Kaluga is a city in the Central region of Russia, a modern regional center. The greatest popularity of this settlement is the birthplace of the outstanding Soviet scientist KE. Tsiolkovsky. Today the city is a large industrial, economic and cultural center. But at the same time the modern coat of arms of Kaluga, approved in 2000, was recreated on the basis of the historical symbol of the Kaluga province of the model of 1777.
The modern coat of arms of the city of Kaluga
The main state symbol of the city of Kaluga was approved in the spring of 2000 by a resolution of the city Duma. This is a slightly modified and supplemented emblem of the 1777 model. A blue (azure) background depicts a wavy belt of silver color, above which is the state golden crown of the era of Catherine the Great. In the lower part of the coat of arms of Kaluga is supplemented with a red ribbon, on which the main motto of the city is written in silver letters - "Cradle of Cosmonautics". In the central part of the tape there is a stylized space satellite. The modern coat of arms of the city reflects the history of the region from the depths of centuries to our days.
Flag of the city
In 2000, a new flag of Kaluga was approved by the decision of the City Duma. On the traditional rectangular panel (the ratio of sides 2: 3) along the pole is a vertical strip of red color, occupying one third of the total area of the flag. In its upper part is a space satellite, directed to the shaft. The aircraft is drawn in the same way as on the official coat of arms of the city: schematically, in the form of a ball, from which three supporters depart. The main part of the flag is a blue background, divided in the center by a white wavy strip, above which there is a state crown of golden color. As in most other cities of our country, the flag largely repeats the coat of arms of Kaluga.
Historical coat of arms
Today, not all residents of Kaluga know what exactly is depicted on the main heraldic symbol of the city. The historical coat of arms was legalized in 1777. The silver strip, depicted in the middle of the blue shield, symbolized the river on which the city was built - Oka. The symbol of supreme authority - the crown - was used in the emblem as a sign of mercy and celebrity, received by Kaluga after the establishment of the province. Heraldry is a science in which every symbol and used shade has its own unique meaning. If we consider the Kaluga coat of arms, we can confidently say that blue (blue, azure) color symbolizes the honor, beauty, virtue and glory of the city. Silver in heraldry is a symbol of peace, purity and nobility. Gold elements indicate generosity, greatness, strength. The modern version of the coat of arms is complemented by a red ribbon, the color of which means life, dedication, courage. What is interesting is that in the 1990's Kaluga was to regain its historical symbol. However, for several reasons, the main symbol of the city was legalized somewhat later.
It's interesting: the Kaluga Emblem in the USSR
During the time of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, official state symbols, names of settlements and other geographical objects were changing throughout the country. Changes have not bypassed Kaluga. The city coat of arms and the flag were changed. On the blue shield there was a silver wavy ribbon. The symbol of the monarchy with the coat of arms was removed, instead of the state crown in the central part of the canvas appeared an image of a satellite. Despite the use of the new city emblem throughout the Soviet period in the history of the country, it was not formally approved at the state level. The Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR did not recognize the significant contribution of the region to the development of space technologies.