The coat of arms of Chuvashia: the history of creation, its artistic and poetic symbols

Classical heraldry contains few examples, when the main element of the coat of arms becomes an image completely created by the artist, although containing a clear reference to the ancient national ornament. The coat of arms of Chuvashia is the most vivid example of a state symbol of this type. The originality and novelty of this decision are due to the fact that the history of self-determination of the Chuvash Republic does not have much time, although the isolated existence of this Volga nationality can be traced from the 15th century.

From the Volga Bulgars

Since the 7th century there was a state in the Northern Black Sea coast, called the Great Bulgaria. It was inhabited by Turkic-speaking peoples, many of whom already by that time possessed a developed special culture - Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans. Under the strikes of nomadic tribes, mainly the Khazars, this state formation disintegrated, and the peoples who inhabited it moved to the districts of the Volga and the Kama region.

Here they assimilated with a part of the Finno-Ugric tribes. As a result, the Volga-Bulgarian nationality was formed, which became the basis of many Volga and Ural peoples: Mari, Udmurt, Erzyan, Bashkirs. They were under double pressure: from the east - from the side of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate that had broken away from it , from the west - from the Moscow State gaining strength. Modern Chuvashes are considered a "product" of mixing Bulgars with Mari.

The Chuvash Autonomous Republic

After the capture of Kazan by the army of Ivan IV in 1552 there was an entry of the lands inhabited by the Chuvashes, into the multinational state of Russia. Chuvashia was subsequently part of the Kazan and Simbirsk provinces.

The question of the autonomy of the Chuvash people was first raised only in 1920. Then the Chuvash Autonomous Region was proclaimed, after 5 years it was transformed into the Chuvash Autonomous Republic. In 1927 the Congress of Soviets of the Czechoslovak Republic approved the coat of arms of Chuvashia, created by the artist Pavel Egorovich Martens.

Taking the emblem of the RSFSR as the basis , he replaced the traditional wheat ears in a frame with oak and spruce branches, and decorated the tapes that transplant them with the Chuvash national ornament. But by 1937, under the pretext of fighting local nationalism, even these small features from the symbols of the Chuvash republic were removed. The coat of arms and the flag of Chuvashia repeated all-Russian Soviet heraldic attributes, differing only by duplicating inscriptions in the Chuvash language.

A new stage of statehood

The adoption in 1990 of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Chuvash Republic gave rise to changes in many areas of the life of the republic. The creative elite of the entire Chuvashia and representatives of other social strata of its population, including members of the Chuvash diaspora abroad, joined the process of creating the main characters.

By common efforts the conditions for holding a competition for the development of new state symbols, as well as the basic principles of the concept they expressed, were developed. The new flag and coat of arms of Chuvashia, its anthem were adopted in 1992, after numerous selections and discussions. The author of the coat of arms, entered in the State Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation at number 207, was the prominent Chuvash artist Elly Mikhailovich Yuryev.

«The Tree of Life»

The images of the ancient Chuvash symbols, made in the spirit of national ornament, became the images of the new state attributes. The main one, the "Tree of Life", has deep roots in Slavic history and culture. Thanks to him, the coat of arms of Chuvashia has acquired a surprising ambiguity. This is the embodiment of the historical interconnection of the past, the present and the future of the people, the constant movement forward, rebirth, staunchness, based on the root connections with the native land.

This sign, resembling a silhouette resembling a particularly revered Chuvash oak, consists of five elements, embodying different nationalities, inhabited by the Republic of Chuvashia. The central line, starting from the base and dividing into two branches, ending with curls from the national pattern, is a symbol of the indigenous population. Below and in the middle of the tree there are two signs in pairs, meaning other nationalities, as well as Chuvashes living outside the republic.

Description of the coat of arms

The modern coat of arms of Chuvashia is crowned by another ancient symbol - a thrice repeated eight-pointed star, personifying the sun. The triple repetition of the solar sign means the ancient Chuvash concept - "Pulna. Pur. Pulatpar ", translated as" Were. There is. We will. "

Underneath is a complex cut-out form of the heraldic shield, on which there is a symbolic image of the "tree of life". From below the shield is framed by a red ribbon with a yellow border with a figured broadening below. On the tape yellow letters write the name of the republic in Chuvash and in Russian: "Chavash Republic - Chuvash Republic". The upper edges of the ribbon are decorated with stylized images of golden leaves and cones of hops - beer has always been a traditional holiday drink of Chuvashes.

Description of the flag

Rectangular cloth divided into yellow and red fields, with the centered image of "The Tree of Life" and "Three Suns" - this is one of the main state symbols that the Republic of Chuvashia has.

Of great importance is the color symbolism. Yellow - Chuvash "sara" - one of the most beautiful in the Chuvash folklore. He is identified with the sunlight, with all the most beautiful and bright. In classical heraldry, this color is called gold and has its own interpretation - wealth, strength, loyalty, constancy, justice, etc.

Another color of the coat of arms and the flag of Chuvashia is sandalwood-red. He also refers to the most popular in the Chuvash folk art. In heraldic practice, it is called purple and means power, courage, dignity.

Possessing great artistic expressiveness and significant semantic content, this state symbolism entered the practice and culture of the people. It is actively used in festive decoration, and in the everyday urban environment, while the capital of the Republic of Chuvashia - Cheboksary - is considered one of the most comfortable and beautiful cities in Russia.