If you ask any person what is the main element that should decorate the coat of arms of Krivoy Rog, then the answer will be one - of course, a horn, and a curved shape. Indeed, it is present on the modern heraldic symbol of this Ukrainian city, but this was not always the case.
Description of the coat of arms
The modern symbol of Krivoy Rog was approved in May 1998, it replaced the Soviet coat of arms, which had been in effect since 1972. The replacement concerned not only the main symbolic elements, but also the colors and even the shape of the shield.
The so-called Spanish shield was chosen, with a beautiful decorative cartouche, it is divided vertically into two equal fields, painted in green and scarlet. Above is the city's silver crown with three prongs, and in the center of the shield there are important elements: a Cossack powder flask made of horn and trimmed with silver; oak trefoil, for the image of which the color of the precious metal (gold) has been chosen.
Of greatest interest is the Cossack powder flask, its appearance on the heraldic symbol is explained, first of all, by the material and form that remind of the name of the city and the legends of the formation of this settlement. According to one of the legends, a Cossack named Horn was the first to appear on these lands. With his light hand, a settlement appeared, then it began to grow rapidly and subsequently received the name by the name of the founder - Kryvyi Rih.
According to another version, such a toponym arose because the first inhabitants settled at the cape or, as they say, the horns, at the confluence of two rivers, Saksagan and Ingulets. There is another explanation for the appearance of the attribute of the Cossacks on the heraldic symbol of the city, until 1775 the territories where Zaporozhye is now located were part of the Zaporozhye Sich. The symbolic meaning of a powder flask is wide opportunities, great potential of the population, especially in the event of an external threat.
Oak, its branches, leaves have long been symbols of strength, eternity, wealth in heraldry. This tree is a reminder of the connection between the past, present and future.
An excursion into history
In 1912, the coat of arms appeared, approved by the zemstvo assembly, it did not go through further instances. It consisted of a shield with elements, an urban crown criss-crossed behind a shield of a hammer and a pickaxe, a scarlet ribbon beautifully draped around.
In 1972, a new symbol of the city appeared. Elements of the image (stylized mine copra and a silver-colored chemical plant) were located on a French shield, divided into scarlet and azure fields.
