State symbols is a business card of each country, giving an idea of state values, priorities and policies. The three main attributes of symbolism are the coat of arms, anthem and flag. In addition, many countries have a symbol of an animal, bird or plant. What symbols of Russia exist now? How did they arise and what do they mean?
Flag
Now it is impossible to imagine a country without a flag. However, this was not always the case. The first flag appeared in Russia only at the end of the 17th century, when the first Russian military ship “Oryol” set sail. Imitating the strong sea powers, whose ships had long sailed under state flags, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered the cloth to be lifted on a Russian ship. According to some historians, the first flag of Russia was white-blue-red, similar to the current one, only with a golden double-headed eagle. Later it was proposed to replace the blue and red stripes with black and yellow or orange. But the proposal was rejected, as the original colors of Russia were reflected in the color scheme of the flag. In the pictures it seemed like this - white snow covering most of Russia in winter, blue and red - the colors of the clothes of Russian men and women on holiday. This type of flag was canceled only in 1918, and in 1993 it was again restored by the decree of Yeltsin. Now its white color means peace and freedom, blue - stability, and red - the fatherland, the power of the state and blood shed for the country.
Coat of arms
In addition to the flag, other symbols of Russia are very significant. A photo of the coat of arms, approved in 2000, shows a golden double-headed eagle with spread wings and three crowns with a ribbon. In his clutches he has a scepter and power, on his chest is the emblem of Moscow. The eagle is depicted against a red French shield. This picture can be decoded in such a way that the Holy Trinity protects Russia. The Russian state does not threaten anyone and cares only about the inviolability of its lands. All of Russia's intentions are pure and directed against universal evil. The country is obedient to the law and adheres to justice. The modern coat of arms was created on the basis of the old, donated by Tsar Ivan III to the Pope in 1452. The gift was dedicated to the marriage of the Russian Tsar to the Byzantine Princess Sophia. Then the emblem symbolized independence. Two eagle heads meant power over the east and west of the empire, and the crowns were deciphered as double power.
Anthem
Some foreign ideologists who are unkind to Russia believe that only a bear is a symbol of our country. But one of our main symbols - the national anthem - proudly sounds at official ceremonies, during the rewarding of our athletes at the Olympics and in many other cases. His text and music are based on the anthem of the Soviet Union. The very first Russian anthem appeared back in 1816. Prior to this, all the celebrations were held under church hymns. The text of the first hymn was a poem "Prayer of the Russian", written by Vasily Zhukovsky. Later, Alexei Lvov composed the second anthem, widely known as “God Save the Tsar”. In the turbulent 1917th, the interim government replaced it with the French Marseillaise. The revolutionaries made the International their anthem. In the future, the text changed twice. The modern anthem of Russia was approved by the president in late 2000 and sounded on the New Year holiday.
Bear - a symbol of strength and courage
The anthem, coat of arms and flag are the most important symbols of Russia. The bear is chosen as the animal symbol of our country. This was not done by chance, because the clubfoot in Russian open spaces has always been considered the king of the forest. Much later, from the southern countries came the fashion of calling the lion king of animals . Our brown bear seems to be a clumsy bumpkin, capable of only roaring and ruining the hives. In fact, this is a smart beast, which in the northern latitudes has no equal in strength. No wonder it was the bear that the ancient Rusichs revered. They made multiple totems in the form of a bear and believed that such a talisman would surely protect them from enemies, give strength in battle. In Russia and other northern countries there was a cult of the bear. The hunters sought not only to enlist the help of the forest lord, but also to connect his spirit with his own. For them, the bear personified strength, courage and nobility. The symbol of the beast also became the protector of the whole race.
Fictional myths about Russia and its bears
Curious facts in its history have all the symbols of Russia. A bear, for example, according to some foreign historians, has become our symbol solely because of the backwardness and stupidity of the Russians. In the XIV-XVI centuries, in developed European countries, Russia (Muscovy, as they said then) was a wild country where only barbarians live. The work of the famous Austrian ambassador and diplomat Herberstein “Notes on Moscow Affairs” contributed a lot to this. In this essay, he wrote about the fact that in Russia, bears walk right through the streets, break into houses and make people flee. Perhaps some such cases have taken place, as in the "Notes" narrated about the unusually frosty and hungry 1526. Then the animals driven by hunger could appear in the cities in order to find food. However, many scribes of "Notes" presented these isolated cases as a common thing for the whole country, firmly reinforcing the negative view of Russia among readers.
Rehabilitation of the Russian bear
The foreign public calmly accepted the main symbols of Russia. The bear, for a long time, remained as a standard of rudeness and backwardness of Russians. Even now, especially in England, the image of Russia is associated with a clumsy forest animal to emphasize a negative attitude towards the country. However, the clubfoot bear has long been rehabilitated. A significant role in this was played by circus performances in which the bears demonstrated their intelligence and extraordinary abilities. It is worth noting that not all foreigners associated the Russian bear with slowness and cruelty. So, Frederick II, the Prussian king, once warned not to wake a sleeping Russian bear. He meant that the Russian people, like a tramp, are good-natured and harmless, until you offend him. If, God forbid, this happens, he turns into an aggressive and powerful defender of his interests.
Bear is a symbol not only of Russia
The bear is a symbol not only of Russia. It is depicted on the arms of Berlin, Bern, Lithuanian Zemaitiya, many Russian cities. His image was placed on their coats of arms by knights and nobles. Thanks to the bear, the city of Bern was named. And the Celtic bear (arctos) served as the name for the vast territory - the Arctic.
The bear is even present on the coat of arms of the Pope! Such an honor was given to the wild beast thanks to the legend of St. Corbinian. According to her text, when Korbinian went to Rome, a bear jumped out on the road and killed the saint's horse. In punishment, Corbinian ordered the beast to accompany him to Rome instead of the killed animal. The bear obeyed. The meaning of the symbol on the coat of arms of the pontiff is the victory of Christianity over paganism. Here are the different interpretations of the bear, the symbol of Russia. Pictures of this beast depict him in various poses, or even only a part - half of the body or one head. But its meaning remains the same - power, courage, courage.
Olympic bear
The whole world still remembers a cute cute bear, which became a symbol of the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Some countries hated or feared the Soviet Union so much that they refused to compete at all. The image of a smiling good bear in many ways helped foreigners to feel confident in alien territory and change their attitude towards Soviet people. After the Olympics, the bear began to be associated with peace, goodness and justice, because everything was fair at the competitions. Of course, this historical fact is not the reason why the bear is a symbol of Russia, but it has made a small contribution to its selection. Russia is often associated with Moscow. Touching bear - a symbol of the famous Moscow Olympics, which many Western ideologists gave a political coloring, no doubt, remained in the memory of people from different countries. He seemed to say, look, Russia is not dangerous at all, but open to friends and hospitable.
Bear - a symbol of Russian lands
As already noted, all the symbols of Russia have their own history and their importance. Bear, in addition, is a symbol or depicted on the arms of many Russian cities. In Perm, he even put a monument. As the creators joke, so that foreigners do not doubt, bears really walk on the streets of Russia. And in Norilsk, the bear is not only depicted on the coat of arms with the key to the city in its clutches, but also has become a living symbol of the city in the form of a little bear cub. The bear is also depicted on the arms of Khabarovsk, Yekaterinburg, Syktyvkar, Yaroslavl and other Russian cities, because this beast is loved and revered. And also because a bear is power, courage and protection.