Historical symbols are at the heart of many modern coats of arms of Russian cities. For example, the coat of arms of Barnaul, one of the most beautiful cities in southwestern Siberia, has retained the basic elements that appeared on the heraldic sign back in 1846.
It is clear that the last version of the main official symbol was approved already in the post-Soviet period, when the republics that were part of the USSR took a free path of development. Today's image was officially approved in November 1995, in March 2009 the City Duma adopted the Regulations on the coat of arms of Barnaul.
Description of the coat of arms
In the normative act on the heraldic symbol, you can find a complete and detailed description of the shield, the individual elements depicted on it, as well as the palette of colors and shades. It is emphasized that the heraldic symbol of Barnaul is a shield, of course, of the French form, like most of the administrative-territorial units of the Russian Federation.
The second important point is that the city coat of arms does not have additional elements that can be seen in different heraldic images. There are no supporters, no framed wreath, no order ribbons. The shield is divided into two fields (horizontally), with the upper one taking up only 1/3 part, the lower one, respectively, 2/3.
In the upper field, painted in a deep emerald color, there is a galloping silver horse. This symbol is well known to specialists in the field of heraldry, it is often depicted on coats of arms and emblems. History connoisseurs know that this representative of domestic animals is from the coat of arms of the Tomsk governorship.
The image of a horse has a symbolic meaning; in the old days, a hardworking animal was the main helper of man. In Siberia, it was actively used both in agriculture and in the mining industry, as a draft force and a mode of transport.
The lower part of the coat of arms is pale blue; this background depicts a smoking blast furnace (scarlet) against the background of rocks (silver).
Greetings from the recent past
It is known that the coat of arms of Barnaul is identical to the historical symbol that has been in effect since the middle of the 19th century. After 1917, the Soviet government contributed to the fact that many coats of arms of the cities of the Russian Empire were abolished, canceled, and new symbols were introduced.
Since the Barnaul coat of arms did not in any way remind of the tsarist regime, the main element was left - the blast furnace was depicted in the form of golden pipes. The new elements are deer, symbolizing forest resources, and part of an ear, emphasizing the development of not only industry in the region, but also agriculture.
