Another Russian city has its own official symbol, during the creation of which the authors tried to combine the historical coat of arms, approved by Emperor Nicholas II in April 1913, with new realities. In particular, the old coat of arms of Chita is supplemented with a ribbon, which corresponds to the Order of Lenin, a state award received by the city in 1972.
Color symbolism
The color scheme of the heraldic symbol of Chita is quite rich, the most famous in world heraldry are enamel and the colors of precious metals - gold and silver. Each of the presented coats of arms has its own symbolic meaning. For example, a scarlet one on the city's coat of arms means fearlessness, courage, and other moral and volitional qualities of residents.
Green is the color of nature, symbolizing prosperity, awakening, hope, abundance. The color of precious gold is associated in heraldry with wealth, splendor, justice, and silver - with independence, nobility and purity. The combination of these colors looks very harmonious on the Chita heraldic sign.
Description of the Chita coat of arms
The composition of the Chita coat of arms is traditional, based on a French shield, the most popular in Russian heraldic practice. The main symbol of the capital of the Trans-Baikal Region consists of the following symbolic elements:
- a golden shield with an image of an eight-pointed palisade and a buffalo head towering over the palisade;
- a golden crown in the form of five towers;
- a wreath of golden laurel on the ring of the crown;
- ribbon matching the colors of the Order of Lenin (framed by a shield).
The golden buffalo with silver eyes and tongue, firstly, reminds of the main branch of agriculture of the inhabitants of Transbaikalia - cattle breeding. Secondly, the silver color symbolizes that it is in this region that the Daurian silver crafts are developed, the golden field of the shield, respectively, is a reminder of the gold crafts.
The palisade also has a double meaning, on the one hand, it symbolizes the architectural art of local residents, on the other hand, eight palis correspond to eight fortified settlements that appeared here in the 18th century. There is an explanation for why the palisade is painted in scarlet and green colors - Chita was a border city, stood guard over the interests of the Russian Empire, established trade and economic ties with neighboring states, China and Mongolia.
