The authorities of most Russian cities came to grips with official symbols in the late 1990s. The first such swallow was the coat of arms of the Belgorod region, its image was approved by the regional Duma in February 1996. Following Belgorod residents, other regions and settlements - subjects of the Russian Federation - went to study heraldic traditions, introduce or revive their own symbols.
Description of the heraldic symbol
The modern coat of arms of this region of Russia is identical to the historical coat of arms received in 1730 by the Belgorod province. The author of today's version is Viktor Pavlovich Legeza, a famous Belgorod painter.
The heraldic symbol of the region has a rather simple compositional structure and a restrained range of colors. The coat of arms is a French-shaped pentagonal shield. It has four primary colors, two for the background of the shield, two for the depiction of important characters.
The shield is divided into two unequal parts, the lower one is green, in the literal meaning - the grass covering on which the golden lion is located. In the symbolism of the coat of arms, this color corresponds to a reliable foundation, prosperity, the desire for prosperity and wealth.
The upper part of the shield is azure, on the one hand, it symbolizes heaven, serves as a residence for the second important emblem character - the eagle. On the other hand, it is a symbol of the highest light, heavenly powers, freedom and independence.
Through the pages of history
It is known that the main characters of the coat of arms of the Belgorod region, the eagle and the lion, were "noticed" already in 1712. So far, scientists have recorded the first fact of their appearance on the banner of the Belgorod Infantry Regiment. The military banner was divided into four fields: two of them are emerald; two are black, with images of a golden eagle and a golden lion in the upper left margin.
In 1730, the heraldic symbol of Belgorod and the province appears; a predatory animal and a bird of prey are also clearly visible on it. The size of the lion and the bird is proportional, unlike the following image found by scientists on one of the maps of the Belgorod province of the 18th century, here the sizes of the representatives of the fauna are practically equal.
The lion on the coat of arms of the province symbolized the victory over Sweden, since the image of the predator adorned the banner of Charles XII, the eagle was a symbol of the Russian Empire, was depicted on the banners of the victors and their commander-in-chief, Tsar Peter I. In 1730, a description of the colors of the heraldic symbol appeared, they coincide with the modern image.
