommend that you pay attention to some interesting details of the coat of arms. Firstly, on the scepter, squeezed by the right paw of the eagle: it also contains an eagle, squeezing the same scepter, etc. By the way, the acting coat of arms violates the heraldic canons: according to them, George the Victorious must ride on his horse not in his right, but in left side.
Modern coins are actually adorned with the emblem of the interim government (without the attributes of a monarchy), and not the existing emblem of Russia.
Colors of Russian banners, the prototypes of the State flag
It is noteworthy that in the Middle Ages, at a time when the Russian nation was just forming, a single flag did not exist yet, but there were various banners. Historical Russian tradition is noteworthy: banners already used the colors of the Russian flag. The “Word about Igor’s Regiment” broadcasts about red Russian banners with saints embroidered on them. Red banners were crowned by the teams of the Prophet Oleg, storming the heart of Byzantium - Constantinople, as well as the teams of Prince Svyatoslav, who defeated the Khazars.
For the first time, it was the red flag with the face of Christ that united Russia, flying over a mighty army led by Dmitry Donskoy on the Kulikovo field. Under the red banner with the image of the Archangel Michael, a rebellion was raised by Dmitry Pozharsky. White, blue and red colors were present at the “great banner” of Ivan the Terrible. Under a white and blue banner, Yermak conquered Siberia.
Only in the 17th century was a flag created that adorned the coat of arms of Russia. What does such evolution mean? The gradual awareness of the Russian people of the historical mission of their power.
The creator of the Russian flag - Peter I
It is gratifying that the first State Flag of Russia has survived to the present day in the St. Petersburg Museum of the Navy, fluttering on August 6, 1693 over the twelve-gun yacht Peter the Great, on which the emperor sailed in the White Sea. The width of this flag is 4.6 m, the length is 4.3 m.
How did this standard come about? On the eve of the sovereign, the Dutch engineer Butler, who supervised the construction of the aforementioned yacht, was simply discouraged by an unexpected question. He asked (and reasonably), launching the ship on the water, about which flag the tsar wanted to raise. "And really, which one?" - obviously, Peter I thought to himself. And asked Butler about the Dutch flag. He willingly spoke about his national three-lane red-white-blue banner.
Did Peter I think what the national flag of Russia should become before this conversation? Unlikely. The Dutchman's question sounded on time. The emperor was not to occupy creativity. He not only changed the heard order of the stripes of the flag (white, blue, red), but also placed the emblem on it - a golden double-headed eagle. So there was a single banner for the entire Russian fleet.
Its state institution is evidenced by the fact that a year after the first presentation, in 1664, at the behest of Emperor Peter I, he was raised above the 44-gun frigate Holy Prophecy purchased from Holland. In 1696, a Russian rowing squadron participating in the siege of the Turkish fortress of Azov also operated under a three-color flag (as can be seen from the engraving by Shkhonebek “Capture of Azov”). There are various handwritten instructions of Peter the Great, indicating that the tricolor flag in the fleet was introduced by the king centrally and systematically.
However, after twenty-five years in the navy it was replaced by the St. Andrew flag (paradoxically, that he was the idea of Peter the Great). However, the design of the tricolor banner was also viable; people liked it. In 1806, familiar colors were revived on the flag of the Russian-American trading company, and they were also officially used by the Consul General of Russia. The attempt made under Tsar Alexander II to choose a white-yellow-black color scheme for the Russian flag was not accepted by the people. Emperor Alexander III, evaluating the relevant study of the commission of K. N. Posiet, committed a wise act - he legitimized the flag of Peter, having a two-hundred-year history, as an all-Russian state.
Note that even today there is no official explanation of what the flag of Russia means. I would like such an interpretation to appear.
Informal interpretation of flag colors
The traditionally formed heraldic interpretation of flowers is as follows: white means openness and nobility; blue - honesty, fidelity, sincerity; red - service, generosity, courage.
In tsarist Russia, it was believed that white is a symbol of the Orthodox faith, blue is tsarist authority, red is the Russian people. This corresponded to the declarative triune principle of the structure of the Russian state: autocracy, Orthodoxy, nationality.
Currently, there are several interpretations: the unity of the legislative, executive and judicial branches; unity of the past, present and future.
Flag colors recommended for its manufacture
We all know what the modern flag of Russia looks like (the photo of this element of state symbolism must be familiar to everyone without exception). But why use such tones? We make a reservation right away that the legislation does not establish the selection of shades of white, blue and red colors. However, they are fixed by GOST R 51130-98. According to him, each color should correspond to a hue that is displayed in three different international systems (meaning Pantone, RGB, HTML) as follows:
- white (White; 255-255-255; #FFFFFF);
- blue (286C; 0-57-166; # 0039A6);
- red (485C; 213-43-30; # D52B1E).
This color scheme emphasizes the freshness and grandeur of the Russian flag.
Conclusion
The emblem and flag of Russia are close to the hearts of Russians who are truly proud of the history of their homeland. These sovereign symbols can be seen not only above state institutions and in the offices of officials.
The emblem and flag of the Russian Federation are perceived and adequately positioned in the modern world. They carry a great charge of patriotism and pride, expressing the greatness of the country and its power. For more than four and a half hundred years they have kept and unite a great power.