Flag and the coat of arms of Minsk. Symbols of the Belarusian capital

Each city has its own symbols, both officially approved and unofficial ones. Minsk has both.

Heraldry of Minsk region

The Minsk region is located in the central part of the Republic of Belarus, and covers an area of 40 thousand square kilometers. This is the only region of the country that does not have access to the state border, but directly neighbors all other regions of Belarus. In its center is the capital of the state. But the city of Minsk itself is an independent administrative-territorial unit.

The Minsk region is divided into 22 districts. In its limits, there are 33 cities and towns (the largest of them - Borisov, Soligorsk, Nesvizh, Zhodino). Most of these settlements have their own coat of arms.

About a third of city coats of arms of the Minsk region are historical. This means that they were approved even in those times when specific settlements were part of the Commonwealth or the Russian Empire. We are talking about the arms of cities such as Kletsk, Nesvizh, Kopyl, Slutsk, Cherven and some others.

Many heraldic symbols of the region contain religious semantics. For example, on city coats of arms of Borisov, Radoshkovichi one can see the images of the Virgin Mary and St. Peter. Biblical motifs, by the way, are also present on the main flag of the Minsk region.

Local heraldists did not forget about the natural and geographical peculiarities of their region. Thus, the coat of arms of Logoisk depicts hills - the main feature of the so-called "Belarusian Switzerland". But on the coat of arms of the city of Krupki you can see a twig of the same name with golden flowers.

If you carefully analyze the heraldry of the Minsk region, you can notice another interesting feature. The coats of arms of this region, as a rule, are monochrome and not burdened with a large number of figures, drawings and small details. In other words, they look stylish and laconic.

Coat of arms of Minsk: description and interesting moments

The coat of arms of the Belarusian capital is simple, colorful, highly artistic and somewhat naive. In the center of the blue baroque shield is placed the Mother of God in a red and blue garment. She stands on a silvery cloud surrounded by two cherubs. Above the head of the Mother of God is a pair of angels.

It is not difficult to guess that the coat of arms of Minsk reflects the fundamental dogma of Catholicism about the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This biblical story inspired many eminent artists - Rubens, Titian, Lorenzo Lotto and others.

The main symbol of Minsk was officially approved in 2001. Moreover, this procedure was not without fierce arguments. The main problem was how to depict the Virgin Mary - according to Orthodox or Catholic canons. Still, on the final version of the arms, the hands of the Virgin are divorced, which corresponds to the Orthodox tradition.

The modern coat of arms of Minsk adorns city streets, souvenirs of the capital and state institutions. His image can also be found in printed materials - newspapers and magazines.

Coat of arms of Minsk: history

The main symbol of the Belarusian capital recently turned 425 years old! The coat of arms of Minsk was approved by King Zhigimont Vaza back in 1591. At that time the city was already large enough to boast of the Magdeburg law.

Why is the Virgin depicted on the coat of arms of Minsk? Many people are puzzled by this fact. According to legend, the icon depicting the scene of the Ascension of Our Lady sailed against the current along Svisloch in Minsk. Where she stopped, the first church in Belarus was soon erected.

For several centuries the coat of arms of the Belarusian capital has been adjusted and modified at least ten times. Curious fact: at the end of the XVIII century the Virgin on the main symbol of the city was dressed in a fashionable at the time dress with crinoline. In Soviet times, the anti-religious censorship of the historical coat of arms of Minsk, of course, was canceled. His city was returned only at the beginning of the new millennium.

The flag of the city of Minsk

The flag of the Belarusian capital almost does not differ from the coat of arms. It is a rectangular panel of blue color with standard parameters. In the center of this sheet is placed the emblem of the city in unchanged form. And the width of the image is 2/5 of the total length of the flag.

The flag of Minsk was officially approved in March 2001. Today it is used at all city events, ceremonies and celebrations. On the occasion of mourning, the flag at all the institutions of the city is lowered halfway, and in its upper part a ribbon of black is folded in half.

Architectural symbols of Minsk

In addition to the flag and the coat of arms, the capital of Belarus has other symbols (unofficial, tourist and others). For example, architectural.

According to the reviews of tourists, travelers and guests of the city, the capital of the republic can distinguish five of the most outstanding buildings, structures and objects, which can rightfully be considered its architectural symbols. Here they are:

• Victory Square with a 40-meter obelisk is a symbol of military valor and unity of peoples.
• The Government House, built in the 1930s in the style of constructivism, is the largest public building in the city.
• The Town Hall (1600 year of construction) is one of the oldest buildings of the Belarusian capital.
• The church of St. Simeon and Helena (or the so-called "Red Church") is the most famous Catholic church in Minsk.
• The National Library of Belarus (built in the early 2000s) is the most original construction of the city, made in the form of a 23-storey rhombo-cuboctahedron.

Minsk: in search of an urban brand

Many cities in the world today are working hard to create their own brands. The Minsk authorities have assigned this duty to the British company INSTID. She is searching for the identity of the capital of Belarus since 2012.

Experts of the company have already decided on the color of Minsk - it's azure. Against this background, the main emblem of the city was developed, consisting of a network of numerous and thin white bands. To many, it inspired associations with the motherboard. The developers of the brand do not deny this similarity. They say that in this emblem they wanted to reflect the city's desire for innovation in all spheres of life.

The company INSTID has already come up with a slogan for Minsk. His English-language version: Think Minsk, and the Russian-speaking version is "Minsk. Interesting". In the near future, the company plans to create a corporate flavor of the city, as well as make a list of dishes of the Belarusian capital.