Coat of arms of Tatarstan. Who is depicted on the coat of arms of Tatarstan?

As in all powers, autonomous and territorial-administrative units, the coat of arms and the flag of Tatarstan are state symbols. They were developed and approved by the Supreme Council of the Republic on February 7, 1992. A detailed description of the flag and the coat of arms is contained in the Decree of the Government of Tatarstan No. 1415-XII. These signs of statehood are also included under the number 377 in the Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation. The Law of the Republic of Tatarstan "On State Symbols" strictly regulates the rules and procedure for their use. What is depicted on the coat of arms of Tatarstan and what does this image symbolize? Has it changed during the long history of this region? Let's find out the details.

What is the arms of Tatarstan?

It is a round, so-called "Byzantine" form. The coat of arms shows the main colors of the flag of Tatarstan: red at the bottom, and above green, separated by a thin white stripe. The idea of the heraldic image belongs to Nazim Gabdrakhmanovich Khanzafarov, doctor of philological sciences, and was embodied by her well-known master in Tatarstan, member of the Artists' Union Fifrutdinov Rif Zagreievich. In the center of the two-colored circle, a winged white leopard flaunts against the background of the red rising sun. The image is framed by the Tatar folk ornament, on the bottom of which is written "Tatarstan". The winged beast has its right front paw raised, on its side there is a shield in the form of a round asters with eight petals.

What does the coat of arms of Tatarstan mean?

In heraldry, each image, gesture, color have a certain meaning, something symbolizes. The developer of the idea of Tatarstan's coat of arms Khanzafarov N. G. studied in detail the local mythology. According to her, the rising sun of red color means nascent life, success, growth, happiness. And the luminary in ancient times was the pagan deity of many Eastern peoples. Special attention deserves the beast on the coat of arms of Tatarstan - the winged leopard. Analyzing the myths of the Volga Bulgars, Khanzafarov discovered that this animal symbolized the deity of fertility, was the totem patron of the region.

Heraldic gestures

The pose of a leopard, the movement of its paw and tail - all this matters in heraldry. Wings with seven feathers in each of them symbolize that the power of the mythical beast is spreading both on the earth and in the sky. A curved tail means friendliness, peaceful thoughts, but at the same time sharp teeth and claws indicate that the leopard can stand up for itself and protect those to whom it patronizes. The traditional heraldic gesture is the raised front right paw - it is found in many arms, where animals are featured. This means a good start to the movement, the rightness of the supreme power, success on the path of renewal. A round shield, as you might guess, means the security of the inhabitants of Tatarstan, but the aster is longevity, the eternal source of life.

Symbolic colors

No less important than the image, and has a coloring of the coat of arms, which duplicates the national flag. Green color symbolizes the spring, which means an endless revival of the country. This is indicated by the tulip as well as the vegetative ornament, with which the coat of arms of Tatarstan is framed. Red color means vital energy, determination and strength of the inhabitants of the region. Immaculate whiteness is present in the color of the winged mythical animal, as well as in the socket on the shield. In heraldry it is a symbol of purity of thoughts. The arms embrace three golden belts, expressing the idea of infinity, perfection and unity. This color in heraldry is a symbol of wealth, prosperity and beauty. He also made an inscription with the name of the republic.

How he was before

What was the coat of arms of Tatarstan and other national symbols of the region before the collapse of the Soviet Union? After all, this land has an ancient history dating back to the Khan era. Unfortunately, we do not know. Scientists can trace the change of heraldic symbols only from the time of the Kazan kingdom, when it in 1552 passed into the hands of Ivan the Terrible. On the oldest coat of arms of this kingdom was depicted a lying black dragon on a yellow background. The basilisk had four paws, a pair of wings, a tongue and a tail in the form of an arrow, and its head was turned back, like a beast looked around. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who inherited the title of Tsar of Kazan among others, in 1666 ordered a banner with a coat of arms. He describes his symbolism in this way: "In the crown there is a basilisk, gold is its wings, the tail is also gold." A similar image we see in the royal titular from 1672. The Tsar's Serpent is the defender of the weak among all the Turkic peoples. Therefore, this basilisk (in the mythology of his name Zilant) and was decorated with the arms of Tatarstan until the abolition of the Kazan province and the formation of the Soviet Union. But scientists also find other images that can be called symbols of the Kazan kingdom: a black owl on a gold background.

Symbols of Tatarstan

Since 1920, workers and peasants have also begun to reshape the heraldic symbols of the lands of the former Russian Empire. The Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established within the RSFSR. For this territorial-administrative unit a new coat of arms was required. He had to reflect the happiness with which the local proletariat was radiant from the new power. Developers of heraldic signs did not like the one who is depicted on the coat of arms of Tatarstan: some kind of Serpent-Gorynych, and even in the imperial crown - a symbol of tsarism. It was decided to redo it. On one of the projects, the coat of arms was depicted stretched bow against the backdrop of the rising sun in the frame of ears. A peasant with a scythe and a worker with a pickaxe, depicted below, should illustrate the level of scientific and technological progress. But this new and innocent character did not like the new government. A project was established that actually repeats the coat of arms of the RSFSR, with the only difference being that the inscription "Tatarstan of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic" was below. By the way, before 1937 this text was made "latin". When in 1981 the country entered the phase of "developed socialism", the arms of all the territories of the USSR were supplemented in the upper part by a red five-pointed star.