The black two-headed eagle, a symbol of the Russian Empire, was a fairly frequent visitor on the heraldic signs of cities and provinces until 1917. After the October Revolution, of course, there was no place for him. At the end of the twentieth century, many of the emblems were restored, such as the coat of arms of Kostroma, and re-approved.
Description of the official symbol of Kostroma
A color photo of the coat of arms of this Russian city demonstrates the abundance of shades of the blue palette, and this is its main difference from most heraldic signs of the world, in which there is one, maximum two shades of the same color. All this is connected with the choice of the following main fragments, the heraldic symbol of Kostroma: the background of the shield in the form of an azure sky; waves depicted by a combination of dark blue and silver colors.
In addition, the city's coat of arms has the main symbol element, for the image of which precious shades have been chosen - gold and silver. This is a galley with sails retracted. When you enlarge a color photo of the coat of arms or a picture, ten rowers can be seen on the monitor screen.
The mast of the galley ends with a fluttering Imperial standard depicting a black two-headed eagle. Moreover, the bird looks the same as on the standards, coats of arms, approved by the great empress Catherine II.
Historical symbol
The coat of arms of Kostroma was granted by the Great Catherine, as her contemporaries called her, in October 1767. This happened after the Empress visited the city. Until that time, the townspeople could only envy their neighbors for their own heraldic symbol.
In 1719, as a result of another administrative-territorial reform, the Kostroma province was formed, moreover, as part of the Moscow province. The first emblem of the city also appeared, which, unfortunately, was not approved.
And only Catherine II, having reached Kostroma, and precisely by water, made the city a great gift in the form of her own heraldic symbol. Perhaps this was facilitated by the magnificent reception that the townspeople gave to the reigning person, not without bell bells, artillery fireworks, illumination.
All this was so vividly imprinted in the memory of the empress that she ordered Heraldia to make the city of the Kostroma coat of arms. Galley "Tver", on which the reigning person arrived in the city, has not left Kostroma ever since, decorating its coat of arms to this day.
