Formidable symbols related to weapons often adorn the heraldic signs of various Russian cities and regions. Here is the coat of arms of Bryansk, one of the regional centers of central Russia, contains a schematic representation of an old cannon and cannonballs. This is a kind of hint that the townspeople are always ready to repulse any enemy.
Description of the Bryansk coat of arms
The choice of such elements for the coat of arms is not accidental. Bryansk is located at the crossroads of economic and trade routes from Europe to Asia. It is clear that there have always been those who want to increase their own wealth in a dishonest way, including at the expense of the city treasury. Therefore, the residents had to defend the city with weapons in their hands more than once.
The composition of the coat of arms is quite simple, based on a French shield with rounded lower ends. The following important elements are located in the shield field:
- a gold mortar, a weapon used in hostilities since the 15th century;
- two pyramids of bombs of different sizes;
- golden patterns symbolizing growing greenery.
The field of the shield is horizontally divided into two unequal parts, upper, large, scarlet, lower, smaller, green. Symbolically, red means bravery, courage, shed blood, green is used to mean a symbol of hope, abundance, prosperity. Golden patterns located in a green field also speak of blossoming, young shoots.
There are no other elements (wreaths, ribbons) in the frame of the coat of arms of Bryansk, there are no supporters, the imperial crown crowning many other heraldic symbols of the cities of the Russian Federation. But this makes the official symbol no more simple, on the contrary, every detail speaks for itself.
Historical descriptions
The first mention of the city's coat of arms dates back to the 18th century, and the earliest image can be seen on the banner of the Landmilitsky regiment, located on the territory of Bryansk. From the very beginning, there was a mortar and two groups of nuclei (bombs), one of which was located closer to the viewer, the second - further away.
In the Znamenny Heraldry of 1730, you can find a description of not only symbols, but also colors for them: mortar - gold, bombs - black, field - red. In 1781, a step was made from the regimental banners and coats of arms, in fact, to the heraldic symbol of the city of Bryansk. The already familiar French shield, mortar and shells for it, placed on a green field, have been selected.
The Soviet government was loyal to this heraldic symbol, it was not used as a coat of arms, but it was actively replicated in souvenirs.
