In 1994, the Republic of Dagestan had its own state symbols. In particular, the flag was legalized on February 26, and the coat of arms on October 20 of that year. The basis for the approval of the coat of arms was a special Law under number 25. However, the central authority of the Russian Federation did not include it in the heraldic register.
The coat of arms project is a product of the collective work of Dagestan artists (Balieva G.R., Gadzhieva M.S., Musaeva A.B., Shabanova M.M.).
Coat of arms of the Dagestan region of the second half of the 19th century
From archival documents relating to 1878, it is known that the Dagestan region existed then. In early June of this year she received her coat of arms, which had a completely different look. Here is his description.
It was a golden rectangular shield with four red towers inside. In the middle above the towers you can also see the red head of a lion in profile (deployed to the left). Eyes and protruding tongue in black. Under the head between the middle towers is an overturned red crescent. Traditionally, on top of the shield is a royal royal crown inlaid with precious stones. On three sides (bottom, right and left), the shield is surrounded by oak leaves of pure gold, in which the Alexander ribbon is woven. But now everything looks different, the coat of arms and flag of Dagestan appeared in a new design.
Coat of arms of Dagestan of the Soviet era
Approved on June 12, 1937, the coat of arms of Dagestan was not much different from the symbols of the other union or autonomous republics of the multinational USSR. Here, as usual, in the center on a red background is a sickle and hammer, above which is the inscription "RSFSR" and the name of the republic. Under the worker-peasant symbol is seen the golden rising sun. Around wheat ears entwined with a red ribbon.
The flag of Dagestan with the coat of arms was often used in those days, but the Soviet Union collapsed. This provoked the formation of individual states with their own symbols.
The modern coat of arms of the Republic of Dagestan
The main character of the modern coat of arms of the Republic of Dagestan is the golden eagle. The majestic bird with spread wings, the authors of the project placed in the center on a white background of a heraldic shield. Between the ends of the wings above the head, turned towards the right wing, there is a small sun disc, also of a golden hue. It is surrounded by a border made in the form of a spiral ornament.
Below at the feet of an eagle are small silhouettes of snow-capped mountain peaks, at the foot of which a plain and a sea are depicted. Even lower you can see in the so-called cartouche two hands woven in a symbolic handshake.
Two green ribbons diverge from the mountain peaks in opposite directions along the border of the coat of arms, on one of which is written with white letters “Republic”, and on the second - “Dagestan”.
From top to half of the coat of arms it is bounded by a golden line, to which two strips in the form of an ornament adjoin: red (on the right side) and blue (on the left side). This state symbolism is respected by all residents as well as the flag of the Republic of Dagestan.
The meaning of the elements of the coat of arms and their colors
In the North Caucasus region, there was a place under the sun for more than thirty nationalities. Peaceful coexistence, cultural and historical community is one of the main ideas of the coat of arms.
With the image of a rebellious and brave eagle, Caucasians associate concepts such as wise government, a dominant position. Residents of Dagestan, who respect this bird, always held in high esteem stamina, courage and endurance. The same character traits are symbolized by red. Greatness and beauty are usually attributed to blue.
An open soul, a warm character, the friendliness of the Dagestanis was intended to reflect a handshake. It seemed to enclose the usual greeting of the hospitable Caucasians to “salam aleikum”. People’s and state power here is understood as one.
The sun as a source of light is a prerequisite for the existence of life, the development of vegetation and the animal world. The sun, tinted in gold, is the embodiment of material well-being, prosperity, progress and the rule of power.
The green color prevailing in wildlife is associated with life and fertility. White color indicates the presence of bright pure aspirations. The flag of Dagestan, divided into 3 stripes, has a green color.
Being part of the Russian Empire, until the establishment of Soviet power in the Caucasus, Dagestan did not possess the status of an independent state. At one time it was part of the Terek region.
Flag of Dagestan
In the period 1919-1920, Dagestan became part of the North Caucasus Emirate with the actual submission of the Ottoman Empire. The flag of the emirate was a green rectangle, the length of which was two times the width. In the center of the panel are three white stars, forming a triangle, and under them is a white lying crescent.
The flag of Dagestan, approved in 2003, differs from what was proposed in 1994 only in the aspect ratio of the banner. In the late version, the width and length were correlated as two to three, and in the previous one - one to two.
The cloth is divided into three areas in the form of horizontal stripes of the same width: green on the top, blue in the middle, and red below. This is what the modern flag of Dagestan looks like.
Since in Dagestan the main religion is Islam (the Sunni branch), it is not surprising that the green color on the flag. The eastern borders of the republic are washed by the waves of the Caspian Sea. The blue bar indicates this fact. The red color is the desire for democratic values, enlightenment and creation, as well as the courage of the highlanders.
And 2014 was remembered for a demonstration of the flags of the Russian Federation and Dagestan of gigantic proportions: width - 27 m and length - 40 m. The unfolded flag was held by 250 youth. It was assumed that the event will fall into the Guinness Book of Records. The flag of Dagestan is revered by all locals. There is a photo of the state sign in all history textbooks, according to which children of the republic study.