Kharkov is one of the Ukrainian cities, and today it is only a regional center, but meanwhile it has a long history, during which there were periods of prosperity and decline. The main heraldic symbol, the coat of arms of Kharkov, nevertheless makes a reference to wealth, stability, prosperity. And all thanks to a carefully selected palette and a strict selection of symbols.
Modern city coat of arms
A color photo conveys the brightness of the colors of this heraldic symbol, there are a lot of different colors, but on the whole the image looks harmonious. The palette is used to convey the shades of the gifts of nature, but they take up an insignificant place on the shield, and therefore style and restraint are preserved.
The main background color of the traditional French shield is emerald with gold edging. There are two main elements on the shield: a cornucopia filled with fruits and flowers; caduceus, the so-called rod of Mercury.
Each of these symbols is drawn in sufficient detail, so you can look at the coat of arms of Kharkov for an infinitely long time. A meticulous viewer among the fruits, gifts of the cornucopia, will be able to find red apples, pears and plums shown in yellow, apricots of a pleasant orange color. You can also see the grapes depicted in heraldic purple, which corresponds to blue.
The caduceus is a symbol known to both the ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans. The latter called the rod that Mercury wore. On the one hand, this ancient representative of divine powers had the ability to trade, on the other hand, the presence of such an attribute as a caduceus spoke of his ability to find a common language with everyone, if necessary, to reconcile the warring parties.
This attribute is a golden rod to which silver wings are attached at the top. You can also see two silver snakes that twine around the wand and intertwine with each other. These elements symbolize wisdom.
From the history of heraldic symbols of Kharkov
The first coat of arms of the city depicted a bow with a stretched bowstring and a tucked arrow. Such a symbol was quite popular at that time, and today it is used in this capacity by some Russian cities and regions. The first image was black on the shield's gold field. Later, in the twentieth century, a color description of this symbol is found, the field becomes emerald, the bow - yellow (gold). As you can see, the modern coat of arms of Kharkov has radically changed its appearance, but the elements depicted on it bear a deep symbolic meaning.
