Fishing has always played an important role in the life of this beautiful old city located on the banks of the great Volga. Therefore, it was the fish that was placed on its first heraldic symbol. But at a certain moment, one representative of the fauna kingdom was replaced by another. Today, no one can imagine the coat of arms of Yaroslavl other than with the image of a huge bear.
Description of the heraldic sign
The Yaroslavl coat of arms looks stylish and restrained; it consists of several important elements: a French-shaped shield with an image of an armed beast; a rich royal headdress; framed by oak leaves intertwined with ribbon.
Each detail of the coat of arms of Yaroslavl has a certain meaning, contains deep symbolism, whether it be a formidable animal, an ax in his hands or a crown. The same can be said about the color matching for the heraldic symbol of the city on the Volga. The color of the animal has changed over the centuries, but within the natural range - from brown to black. In the paws of the predator there is a golden ax (the type of edged weapon also changed), for the background of the shield the color of the precious metal is chosen - silver.
In the outline of the headdress of the monarchs, one can guess the famous Monomakh hat trimmed with fur and precious stones. This symbol emphasizes that Yaroslavl belonged to the cities where the reigning grand dukes stayed at one time or another.
The symbol of the city
The famous bear became a kind of symbol of Yaroslavl in the middle of the 17th century; her very first image was preserved on the plate of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. And in The Tsar's Titular Book, which was published in 1672, you can read a description of the emblem of the Yaroslavl principality, which emphasizes that a black bear is depicted standing on the grass against the background of a forest. It is even indicated what kind of weapon he is holding in his paws - a protazan. This animal symbolized strength, power, foresight.
In one of the surviving documents dating back to 1692, historians have found mention of the city coat of arms of Yaroslavl (the term “coat of arms” is used for the first time). The drawing is identical to the description from the "Titular" in 1672.
In 1730, the official approval of the heraldic symbol of Yaroslavl took place, the document recorded a new type of weaponry for the beast - chasing, edged weapons with an ax-shaped end. In the description of the coat of arms in the documents of 1778, the mint was replaced with a golden ax.
It is clear that in Soviet times the issue of using the historical coat of arms was not raised, although the bear, as a symbol of Yaroslavl, continued to be present in souvenir products, was located on the emblem of the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant.
