Flag and the coat of arms of the Belgorod region. History, description

The situation with heraldry in different parts of Russia differs often cardinally. The coat of arms, even in the largest city, can express the absence of historical, national roots and an elementary heraldic tradition. Attitude to official symbols becomes an indicator of the historical and general culture of the leaders of individual cities and towns, entire regions and subjects of the Federation. The coat of arms of the Belgorod region is an example of a competent attitude to such attributes, when the work with it is correctly placed at all levels.

The Land of Military Glory

The Russian state since ancient times needed strong outposts on its southern borders. Since the final entry of territories, which contains today's map of the Belgorod region, into the Russian state, it becomes clear the defensive purpose of the settlements that arise here. In the 16th century the construction of the Belgorod line began - a continuous defensive line from fortresses, military engineering structures and natural obstacles. She had to resist the predatory raids from the Crimean Khanate.

The first form of government was the Belgorod (or regiment) rank. In 1712 he was awarded Peter I for valor in the Battle of Poltava with a special banner with embroidered emblem on it. The modern coat of arms of the Belgorod region has a prototype of this emblem of three centuries ago.

Belgorod Province

In 1727 the Belgorod province was formed, which existed for more than 50 years. It had its own coat of arms, developed on the basis of the emblem of the Belgorod Regiment and became the basis for all the heraldic attributes of cities and districts of Belgorod since the Russian Empire until our time. At the heart of the plot depicted on them, a symbolic depiction of the victory of Russian weapons in the battle of June 27, 1709 near Poltava: a running lion embodying Sweden, and the Russian eagle flying above it. The bird of prey became the main Russian heraldic symbol, being borrowed from the ancient kings of Byzantium, and the lion was depicted on the banners of Charles XII.

The coat of arms, approved March 3, 1730, is the oldest official state symbol of the city of Belgorod and the region: in a gold shield, in a blue field - a yellow lion, beneath it - a green earth, and above it - a single-headed eagle of black color.

In the course of administrative reforms after 1779 Belgorod province was abolished, and re-established only in 1954.

Belgorod region

In Soviet times, for the entire existence of the Belgorod region, it did not have its own heraldic symbol. The arms had no smaller units of administrative division, although the map of the Belgorod region numbered 31 districts, transferred to it from the Kursk and Voronezh regions.

In practice, only the coat of arms of the regional center, approved by the decision of the City Council of 20.05.1970, was used. It was a historical version of the 1730 model, supplemented with heraldic motifs, customary for the Soviet era: wheat ears and a pinion, aimed at emphasizing the agricultural and industrial importance of the region. In the coat of arms of the Belgorod region, the Guards tape was also included - a tribute to the memory of the military glory of the city's residents and the grandiose battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Commission on Heraldry

In 1994, a special public commission on heraldic provision was established in the region, one of the first in the country. It included the most famous local historians, historians and artists of the region. The purpose of her work was to recreate the arms and flags of the districts, cities and settlements, the development of local decoration badges, elements of uniforms and other symbols.

The first purpose of the commission's work was the revival of regional state symbols and their creation for those regions and cities of the region where they had not existed before. By the forces of a specially created creative group, a proposal was prepared, including the coat of arms and the flag of the Belgorod region, which was sent for heraldic examination to the State Herald.

The response of the main herald master of Russia

In October 1995, the conclusion was reached, signed by the chairman of the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation Georgy Vadimovich Vilinbakhov. It noted the high level of materials provided on the coat of arms of the Belgorod region, the worthy quality of description and image of the main symbol of Belgorod. The coats of arms of the districts of the Belgorod region, as well as many towns and settlements of Belgorod region were approved. In February 1996, the coat of arms of the region was approved by a resolution of the regional Duma. In the Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation it is listed at number 100.

The modern coat of arms of the Belgorod region - its description and graphic embodiment - meets all the rules of heraldic science. The animals on it are depicted without exact follow-up to natural sciences, more ornamental and decorative, while preserving accurate references to the historical origin of the coat of arms. The description emphasizes the traditional meaning of color symbolism:

• The azure field on the shield is the color of the sky, a symbol of greatness, honesty, beauty.
• Green earth is the color of abundance, hope, joy.
• The black color of the eagle is a symbol of power, prudence, wisdom.
• The golden color of a lion is faith, justice, mercy.
• The red (scarlet) color of the tongue is courage, courage, fearlessness.
• Silver eyes, teeth and claws - truthfulness, nobility, purity.

The main regional heraldic symbol is included as an integral part in many emblems of the cities of the Belgorod region, which also corresponds to the classical rules of herbology.

Flag of Belgorod

In 2000, the flag of the Belgorod region was also approved, also included in the State Heraldic Register under the number 621. It was recreated on the basis of the banners presented to Peter the Great by the Belgorod Regiment in the distant 1712.

Symmetrical blue cross - a classic element in heraldry - divides the panel into four fields, called in the vectorology - the science of flags, banners, standards - crozons or cantons. They are painted in colors used in the regional coat of arms - white, red, green and black. In the upper, near the shaft, the canton is the color coat of arms of the region. The symbolism of the colors of the flag coincides with the description of the emblem, in addition, the black color on the flag is added the symbolic value of one of the main riches of the region - chernozem.