History of Moscow: the emblem of the capital of Russia

Not only visitors, but not every native inhabitant of the capital will give a positive answer to the question about what is depicted on the coat of arms of the Russian capital. At best, he will remember about some rider with a spear that fights the Serpent. This requires the history of Moscow. The coat of arms did not appear immediately, it was changed for a long time, creating the ideal symbol of the great city.

Who is this rider?

Experts of heraldry do not doubt that in this case a warrior in silver armor riding a horse is none other than the legendary George the Victorious. He is clothed in silver armor, a blue cloak on top, in his right hand holds a golden spear, the point of which pierces the mouth of the black Serpent. The name of St. George is clearly indicated in the "Regulations on the Emblem", adopted by the capital's authorities in 1993. Not everyone knows about it.

So how did the coat of arms of Moscow appear and why is this person depicted there? These questions can be found at the bottom of the article.

The Legend of the Warrior

The basis was the following story, describing the battle in detail. A brave warrior was riding on horseback waiting for the Serpent on the shore of the exciting sea. Suddenly, a terrible and unpleasant monster emerged from the water and prepared for an attack. His fetid mouth let out a stream of flame, why the horse, frightened, stood on its hind legs. But the rider did not lose his head. The left hand clutched at the bridle, the fighting friend calmed down; Right - firmly grasped the spear where the shaft ended.

With a deft movement, the warrior sent a menacing weapon toward the Serpent, and a magical silver tip entered the jaws of the monster. The serpent writhed in the agony of death under the hooves of the horse, life faded in him. It can be safely assumed that the coat of arms of the city of Moscow appeared not without reason in this form.

Patron of military affairs

For a long time Christians have been honoring St. George. He patronized all men, especially those who devoted themselves to military affairs, knights, as well as hunters and travelers.

It is not surprising that in the 10th century, when Christianity strengthened its positions in Russia, it was this representative of the Christian pantheon that became popular among hunters and warriors. A proud Caucasian could afford to take off his cap-swank from his head only when he saw the image of St. George. Ossetians, professing Christianity, during the feast necessarily devoted at least one toast to St. George, counting on his favor and patronage.

In the Bible there is a tale of a Palestinian warrior named Georgi, who, in order to save the life of Ai princess, killed an ogre-dragon. But how did the coat of arms of Moscow appear? What does the rider and monster symbolize under the spear?

The monster is a symbol of evil

The Old Russian legend also tells of George, who slaughtered with the sword of the Serpent. In gratitude for not having to be afraid of being eaten by a monster, the idol worshipers of Guevala believed in Christ.

It is possible to go deeper even many millennia ago into Indo-European history. Her character - warrior Indra, who was simultaneously a deity, destroys a snake. As a result, mankind gets access to the heavenly water. With the serpent, different legendary figures struggle at different times:

• Theseus, the hero of ancient Greek myths.
• Perun, the Slavic pagan god. In the image of the monster, Veles, the ruler of the underworld, is represented.
• Bogatyrs Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich defeat the fire-breathing dragon.

In general, the snake from the ancient Slavs was associated with enemies, who often came to Russia from the steppes. Therefore, the coat of arms of the city of Moscow was made in this form.

First there were coins

Long before the prince or saint against the background of the red shield was approved as a symbol of Moscow, his face was originally printed on coins of the Byzantine Empire. Prince of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise, who ruled in the 11th century, made seals and coined coins with St. George. Few people know about the second name of the prince - Yuri (or George). He received it when he became a Christian. In honor of the patron saint, the prince built the city of Tartu (he is Yuryev), a Novgorod monastery, the church of St. George in Kiev. The coat of arms of Moscow appeared only after some time.

In the following centuries, traditionally continued to depict coins of a warrior-snake-player of Russian princes. This is the founding capital of the future great state Yuri Dolgoruky, the winner of the Teutonic Knights Alexander Nevsky, Ivan II, Basil II. For the sculptural image of the holy victorious serpent was chosen Frolovskaya tower of the Kremlin.

Heroic symbol on the arms

As a starting point, when the rider, who fights the Serpent, was entrenched on the coat of arms of the Moscow Principality and "All Russia", the period of the reign of Ivan III can be considered. But, strangely enough, for some reason no one called the "Moscow ezdtsa" St. George. Moreover, even on state seals it was placed on the breast of a two-headed eagle. But even then the description of the coat of arms of Moscow was made by many chroniclers. The picture symbolized that any enemy of Russia would be defeated.

Only Peter I special document about the second decade of the 18th century, finally, he bothered to assign a specific name (St. George) to the famous rider. Until the middle of the 19th century the Petrine variant served as a symbol of the capital of Russia. By the decree of Emperor Nicholas I in 1856, the design of the emblem changed a little.

After his approval, 27 years later he acquired the following form:

1. Instead of oak leaves , scepters appeared.
2. The warrior, along with the horse, was deployed in the opposite direction, as the rules of heraldry adopted in Western Europe required. It was explained simply. Knights of the Middle Ages, arms often were present on the shields. During the fight, the shield, as a rule, was in the left hand. Therefore, the animals depicted (bears, lions, etc.) should look towards the attacker. The Moscow coat of arms has not stopped changing.
3. The cloak now has a blue color.
4. The dragon, which was originally black, was covered in gold, and the wings became green.
5. The color of the horse has changed - from the snow-white one it has become a silvery shade.

The Bolsheviks, who came to power as a result of the October Revolution of 1917, got rid of all that was connected with the bourgeois past. The same fate befell the symbolism. In 1924, Moscow received a new coat of arms. The authorities did not want to leave the old coat of arms of Moscow, which symbolizes kings and knights.

Only in 1993, George the Victorious "returned" to its former place, thereby confirming the fact that good, sooner or later, must triumph over evil. Many argue which animal on the coat of arms of Moscow is depicted. The dragon is mystic, so we decided to stop at the snake, which tries to blacken the Motherland. But the defenders always destroy the creepy reptile.