Albania: the flag and the coat of arms of the country. History and meaning of symbols

Albania is a small state on the Balkan Peninsula, off the coast of the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea. It is a country with a centuries-old history that has found a reflection in its national symbols. The flag and the coat of arms of Albania - what are they? What is depicted on them?

Coat of arms of Albania

The coat of arms of this Balkan country is a red shield of traditional shape, on which there is a silhouette of a black two-headed eagle. Above the heads of the bird is the so-called Skanderbeg helmet in the form of a goat's head.

To understand the meaning of these symbols, it is necessary to get acquainted with the history of Albania. The flag and the emblem of the state contain the image of an eagle not by accident. According to folk legend, the descendants of this bird are modern Albanians. And the name of the country in the Albanian language sounds like "Skipperia". In translation into Russian it means: "the country of eagles".

In 1443, the country was led by the outstanding commander Geogryi Skanderbeg. He managed to unite the state and preserve its independence. At this time, the two-headed eagle "settled" on the banner of the country. However, after Scanderbeg's death, Albania fell under the Turkish yoke. The image of the eagle on the Albanian coat of arms for 450 years went underground. The symbol was restored only in 1912.

In 1944, Albania managed to get rid of the German occupation on its own. Communists came to power in the country. They did not touch the Black Eagle on the arms of the state, but they surrounded it with wheat ears. In addition, a red five-pointed star shone over the heads of the eagle - the universal symbol of communism.

Albania: flag and its description

What is the Albanian national flag? This is a red rectangular canvas, the aspect ratio of which is 5: 7. What is depicted on the flag of Albania? It is the same double-headed eagle of black color - a centuries-old symbol of the state.

An uneasy story in the Balkan country called Albania. The flag of the state is not accidental has a scarlet color. It is a symbol of the spilled blood of Albanian patriots shed in the struggle for independence, primarily with the Turkish enslavers.

Black double-headed eagle was transferred to the flag of Albania from the national coat of arms of the country. This version of the banner was approved in 1992. Sometimes on the flag of Albania you can also meet Skanderbeg's helmet.

Albania: flag and its history

On some canvases of the Albanian flag and today you can see a red five-pointed star in a yellow frame. This version of the banner was approved in 1946, after the communists came to power in Albania. In 1992, a modern version of the flag of the Balkan state was approved.

In 1912, Albania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. It was then that the black traditional eagle returned to the coat of arms and flag of the young republic.

Historians know that the red banner with the double-headed silhouette of the eagle served as a symbol of the army of George Skanderbeg (Castriot) in the XV century. Under this flag Albanian soldiers successfully resisted the Turkish conquerors. The legend says that the Albanians themselves are descendants of mountain eagles, so the animal is depicted on the flag of the country. True, there is another version, according to which, this eagle migrated to Albania from the emblem of the Byzantine Empire.

Incident with the flag on the football match "Serbia - Albania"

October 14, 2014, in the qualifying tournament for the European Championship-2016, held a football match "Serbia - Albania". The flag-banner of the last state caused the disruption of the game and the huge battle between fans and players of both countries.

It is worth mentioning at once that the relations between the two Balkan states can hardly be called friendly. They were particularly sharpened after the Kosovo conflict. Nevertheless, the national football teams from these countries were in the same qualifying group (which is very strange, since UEFA usually does not allow the meeting of such teams: Azerbaijan never plays with Armenia, Russian clubs are deliberately "dissolved" with Ukrainian, etc.). .

44 minutes into the match, a remote control helicopter appeared over the stadium. To him was attached a huge banner with the coat of arms and the map of the so-called Great Albania, which covered the territories of Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Macedonia. One of the Serbian football players, seeing the banner, jumped and tore it. Players of the Albanian team immediately attacked him. Shortly after the fight, the fans joined in, actively using the fayers and the severed chairs of the stands.

Of course, the match was terminated.

Finally...

Albania is a small state in the Balkans with a long history. The flag and emblem of the country depicts a black two-headed eagle - a symbol that is known since the XV century.