Kaluga is a city in the Central region of Russia, a modern regional center. This settlement is most famous as the birthplace of the outstanding Soviet scientist K.E. Tsiolkovsky. Today the city is a large industrial, economic and cultural center. But at the same time, the modern coat of arms of Kaluga, approved in 2000, was recreated on the basis of the historical symbol of the Kaluga province of 1777 model.
Coat of arms of the city of Kaluga
The main state symbol of the city of Kaluga was approved in the spring of 2000 by a resolution of the City Duma. This is a slightly modified and supplemented emblem of the sample of 1777. On a blue (azure) background, a wavy belt of silver color is depicted, above which is located the state gold crown of the era of Catherine the Great. In the lower part, the coat of arms of Kaluga is supplemented with a red ribbon on which the main motto of the city is written in silver letters - “The Cradle of Cosmonautics”. In the central part of the tape, a stylized space satellite is depicted. The modern emblem of the city reflects the history of the region from the depth of centuries to the present day.
City flag
In 2000, a resolution of the City Council approved the new flag of Kaluga. On a traditional rectangular panel (aspect ratio 2: 3), a vertical red stripe is located along the flagpole, occupying one third of the total flag area. In its upper part is a space satellite directed towards the pole. The aircraft is painted in the same way as on the official emblem of the city: schematically, in the form of a ball, from which three supports extend. The main part of the flag is a blue background, divided in the center by a white wavy strip above which there is a state crown of gold color. As in most other cities of our country, the flag largely repeats the coat of arms of Kaluga.
Historical coat of arms
Today, not even all residents of Kaluga know what exactly is depicted on the main heraldic symbol of the city. The historical coat of arms was legalized in 1777. The silver strip depicted in the middle of the blue shield symbolized the river on which the city of Oka was built. The symbol of supreme power - the crown - was used in the coat of arms as a sign of grace and celebrity received by Kaluga after the establishment of the province. Heraldry is a science in which each symbol and shade used has its own unique meaning. If we consider the coat of arms of Kaluga, we can confidently say that the blue (blue,
azure) color symbolizes the honor, beauty, virtue and glory of the city. Silver in heraldry is a symbol of peace, purity and nobility. Golden elements indicate magnanimity, greatness, strength. The modern version of the coat of arms is complemented by a red ribbon, the color of which means life, dedication, courage. Interestingly, Mr. Kaluga should have regained his historical symbol back in the 1990s. However, for a number of reasons, the main symbol of the city was legalized a bit later.
It is interesting: Kaluga coat of arms in the USSR
During the time of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, official state symbols, names of settlements and other geographical objects changed throughout the country. Changes were not spared and Kaluga. The city emblem and flag were changed. A silver wavy ribbon remained on the blue shield. The symbol of the monarchy was removed from the coat of arms; instead of the state crown, an image of a space satellite appeared in the central part of the canvas. Despite the use of the new city emblem throughout the Soviet period in the country's history, it was not officially approved at the state level. The Supreme Council of the RSFSR did not recognize the significant contribution of the region to the development of space technology.