Probably the most original and unexpected of the main official symbols of Russian cities is the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk, approved in May 2002. Even local residents find it difficult to answer why the image of the famous ship of the desert - a camel - appeared on the city's coat of arms.
Description of the official symbol of Chelyabinsk
A team of authors worked on the image of the modern coat of arms. The ideological inspiration was Valery Kryukov, the artistic part was taken over by Andrey Startsev and Robert Malanichev. Konstantin Mochenov was engaged in the heraldic revision of the coat of arms, and Sergey Isaev made the computer version for use in various documents and text files.
The main symbol of the city is a quadrangular shield with rounded lower ends and an elongated end. The background of the coat of arms is a battlement wall. The loaded camel became the central character. The color palette is modest, there are only three colors. The brick-lined wall and the shield itself are painted silver, the base on which the animal stands is green. The most striking element of the sketch was the camel, made in gold.
Color symbolism
Each of the colors chosen for the main symbol of Chelyabinsk has its own meaning, and it is important to note that all tones are actively used in world heraldry, two of the three refer to precious metals.
The silver color in the image symbolizes nobility, purity of thoughts, prudence. Gold is a symbol of wealth, not only money, but also spiritual, intellectual, moral. Green is associated with the richness of natural resources, fertility, development.
The animal, which has always been associated with the movement of goods and goods, is used on the emblem of Chelyabinsk in the same sense. This is a kind of reminder of the city's wealth, developed trade, and abundance.
Through the pages of history
The introduction of the heraldic symbol of Chelyabinsk is associated with the name of the outstanding statesman Vasily Tatishchev. In 1737 it was he who presented two versions of the coat of arms of the Isetskaya province (now the Chelyabinsk region): the first one depicting a dog chained to the fortress wall; the second - with the figure of a camel, loaded with a load. Both the one and the other version of the coat of arms were crowned with a Tatar crown, above which was the head of the same camel.
The official approval of the Chelyabinsk coat of arms took place much later, a marten and a camel were depicted on it, and A. Volkov became the author of the project. And only in 1994, the authorities of Chelyabinsk returned the historical coat of arms of the city.
