The main official symbol of the capital of one of the Baltic states makes it clear that the city has a very long history and traditions. The coat of arms of Riga is a reminder of the Middle Ages, when this settlement played an exclusive role as an industrial, commercial, port and cultural center in Europe.
An excursion into the history of the coat of arms and the city
Despite the presence of historical symbols on the main heraldic sign of Riga, the coat of arms itself is not so many years old, it has not yet celebrated its centenary. The modern image was approved in October 1925.
Then, after joining the Soviet Union, the main symbol lost its meaning and was not used. After the collapse of the USSR, gaining the long-awaited freedom and independence of the country, the capital of Latvia returned its coat of arms. This significant event took place in 1988.
Description of the coat of arms palette
Colored photos most vividly represent the city coat of arms, first of all, the harmonious combination of its colors and symbols. The color palette contains scarlet (red), gold (yellow) and black.
The scarlet color perfectly conveys the color of the fortress walls of the Riga castle, gold corresponds to the symbols of power, the crossed keys to the city are depicted in black, which is one of the most important elements of the coat of arms.
The meaning of details and heraldic symbols
It is known that Riga was part of the so-called Hanseatic League, one of the longest-standing political, commercial and economic entities in Europe. That is why the elements of the coat of arms are easily correlated with that time, the period of the highest prosperity of the city. Important elements on the coat of arms of Riga include:
- a fragment of a stone castle fortress with towers and gates;
- the golden head of a lion seen in the gate (with the lattice raised);
- crossing of symbolic keys from the city;
- cross and crown, made in gold color;
- supporters in the form of two golden lions on a gray base.
The use of large and small coats of arms is allowed, the latter is distinguished by the absence of shield holders.
Through the pages of history
One of the oldest elements of the coat of arms is the image of a stone wall and towers, which has been used since 1225 on city seals. A cross was then located between the towers, and the keys took places on both sides of the architectural decorations. The cross was a symbol of the bishop of Riga, correlated with spiritual authority, the keys are a reference to the Apostle Peter (his symbol), who was considered the patron saint of the city.
