There is little to say about the presence of predators on the heraldic emblems of individual Russian cities. First, they symbolize the strength, power of a city, region, the readiness of its inhabitants to defend the borders. Secondly, they are associated with the natural resources of the region. But the coat of arms of Pskov has overtaken everyone in this indicator, since it contains as many as three images of a formidable beast.
Golden leopard
The main difference between the Pskov heraldic sign is that leopards are chosen as the main characters, and one of them occupies the central place on the shield, the other two act as shield holders. The composition of the coat of arms is complex, multi-layered, in addition to the aforementioned handsome predators, the following elements are present:
- azure shield with a cloud and a right hand (except for a leopard);
- the municipal crown crowning the shield with an additional wreath of laurel leaves;
- two crossing swords behind the royal headdress;
- the crowns of St. Dovmont, with which the leopard-holders are crowned;
- golden swords in the paws of the leopards;
- decorative graceful base and azure ribbon with the city's motto.
The color palette is quite bright, expressive, two colors dominate - azure and gold. The first one is chosen for the background of the shield, the scabbard in which the swords are embedded, a ribbon with the motto of the same shade. Gold, the color of the precious metal, was chosen, of course, to convey the color of the leopards, the decorative base, the headdress of the monarchs and the laurel wreath.
To a lesser extent, other representatives of the palette are present, black to convey the natural color of the leopard (spots), silver - in the decoration of small details and for the inscription. You can also see the scarlet tongues of leopards, multi-colored gems and pearls in the design of the crown. Any color photos and illustrations - there are vivid demonstrations of one of the most beautiful heraldic symbols of Russian cities.
Symbols and meaning
The predatory animals on the Pskov coat of arms, firstly, symbolize the riches of the region, and not only natural, but also created by human hands. In addition, they act as a kind of defenders of the city, which more than once had to defend itself from external enemies. The motto at the base of the heraldic symbol also reminds of this.
The crossed swords, located behind the crown, testify to the high rank that Pskov was awarded, namely "City of Military Glory".
