home » Spring clothes » What does the shape of the coat of arms mean? Components of the coat of arms - The parts of an achievement of arms

What does the shape of the coat of arms mean? Components of the coat of arms - The parts of an achievement of arms

What is a family coat of arms?

The coat of arms, along with the other components ( family tree, pedigree) forms modern concept The genealogy is a symbol of your family, and sometimes a symbol of just one person (then we are talking about a Personal Coat of Arms). The family coat of arms is a set of heraldic symbols that represent the main features of the family line. The family coat of arms used to be a privilege of the nobility, but now it is designed to highlight the family, unite all its members, and become a strong link for generations.

Family coat of arms (family coat of arms)- compiled by the whole family and reflects the essence of family life of the clan, its place in society and basic values.

Coat of Arms Personal- describes the personality of a particular person.

The coat of arms is an artistic reflection of the basis of a person, his set of beliefs and views on the family, the world, and life. Very often, a coat of arms is drawn up in order to better understand your family and your place in it.

Coming up with a coat of arms is not an easy task. There is a whole science - heraldry, which knows all the rules for drawing up coats of arms. We will give just a few rules for creating a coat of arms that will help you draw the coat of arms of your family.

Rules for creating a coat of arms

1. Shape of the coat of arms

Any coat of arms or emblem is usually composed of certain parts.

The main part coat of arms is shield. The image of a shield is intended to protect a family or a person from enemies both in ancient times and in our time. Heraldic shield initially no different from the real shield. In ancient times, in the Middle Ages, the shapes of military shields were simply amazing in their diversity - round, oval, pointed towards the bottom, rectangular, crescent-shaped, etc. A diamond-shaped shield usually indicated that the owner of such a coat of arms was a lady.
Suitable materials for making a family coat of arms include whatman paper, cardboard from boxes, and thick colored paper. Together with your child, choose the shape of the future family coat of arms and draw it on whatman paper.

2. Color of the coat of arms

The coat of arms could be of different colors, and each color had its own meaning. In heraldry, colors can reflect natural phenomena, the qualities of the human soul, human character, and even complex philosophical concepts:

Colors	Name of color adopted in heraldry	Natural phenomenon	Qualities of character, human soul	Philosophical concepts
			Generosity, generosity	Justice
		Moon, water, snow		Innocence
	Chervlen		Bravery, courage, bravery
			Loyalty, truthfulness
		Plants	Youth, joy
			Education, modesty	Humility
Violet			Nobility, dignity	Wisdom (prudence)

The shield can be painted in one color. If we want to use several colors, then the shield needs to be divided, for example, into two parts: vertically, horizontally, diagonally. Despite its apparent simplicity, the geometric divisions of the shield field form many options. Following these division rules, the shield can be divided into three, four or more parts.

3.Coat of arms figures

The figures that are placed on top of the shield field are traditionally divided into heraldic and non-heraldic.
In turn, heraldic figures can be main or secondary.
There are eight main heraldic figures– this is the head (occupies the upper part of the shield), the extremity (located at the bottom of the shield), the pillar (located vertically in the middle of the shield), the belt (placed horizontally in the middle of the shield), the belt (located diagonally on the shield and has two options: from left to right and from right to left), rafter, cross and border.

Minor heraldic figures quite a lot - a square, a rhombus, a shield, etc.

Images of people, animals, plants, natural phenomena, objects play important role in the symbolism of coats of arms. They refer to non-heraldic figures, which are divided into natural (natural phenomena, heavenly bodies, plants, animals, humans), artificial (weapons, tools, household items) and mythical (dragons, unicorns, griffins).
Symbolism of the figures:
-leo - strength, courage, generosity;
-eagle - strength, power, independence;
-bear means wisdom and strength;
-dog - loyalty and devotion;
-snake - wisdom, caution;
-the dove symbolizes peace and purity;
- falcon - beauty, courage and intelligence;
-bee – hard work;
-rooster is a symbol of battle;
-dragon - power;
-oak means strength and durability;
-laurel and palm branches - glory, victory;
- olive branches - peace;
- a torch, an open book - symbolize knowledge
The combination of heraldic figures, symbolic images and their colors can serve constant sign, a distinctive sign of a person, family, class, group or institution.

4. Motto of the family coat of arms

Motto - short saying, usually written on a ribbon at the bottom of the shield. Sometimes mottos are placed in the coat of arms without a ribbon; if the shield is round, the motto is usually written around the shield. Obviously, the basis for the motto could originally have been a knightly battle cry (such as “Crom boo”, the motto of the Dukes of Fitzgerald, meaning “Crom (the old ancestral castle) forever!", but the motto could be short statement, reminiscent of some important historical event or expressing the credo of the owner of the coat of arms. The text of the motto can be encrypted and understandable only to initiates.
Family motto passed down from generation to generation, can guide a person’s actions and model his behavior. The family motto is an analogue of a surname, a family calling card. The verbal motto of the family briefly, in a few words, expresses the family credo, the life rules of the family.
Wonderful mottos for the family have already been invented, or rather, formulated in popular proverbs.
Mottos about family:
“Where there is agreement, there is victory,”
"Family is the pillar of happiness"
“Where there is love and advice, there is no grief”
“A family is strong when there is only one roof over it,”
“The family is in a heap, not even a cloud is scary.”
Mottos about honor:
"The more difficult the matter, the higher the honor"
“Where there is honor, there is truth.”
Labor mottos:
"The master's work is afraid"
“Skill and labor will grind everything down.”
"The one who walks will master the road"
Mottos about friendship:
“In a herd that agrees, even a wolf is not afraid”
"There is safety in numbers".
Mottos about defending the Motherland:
"If the people are united, they are invincible"
"Courage is the sister of victory."

DIY family coat of arms. This is how children aged 5-7 years old came up with a family coat of arms.

Family, school, group coat of arms templates

Musician family coat of arms template

Coat of arms template download

Heraldic shield (coat of arms) - a conventionally depicted stylized shield of a form recognized in the heraldic tradition, or a characteristic design (paveza), bearing on its front surface (in the coat of arms) a certain set of coat of arms figures. It is the basis of any coat of arms.

Shield points

To accurately determine in which part of the shield a particular heraldic figure is located, the following points or areas of the shield should be distinguished.

Forms of heraldic shields

The shapes of heraldic shields outwardly distinguish one national tradition of armorial studies from another.

The forms of heraldic shields received conventional names according to the nationality of the knighthood, which preferred a certain configuration of shields. The most common form of a knight’s shield in the era of the birth of heraldry was triangular, which, along with the “French shield” form, became one of the main ones in heraldry. In Russian heraldry, the most commonly used is also the French form of shield.

Form	Traditional name	Period of greatest distribution
Triangular with a narrowing at the head	Varangian (Norman), Early Gothic	XIII-XIV	Coat of arms of Slovakia
Triangular	Varangian (Norman), Old French	XIII-XIV	Coat of arms of Norway
Quadrangular with a pointed base	French	XVIII -XXI	Coat of arms of Russia
Quadrangular with a pointed base and upper corners	French	XVIII -	Vatican coat of arms
Quadrangular with round base	Spanish	XIV -	Coat of arms of Vilnius
Quadrangular with a rounded base	Spanish	XIX -	Coat of arms of Spain
Figured	German (Germanic), "tarch"	-XVI	Devonshire family coat of arms
Stretched Skin	German (Germanic), "cartouche", baroque	XVI-XVII	Coat of arms of the RSFSR
Stretched Skin	Polish, baroque	XVI -XVIII	Coat of arms of Estonia
Stretched Skin	Polish, baroque	XVII-XVIII	Coat of arms of the Sapieha family
Triangular with two overturned arches at the head	English	XVIII -	Coat of arms of Panama
Triangular			Coat of arms of Nicaragua
Quadrangular with a sharp base and upper corners	English	XVIII -	Coat of arms of Moldova
Quadrangular with a sharp base	English	XVIII -	Emblem of Ukraine
Oval	Italian, ladies'	XVI -XVIII	Coat of arms of Ecuador
Rhombic (oblique)	Ladies'	-XVIII	Princess Anne's coat of arms
Round	Byzantine (eastern)	XII-XVI	Coat of arms of China
teardrop-shaped (almond-shaped)	Varangian, Russian, Old Russian	XXI	Coat of arms of Novaya Zemlya
	Hussite paveza		Coat of arms of Czechoslovakia

Meanwhile, the “nationality” of the names of the shield shapes is only a tribute to tradition. According to the rules of heraldry, when describing the coat of arms (blazoning), the shape of the shield is not named.

Write a review about the article "Heraldic shield"

Notes

“From the 12th to the 16th centuries, the shapes of heraldic shields followed the models of their real counterparts used in battle, but after the Renaissance, artistic license found its way into literally all ways of decorating anything, including heraldry.”
Heraldic right, that is, left in relation to the viewer.
“The heyday of heraldic images dates back to the fantastic Rococo period, when the coats of arms themselves became simply a kind of “excuse” for an elaborate frame.”
“If the Varangian shield is more elongated at the bottom, and its sharp edges are slightly rounded at the top, then it is called Early Gothic.” Pokhlebkin V.
“The most ancient form of the shield is triangular, tapering downward. This is a Norman or Varangian shield, as it is called in Russian heraldry.” Pokhlebkin V.
“Varangian shield is the traditional name for a triangular shield.”
“The pointed triangular shield, found in most old armorials, is called Norman (for its resemblance to a real Norman battle shield), or Old French (due to the time and location in the armorials).” Ivlev S. A.
“By the end of the 13th century, the size of the shield decreased, taking a shape similar to the base of an iron (in Russia it is called “Varangian”). This form of shield became very popular, and it is this that dominates and mainly serves heraldry since the 14th century.”
“A square or rectangle, close to a square and only slightly elongated in height, with a heart-shaped point at the bottom, is called a French shield.” Pokhlebkin V.
“At a later time, the French new shield became most widespread - almost rectangular, with rounded lower corners and a pointed end in the center of the lower side of the shield.” Ivlev S. A.
“Spanish shield is the conventional name for a shield that has a rounded lower edge.”
“A shield that is a square, the lower side of which is slightly curved and rounded, is called Spanish.” Pokhlebkin V.
“A rectangular shield evenly rounded at the bottom is called Spanish, since it is indeed often found in the countries of the Iberian Peninsula.” Ivlev S. A.
“Tarch is a small tournament shield. In coats of arms it is usually depicted as round, although other shapes may be used."
“The shield is figured, elaborate, forming notches and curls and became widespread in the late Renaissance in the countries that were part of the Holy Roman Empire as a purely decorative, heraldic, and not a combat form of shield, is called German, especially in the heraldry of those countries where this form penetrated from Germany. In Russia it was especially popular in late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century among graphic artists who called it “cartouche” in their professional jargon.” Pokhlebkin V.
“In the blue field of the “Baroque” or “Germanic” shield there is a silver bow with an arrow pointing upward.”
“German shield is a conventional name for a figured shield; as a rule, it is not mentioned in blazon.”
“The peculiar wavy upper ends of the shield and small protrusions are characteristic of English coats of arms.” Ivlev S. A.
“An oval, egg-shaped shield is called Italian and is most often used for women’s coats of arms.” Pokhlebkin V.
“Italian shield is the traditional name for an oval shield.”
“So the rhombic shield belongs only to the ladies’ coat of arms, although it could have, for example, oval shields.” Ivlev S. A.
“The round shield is considered eastern. It has existed since ancient times in all countries of the East - Asia Minor, the Middle East, Central Asia and Far East- and is also characteristic of Russia, especially since the end of the 13th century.” Pokhlebkin V.
“Recently, the Russian shield has become widespread for personal and corporate coats of arms.”
“At the beginning of heraldic history, in the second half of the 12th century, the shield was so long that it covered almost half the torso of the warrior carrying it. It was usually curved to fit the body perfectly. Note that in Ancient Rus' This form of shield was very popular, which is why it is often called “Old Russian.”
“Worthy to be accepted by Great Russian coat of arms as a system-forming original form of the coat of arms, which is national peculiarity Russian defensive weapons. The upper edge (crown) of the Great Russian shield forms a regular semicircle, and the convex arched side edges converge at the bottom at an acute angle.”

Literature

Winkler. P.P. Coats of arms of cities of the Russian Empire. St. Petersburg, 1900.
Noble families of the Russian Empire. Volume 1. Princes / Compiled by P. Grebelsky, S. Dumin, A. Mirvis, A. Shumkov, M. Katin-Yartsev. - St. Petersburg. : IPK "Vesti", 1993. - 344 p. - 25,260 copies. - ISBN 5-86153-004-1.
Karamyshev O. M.

An excerpt characterizing the Heraldic Shield

Natasha, pale and frightened, ran into the living room.
- Mom, Bolkonsky has arrived! - she said. - Mom, this is terrible, this is unbearable! – I don’t want... to suffer! What should I do?…
Before the countess even had time to answer her, Prince Andrei entered the living room with an anxious and serious face. As soon as he saw Natasha, his face lit up. He kissed the hand of the Countess and Natasha and sat down near the sofa.
“We haven’t had the pleasure for a long time...” the countess began, but Prince Andrei interrupted her, answering her question and obviously in a hurry to say what he needed.
“I wasn’t with you all this time because I was with my father: I needed to talk to him about a very important matter.” “I just returned last night,” he said, looking at Natasha. “I need to talk to you, Countess,” he added after a moment of silence.
The Countess, sighing heavily, lowered her eyes.
“I am at your service,” she said.
Natasha knew that she had to leave, but she could not do it: something was squeezing her throat, and she was discourteously, directly, with open eyes looked at Prince Andrei.
"Now? This minute!... No, this can’t be!” she thought.
He looked at her again, and this look convinced her that she was not mistaken. “Yes, now, this very minute, her fate was being decided.”
“Come, Natasha, I’ll call you,” the countess said in a whisper.
Natasha looked at Prince Andrei and her mother with frightened, pleading eyes, and left.
“I came, Countess, to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage,” said Prince Andrei. The countess's face flushed, but she said nothing.
“Your proposal...” the countess began sedately. “He was silent, looking into her eyes. – Your offer... (she was embarrassed) we are pleased, and... I accept your offer, I’m glad. And my husband... I hope... but it will depend on her...
“I’ll tell her when I have your consent... do you give it to me?” - said Prince Andrei.
“Yes,” said the countess and extended her hand to him and, with a mixed feeling of aloofness and tenderness, pressed her lips to his forehead as he leaned over her hand. She wanted to love him like a son; but she felt that he was a stranger and a terrible person for her. “I’m sure my husband will agree,” said the countess, “but your father...
- My father, to whom I communicated my plans, made it an indispensable condition for consent that the wedding should not be before a year. And this is what I wanted to tell you,” said Prince Andrei.
– It’s true that Natasha is still young, but for so long.
“It couldn’t be otherwise,” said Prince Andrei with a sigh.
“I will send it to you,” said the countess and left the room.
“Lord, have mercy on us,” she repeated, looking for her daughter. Sonya said that Natasha is in the bedroom. Natasha sat on her bed, pale, with dry eyes, looking at the icons and, quickly crossing herself, whispering something. Seeing her mother, she jumped up and rushed to her.
- What? Mom?... What?
- Go, go to him. “He asks for your hand,” the countess said coldly, as it seemed to Natasha... “Come... come,” the mother said with sadness and reproach after her running daughter, and sighed heavily.
Natasha did not remember how she entered the living room. Entering the door and seeing him, she stopped. “Has this stranger really become everything to me now?” she asked herself and instantly answered: “Yes, that’s it: he alone is now dearer to me than everything in the world.” Prince Andrei approached her, lowering his eyes.
“I loved you from the moment I saw you.” Can I hope?
He looked at her, and the serious passion in her expression struck him. Her face said: “Why ask? Why doubt something you can’t help but know? Why talk when you can’t express in words what you feel.”
She approached him and stopped. He took her hand and kissed it.
– Do you love me?
“Yes, yes,” Natasha said as if with annoyance, sighed loudly, and another time, more and more often, and began to sob.
- About what? What's wrong with you?
“Oh, I’m so happy,” she answered, smiled through her tears, leaned closer to him, thought for a second, as if asking herself if this was possible, and kissed him.
Prince Andrei held her hands, looked into her eyes, and did not find in his soul the same love for her. Something suddenly turned in his soul: there was no former poetic and mysterious charm of desire, but there was pity for her feminine and childish weakness, there was fear of her devotion and gullibility, a heavy and at the same time joyful consciousness of the duty that forever connected him with her. The real feeling, although it was not as light and poetic as the previous one, was more serious and stronger.
– Did maman tell you that this cannot be earlier than a year? - said Prince Andrei, continuing to look into her eyes. “Is it really me, that girl child (everyone said that about me) Natasha thought, is it really from this moment that I am the wife, equal to this stranger, dear, smart person, respected even by my father. Is that really true! Is it really true that now it’s no longer possible to joke with life, now I’m big, now I’m responsible for my every deed and word? Yes, what did he ask me?
“No,” she answered, but she did not understand what he was asking.
“Forgive me,” said Prince Andrei, “but you are so young, and I have already experienced so much of life.” I'm scared for you. You don't know yourself.
Natasha listened with concentrated attention, trying to understand the meaning of his words and did not understand.
“No matter how difficult this year will be for me, delaying my happiness,” continued Prince Andrei, “in this period you will believe in yourself.” I ask you to make my happiness in a year; but you are free: our engagement will remain a secret, and if you were convinced that you do not love me, or would love me ... - said Prince Andrei with an unnatural smile.
- Why are you saying this? – Natasha interrupted him. “You know that from the very day you first arrived in Otradnoye, I fell in love with you,” she said, firmly convinced that she was telling the truth.
– In a year you will recognize yourself...
- The whole year! – Natasha suddenly said, now only realizing that the wedding had been postponed for a year. - Why a year? Why a year?...” Prince Andrei began to explain to her the reasons for this delay. Natasha didn't listen to him.
- And it’s impossible otherwise? – she asked. Prince Andrei did not answer, but his face expressed the impossibility of changing this decision.
- It's horrible! No, this is terrible, terrible! – Natasha suddenly spoke and began to sob again. - I will die waiting a year: this is impossible, this is terrible. “She looked into the face of her fiancé and saw on him an expression of compassion and bewilderment.
“No, no, I’ll do everything,” she said, suddenly stopping her tears, “I’m so happy!” – Father and mother entered the room and blessed the bride and groom.
From that day on, Prince Andrei began to go to the Rostovs as a groom.

There was no engagement and Bolkonsky’s engagement to Natasha was not announced to anyone; Prince Andrei insisted on this. He said that since he was the cause of the delay, he must bear the entire burden of it. He said that he was forever bound by his word, but that he did not want to bind Natasha and gave her complete freedom. If after six months she feels that she does not love him, she will be within her right if she refuses him. It goes without saying that neither the parents nor Natasha wanted to hear about it; but Prince Andrei insisted on his own. Prince Andrei visited the Rostovs every day, but did not treat Natasha like a groom: he told her you and only kissed her hand. After the day of the proposal, a completely different, close, simple relationship was established between Prince Andrei and Natasha. It was as if they didn't know each other until now. Both he and she loved to remember how they looked at each other when they were still nothing; now both of them felt like completely different creatures: then feigned, now simple and sincere. At first, the family felt awkward in dealing with Prince Andrei; he seemed like a man from an alien world, and Natasha spent a long time accustoming her family to Prince Andrei and proudly assured everyone that he only seemed so special, and that he was the same as everyone else, and that she was not afraid of him and that no one should be afraid his. After several days, the family got used to him and, without hesitation, continued with him the same way of life in which he took part. He knew how to talk about the household with the Count, and about outfits with the Countess and Natasha, and about albums and canvas with Sonya. Sometimes the Rostov family, among themselves and under Prince Andrei, were surprised at how all this happened and how obvious the omens of this were: the arrival of Prince Andrei in Otradnoye, and their arrival in St. Petersburg, and the similarity between Natasha and Prince Andrei, which the nanny noticed on their first visit Prince Andrei, and the clash in 1805 between Andrei and Nikolai, and many other omens of what happened were noticed by those at home.
The house was filled with that poetic boredom and silence that always accompanies the presence of the bride and groom. Often sitting together, everyone was silent. Sometimes they got up and left, and the bride and groom, remaining alone, were still silent. Rarely did they talk about their future lives. Prince Andrei was scared and ashamed to talk about it. Natasha shared this feeling, like all his feelings, which she constantly guessed. One time Natasha started asking about his son. Prince Andrei blushed, which often happened to him now and which Natasha especially loved, and said that his son would not live with them.
- From what? – Natasha said in fear.
- I can’t take him away from my grandfather and then...
- How I would love him! - Natasha said, immediately guessing his thought; but I know you want there to be no excuses to blame you and me.
The old count sometimes approached Prince Andrei, kissed him, and asked him for advice on the upbringing of Petya or the service of Nicholas. The old countess sighed as she looked at them. Sonya was afraid at every moment of being superfluous and tried to find excuses to leave them alone when they didn’t need it. When Prince Andrei spoke (he spoke very well), Natasha listened to him with pride; when she spoke, she noticed with fear and joy that he was looking at her carefully and searchingly. She asked herself in bewilderment: “What is he looking for in me? He's trying to achieve something with his gaze! What if I don’t have what he’s looking for with that look?” Sometimes she entered into her characteristic insanely cheerful mood, and then she especially loved to listen and watch how Prince Andrei laughed. He rarely laughed, but when he laughed, he gave himself entirely to his laughter, and every time after this laugh she felt closer to him. Natasha would have been completely happy if the thought of the impending and approaching separation did not frighten her, since he too turned pale and cold at the mere thought of it.
On the eve of his departure from St. Petersburg, Prince Andrei brought with him Pierre, who had never been to the Rostovs since the ball. Pierre seemed confused and embarrassed. He was talking to his mother. Natasha sat down with Sonya at the chess table, thereby inviting Prince Andrey to her. He approached them.
– You’ve known Bezukhoy for a long time, haven’t you? - he asked. - Do you love him?
- Yes, he is nice, but very funny.
And she, as always speaking about Pierre, began to tell jokes about his absent-mindedness, jokes that were even made up about him.
“You know, I trusted him with our secret,” said Prince Andrei. – I have known him since childhood. This is a heart of gold. “I beg you, Natalie,” he said suddenly seriously; – I’ll leave, God knows what might happen. You might spill... Well, I know I shouldn't talk about it. One thing - no matter what happens to you when I’m gone...

The basis of the coat of arms is the shield. With a description of this main element we will begin our presentation of the rules of heraldry. In heraldry there are shields of the most different forms- from simple to very intricate. The most common form of a knight's shield in the era of the birth of heraldry was triangular, which became the main one. But other configurations also appeared in different historical periods. Today, the shape of the shield can serve as a starting point for the examination of the coat of arms.

Since the coat of arms is fundamentally an attribute of chivalry, the heraldic shield is primarily the shield of an equestrian knight, and its shape changed along with the development of military art. This is how P. von Winkler talks about it in his book “Weapons” (St. Petersburg, 1894)

“In the history of the development of weapons in Europe, there is not a single period that would be of greater importance than the period of the X and XI centuries. The reason and reason for this was given by the northern people, who already in the VIII century terrified all of ancient Europe with their brave raids. These were the Normans. Having established themselves in the north of the Frankish state (912), they took an active part in the development of chivalry, thanks to their abilities, activity and enterprise, they soon became the first people in military affairs, they were seen everywhere as an example and example of everything that concerns war, its means and method of waging.Back in the 9th century, the Normans were in Andalusia, landed on the African coast, passed through Italy, gained extraordinary military experience from these campaigns and, under fire and sword, did not lose sight of anything that was new to them and useful from other peoples.Thus, they made significant transformations in military affairs, transformations that became the basic position for all the Middle Ages and which, in their organization and offensive tactics, corresponded to the feudal system, elements for these transformations they mostly borrowed from the eastern peoples. On Bayo's wallpaper, depicting scenes of the conquest of England, at first glance the influence of the East is noticeable in the armament, although further development, it must be admitted, is carried out in accordance with peculiar national beliefs. There we find for the first time, next to the ancient pilum, a sharp helmet with a characteristic nosepiece, a tight-fitting shell, but, at the same time, we notice that the Norman, like the Saxon, retains the use of his large national shield with a long sword."

The ancient Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England - a 73-metre long scroll made using appliqué - has become a valuable source of information about the Normans for historians. In the tapestry you can see that the Anglo-Saxons, like their opponents, were armed with large elongated shields, specially designed to protect as much as possible. larger area bodies. During this period and in the following centuries, warriors fought mainly on foot, and bodylength shields that were elongated in height provided good protection from archers. However, cavalry was becoming increasingly important. The Normans, immigrants from Scandinavia, were sailors, but quickly mastered the art of mounted combat. Their ancestors, the Vikings, conquered the peninsula in northern France, now called Normandy, and settled there. The Normans created a strong state and sought to expand their possessions. Under the leadership of Duke William the Conqueror, they invaded England. On October 14, 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, a battle took place between William's nine thousand-strong army and ten thousand English infantry led by King Harold. The Anglo-Saxons successfully defended themselves, but a thousand-strong detachment of Norman horsemen, launching a false attack, lured them from their positions, after which they were completely defeated, and King Harold himself died in battle.

At the end of the 9th century, the warlike Normans enthusiastically embraced the idea of conquering the Holy Land. The era of the Crusades began, which had a huge impact on military tactics and weapons. The role of cavalry in European wars increased. The shape of the shield underwent significant changes, since the knight now needed protection not from frontal, but from side blows, since with the advent of new small arms, such as a crossbow, capable of piercing steel armor with its “bolts,” the importance of the shield as a means of protection from shooters decreased . It should be noted here that the mounted knights held the shield obliquely, which is why many artists depict the heraldic shield “couche”, that is, inclined at an angle between 25 and 45 degrees. So the height of the shield decreased and the shield eventually took on a shape known as a "heater". The classic "heater" has precise dimensions and is depicted according to a specific pattern.

Initially, the shape of heraldic shields repeated the shape of actually existing ones, and changed along with the development of weapons. But over time, the heraldry began to move away from the classical (plausible) forms. Wide possibilities for the imagination of artists were opened by the appearance of the “bouche” - a round cutout on the right side of the shield, which served as a support for the spear.

At least nine main forms of heraldic shields can be distinguished: “Varangian”, “Spanish”, “Italian”, “French”, “English”, “Byzantine”, “German”, rhombic, square. However, these “national” names are purely conventional, and in the description of the coat of arms the shape of the shield is not mentioned at all. The most convenient in terms of free space is the so-called French shield, which provides, in comparison with shields of more complex shapes, the maximum area for filling. This shield has long been used in heraldry as the main one. It is a rectangle with a base equal to 8/9 of the height, with a protruding point in the middle lower part and rounded lower corners.

The helmet is placed above the shield. The shape of the heraldic helmet changed over time, depending on fashion and improvements in armor. Gradually, rules were developed according to which the helmet was depicted in accordance with the title, dignity or rank of the owner of the coat of arms. This is what this system looks like in English heraldry. A golden helmet with a lattice visor, turned straight - for the coats of arms of sovereigns and princes of royal blood. A silver helmet with a gold lattice visor, facing heraldic to the right - for peers. Silver helmet with a raised visor, turned straight - for baronets and knights. Silver tournament helmet, facing heraldic right - for squires and gentlemen. The multi-part coat of arms of the princes of Barclay de Tolly-Weimarn was formed in the process of merging several noble families with their own coats of arms. An integral part of these coats of arms were also crests, which in certain cases were also inherited, which is why the coat of arms has five helmets with different pommels. It is easy to determine which part of the shield each of them corresponds to (we add that in this case the central helmet, unlike the other four, is crowned with a princely crown corresponding to the title of the owner of the coat of arms).

pommel

A pommel, crest or helmet crest is a decoration fixed to the top of a helmet, originally made from animal horns and bird feathers. This element was developed during knightly tournaments. It served as an additional identification mark by which one could recognize a knight in the general scrum of a tournament battle, since from a distance this figure was visible better than the coat of arms depicted on the shield. Crests were made of light wood, leather and papier-mâché, but over time they began to be made from more valuable materials. Crests did not immediately become an indispensable part of the coat of arms. In England, heralds in the 16th century legalized this element so that they could charge extra for it. Currently, crests are automatically included in new coats of arms. The helmet and crest should be turned in the same direction. The crest is attached to the helmet, usually together with a burlet or a helmet crown. The crest itself is a repetition of the main figure of the coat of arms, but can often be a separate, independent sign. Some of the earliest coats of arms do not have crests, as they were approved before crests came into fashion.

Crests should, if possible, match the coloring of the coat of arms, although this is not always observed.

According to the conventional classification, crests are auxiliary And independent.

Auxiliary crests completely repeat the image on the coat of arms. For this purpose, so-called panel boards And wings, providing an area often equal to the area of the shield itself. Independent crests do not repeat the image on the shield, but in most cases they correspond to it in tinctures.

The main types of crests are as follows: 1. Horns 2. Wings 3. Feathers and flags 4. Natural figures (human or animal) 5. Artificial figures 6. Shield boards 7. Headdresses

There are two types of horns: ox horns, crescent-shaped, and bull horns, S-shaped. They are always depicted in pairs, protruding from either side of the helmet. Until the 14th century, helmets were decorated with sickle-shaped pointed horns, and later they acquired a more curved shape with sawed off ends. This is where the second type of heraldic horns came from - S-shaped, open, that is, having small bells at the ends, which makes them look like elephant trunks. They also resemble hunting horns, which has led some heraldists to confuse the two terms. However, hunting horns were sometimes depicted in the likeness of horns, in pairs, extending from the sides of the helmet, with the mouthpiece up. Already on the earliest coats of arms, the horns are decorated with twigs, feathers and bells embedded in them; branches, feathers, etc. were stuck into the holes of the open horns.

The horns are colored in accordance with the coloring of the shield. Sometimes a minor figure from the coat of arms is placed between the horns: some animal, a human figure, some object.

Other types of horns are often found: the horns of the goat, the deer and the unicorn, the latter, always single, serrated and bent back. These horns are independent crests and do not bear the image of armorial figures.

Wings are usually depicted in pairs, and their position - straight or profile - depends on the position of the helmet. If the helmet is facing straight, the wings are depicted outstretched; on a helmet facing in profile, the wings are depicted parallel to each other, with sharp ends facing back.

On ancient coats of arms with pot-shaped helmets, the wings were depicted in a stylized manner, looking more like boards painted to resemble feathers or seated with individual feathers. With the development of heraldry and the departure from primitive Gothic forms, the wings acquired a more natural appearance.

The wings are painted in accordance with the coloring of the shield and, like the shield boards, sometimes completely repeat the primary and secondary figures depicted on it. Sometimes a minor coat of arms figure (such as a star or rose) is placed between the wings, depicted in the coat of arms itself.

There are three types of feathers - rooster, peacock, ostrich. They are depicted separately, in threes, in fives, etc., usually in the form of a fan.

Cocktails, depicted as a bunch of narrow long feathers of unequal length, are the most ancient. They are attached to the tops of headdresses worn on a helmet, or inserted into special quivers.

Peacock feathers are depicted both individually and in the form of a whole peacock tail, fan-shaped. The feathers have a natural coloring - green with yellow-red-blue “eyes”.

Ostrich feathers, which appeared in heraldry later than the previous two, are depicted separately, but most often in threes, curved at the top. Ostrich feathers have shield tinctures. If there is one feather, it is painted in several colors, or painted with the metal tincture of the shield; if there are three feathers, then their coloring alternates: metal-enamel-metal, or enamel-metal-enamel.

Feathers are often inserted into quivers that have a cylindrical, elongated or pointed bottom, painted with armorial figures in accordance with the coloring of the shield.

The feathers cannot be shown coming straight out of the helmet, so they always come out of either the quiver or the crown.

Natural figures (human and animal)

The most diverse and picturesque family is formed by crests bearing images of humans and animals. There are the following types of such crests:

1. Separate parts of the human or animal body. These are primarily heads, as well as full arms, hands and legs.

2. Torso or busts of humans and animals. This is primarily the upper part of the body with the head, neck and chest, but without arms or front legs (and the neck and chest are depicted unusually elongated, the neck bent back in the shape of the letter S).

3. Increasing figures. Unlike the above, this method involves depicting a figure of a person or animal from the waist up or below, with arms or front paws, as if growing out of a helmet.

4. Full figures person or animal. In this case, the figures are depicted as they are represented in the shield, although animals, such as a lion, are sometimes shown sitting on a helmet.

Artificial figures

Heraldry has a large number of so-called non-heraldic figures, any of which can be transferred to a crest either separately or in combination with other figures, forming a complex structure. Particularly interesting are those crests in which, with the help of several figures, some plot is encrypted, repeating or complementing the image on the coat of arms.

Panel boards

Panel boards have a round, hexagonal or fan-shaped shape. They are large enough to fully reproduce the image on the coat of arms. The edges and corners of these boards are often decorated with tassels, bells, and feathers. The boards themselves are sometimes mounted on a cushion, decorated with tassels at the corners, which rests on the helmet.

Hats

The crown is placed on the helmet or, as in state coats of arms, directly above the shield (for example, the princely crown in the coat of arms of Liechtenstein). The crown in the coat of arms indicates the title of the owner of the coat of arms. There are many types of crowns, and any of them can be found in coats of arms, placed on a helmet, above a shield or above a mantle. The following types of heraldic crowns can be distinguished: imperial, royal and princely crowns, which are depicted in the coats of arms of monarchs and in state emblems (as well as in the coats of arms of administrative regions), symbolizing sovereignty; crowns of marquises, counts, viscounts, barons; noble tiaras; tiaras, miters and clergy hats; wall crowns, composed of fortress towers and walls, placed in city coats of arms.

The mantle (lambrequin, mantling), reminiscent of a whole or tattered cloak, is depicted in the form of matter attached to the helmet. The origin of the heraldic marking is described in the section “History of Heraldry”. The outer and inner surfaces of the mantle should be painted alternately with enamel and metal, and in modern heraldry it is customary to paint the surface of the mantle with the main color of the shield, and the back (lining) with the main metal of the shield. The last rule is considered to be artificially introduced into heraldry during the period when “living heraldry” gave way to “clerical” (“paper”). Thus, the principles of classical heraldry will not be violated if:
a) the surface of the basting will be metal, and the lining will be enamel;
b) the color of the mantle will not match the color of the coat of arms.

The mantle can be painted using furs. Sometimes the mantle is covered with shield figures embroidered on its surface, and sometimes the surface of the mantle is dotted with small non-heraldic figures, for example, linden leaves, stars, hearts, etc.

If two, three or more helmets are used in the coat of arms, each of them must have a personal inscription. The mantle can be painted not in two, but in four colors (especially when the shield is made up of two coats of arms). In this case, the right side of the mantle is painted in the colors of the more honorable part of the coat of arms - the right, and the left - in the colors of the left part of the coat of arms.

Three types of helmet markings can be distinguished, each of which corresponds to a specific period in the development of heraldry.

The mantle (mantling, lambrequin) is a traditional part of the monarch's ceremonial attire. In heraldry, this attribute of sovereignty is present in the coats of arms of monarchs and sovereigns, as well as representatives of the highest aristocracy. The heraldic mantle can be seen as a piece of clothing, but probably also as a reminder of the tent in which the knight rested and changed clothes during the tournament, and of the tents in which the crusaders sheltered their weapons and armor from the weather during military campaigns. The mantle is usually depicted as purple, lined with ermine and tied at the corners with gold cords and tassels. On some large state emblems (for example, on the large coat of arms of the Russian Empire), a canopy is depicted on top of the mantle - a round tent made of the same material.

Shield holders

Shield holders are the figures located on the sides of the shield and supporting it. As a rule, these are the same heraldic animals - lions, eagles, griffins, unicorns, or human figures - savages with clubs, angels or warriors. However, shield holders may not be taken from classical heraldry, but act as independent symbols of something. For example, in many state emblems of relatively young countries in Africa, Asia and America, the shield holders are the most characteristic representatives of the local fauna - kangaroos, ostriches (Australia), antelopes, tigers, zebras.

The choice of shield holders for the coat of arms is not limited by any special rule of heraldry, although in Russian heraldry, which is thoroughly clerical, it is accepted that only representatives of the highest aristocracy can have shield holders.

In Western heraldry, the same principle applies to shield holders as to mottos - they can be changed at the request of the owner of the coat of arms.

Coat of arms of the Austrian lands of the Austrian Empire (drawing by H. Streul)

Base

The base is the platform on which the shield holders stand and on which the entire coat of arms is located. It could be a hill or lawn, as on the coat of arms of Great Britain, an ice floe, as on the coat of arms of Iceland, a carved slab, as on the coats of arms of Greece and Sweden, a mountain, as on the coat of arms of Malawi, or an island in the sea, as on the coat of arms of Malta. The base can also be a fancifully curved branch, similar to a detail of a cast-iron lattice, as on the coat of arms of the princes Barclay de Tolly-Weimarn. The base is not a mandatory element of the coat of arms; it is often served by a motto ribbon. Shield holders must always stand on a base, no matter what shape it may be. The only exceptions are shield holders floating in the air, that is, flying angels.

The motto is a short saying, usually written on a ribbon at the bottom of the shield. Sometimes mottos are placed in the coat of arms without a ribbon; if the shield is round, the motto is usually written around the shield. Obviously, the basis for the motto could originally have been a knight's war cry (such as "Crom boo", the motto of the Dukes of Fitzgerald, meaning "Crom (the old ancestral castle) forever!"), but the motto could be a short statement reminiscent of some important historical event . or expressing the credo of the owner of the coat of arms. The text of the motto can be encrypted and understandable only to initiates. In Western heraldry, it was customary to write mottos in Latin, although this rule is not obligatory. The meaning of some ancient mottos is generally impossible to understand - either history has not preserved data about the events about which the motto spoke, either by virtue various circumstances the phrase was distorted, errors crept into it. The motto is not a mandatory and permanent part of the coat of arms, so the owner can change it at will. When drawing up new coats of arms, the motto is always included in their design. In state monarchist coats of arms, the motto is sometimes placed on the canopy - a tent located above the mantle. The colors of the ribbon and letters must match the primary colors and metals of the coat of arms. Here are examples of heraldic mottos. "God is with us" - state motto of the Russian Empire. "Gott mit uns" (German) - German imperial state motto of similar content. "Dieu et mon droit" (French) - "God and my right" - Great Britain's motto... "Dieu protege la France" (French) - old French motto "God bless France" .
On the modern French coat of arms are the words:
"Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" (French) - "Freedom equality Brotherhood" . "Je maintiendrai" (French) - "I'll save it" - The Netherlands.. "Nihil sine Deo" (lat.) - "Nothing without God" - Romania.. "L"union fait la force" (French) - "Unity gives strength" - Belgium. "Providentiae memor" (lat.) - "I remember predestination" - Saxony.

The following examples can be given from noble mottos. "Treu auf Tod und Leben" - the motto of the German counts Totlebenov, which plays on their surname -
"Faithful in death and in life" . "Labor et Zelo" - Latin motto of the Arakcheev counts - "With labor and diligence" . "Semper immota fides" - the motto of Count Vorontsov - "Loyalty is always unwavering" . "Deus conservat omnia" - the motto of the Sheremetev counts - "God preserves everything" . "Honor and Loyalty" - the motto of the Most Serene Princes of Warsaw, Counts Paskevich-Erivan.

The motto ribbon is usually located at the bottom of the coat of arms, under the base or in its background (except in Scottish heraldry, in which the motto is placed above the crest).

Although flags are found in some large coats of arms, they are not a heraldic element. However, they are worth mentioning because of their close connection with heraldry.

Flags and banners have long been used as identification marks, clearly visible from a distance. They were indispensable on the battlefield, but also during knightly tournaments. With the development of military technology, tournament armor became so massive and durable that knights could abandon the shield as the main element of protection. In this regard, it was necessary to transfer the image of the coat of arms from the shield to the pennant, which replaced the shield with the coat of arms as an identification mark.

There are three main types of coat of arms flags: the actual flag (banner), standard (standard) and flag, or pennant (pennon).

Banner

The medieval flag, bearing the image of the owner's coat of arms, was a vertically elongated rectangle with a width to height ratio of 2 to 3. The edge of the flag opposite the flagpole could be equipped with numerous “tongues”, or one large “tongue” in the upper right corner (then called a “schwenkle” ").

No one below the rank of Knight Banneret had the right to a flag (Knight Banneret is a now defunct ancient title that gave the privilege of leading his men under his own flag during battle, unlike Bachelors, lower-ranking knights who did not have a sufficient number of vassals, to gather them under your banner). The rank of banneret was inferior to that of the Knights of the Order of the Garter when it was awarded by the king in time of war, and in normal times it followed the title of baronet. The picture shows the royal banner of Scotland.

Standard


Thomas Howard	Henry Stafford (1475)

Ser Robert Welles (1470)	Ser Maester Guilford

Count Edmund Roos (1460)	Lord Robert Willoughby (1440)

The standard is a long panel, tapering towards the end and rounded. Moreover, the rounded end bifurcated if the standard did not belong to a prince of royal blood. The standard, the size of which varied from 11 yards (10 meters) for the emperor to 4 yards (1.5 meters) for the baron, was usually divided into three parts: the first contained the knightly or national coat of arms, the second - the armorial badge, and the third part - an image of its pommel (there were other options). These parts were separated by stripes on which was inscribed a knight's battle cry or motto. The color of the standard corresponded to the knight's family colors or the colors of his coat of arms.

During the battle, the standard served as a reference point for the troops. It did not show the physical presence of the commander-in-chief, but the location of his headquarters. The picture shows the standards of Sir Henry Stafford (1475) and Thomas Howard, a participant in the Wars of the Roses (from 1455 to 1485). The cross of St. George on the rise (the area near the shaft) shows the national (English) affiliation.

Checkbox (pennon)

This is a flag, or pennant, of medium size (about three feet or one meter), having triangular shape and attached to the shaft of a spear. Like the banner, it indicated the physical presence of the person whose coat of arms it carried. The smaller triangular flag was called a "pavon pennon". Shown here is a flag with a forked end - the pennant of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

The drawings of coats of arms and crests placed on the page were made by I. Louda.

The subject of theoretical heraldry is a set of rules and techniques for drawing up coats of arms, without knowledge of which it is impossible to correctly “read” and define them. In accordance with these rules, the coat of arms was composed of various parts: shield, helmet, crown, crest, mantle, shield holders, mottos, mantle and various decorations around the shield. However, not every coat of arms required the simultaneous presence of all these parts. Some of them were main and obligatory, others were not. The main part of the coat of arms is the shield. There are several types of heraldic shields: French- quadrangular in shape with a point at the bottom in the middle. The height of such a shield should be equal to 9/8 of its width; Spanish- the same dimensions as the French one, but with a smoothly rounded lower part; Varangian- triangular, with smoothly curving sides; Italian- oval and German- an elaborately carved shield. In addition to them, there were round, oblique and square shields. In Russian heraldry, the French form of the shield became the most commonly used.

Heraldic sides. Parties in heraldry are defined in terms of who stands behind and holds the armorial shield; thus, from the viewer, the right heraldic side is to the left, the left heraldic side is to the right. A shield divided in half vertically is called dissected; divided in half horizontally - crossed; divided into two parts from corner to corner - beveled on the right or left. A shield divided simultaneously vertically and horizontally is both dissected and crossed. Other types of divisions were also used, for example, fork-shaped and wedge-shaped. The divisions of the shield could also be formed by curved lines. In this case, they had the corresponding names - jagged-intersected, concave-dissected, pointed-dissected. The division of the coat of arms with jagged lines was characteristic of German coats of arms.

Heraldic colors. The colors of all details (shapes, fields, etc.) must be defined. It is advisable to limit yourself to the main heraldic colors: two “metals” - gold and silver (in heraldry there is no distinction between gold and yellow, between silver and white), five “enamels” ("enamels") - azure (this concept unites various shades of blue and blue, between which there is also no distinction), scarlet (red, scarlet), green, black and purple (can be conveyed in various shades of violet, cold crimson, lilac); A stylized image of some furs is also allowed (ermine, squirrel, “anti-ermine”; each of the furs is considered a separate color in heraldry) and flesh color (when depicting people, angels, centaurs, sphinxes and other humanoid monsters). When reproducing the coat of arms in one color, conventional shading is used for scarlet. Silver is represented by an unshaded surface, gold by a surface covered with dots. Black color is represented by a surface painted over completely, and when reproduced in relief - by intersecting strokes. The anti-ermine fur has a black background with white "tails" depicted in the same way as the ermine. Sable fur is equivalent to black. The main figures placed on a metal background must be enamel, and vice versa - the figures in the enamel field must be metal. Metal on metal, enamel on enamel are not applied. This is the so-called “basic rule of heraldry”.

Graphic image. Silver is empty space, gold is dots, azure is horizontal lines, and scarlet is vertical. The black parts of the coat of arms can be painted over completely or covered with vertical and horizontal lines like a lattice. Green and purple enamel correspond to oblique lines; It’s just important not to confuse which slope corresponds to green and which to purple. If the shield is depicted as inclined, the shading tilts along with it.

Theoretical heraldry: basic rules of heraldic images, names of parts of the shield, methods of dividing the shield and hierarchy of armorial fields, heraldic and non-heraldic figures, names various forms their relative position.

Among the armorial figures, abstract geometric ones stand out, which are called heraldic, or honorary figures. The most important heraldic figures are a pillar (vertical stripe), cross (connected pillar and belt), right and left baldrics (diagonal stripes), extremity (stripe along the lower edge of the shield), border (stripe along all edges of the shield), rafter (two inclined stripes , connected by a “house”). The column can be shifted to the right and left, the belt can be raised or lowered, the head and end can be beveled to the right or left. The rafter, unless otherwise specified, rests on the lower corners and does not reach the middle of the upper edge of the board. If it reaches the middle of the shield, it is called lowered; if it rests not on the corners, but on the sides of the shield, then it is raised. It can be overturned (upside down), right (resting against the left corners and the middle of the right side of the shield), left, beveled to the right (resting against the middle of the base and left side of the shield and the upper right corner) or beveled to the left. If there is only one heraldic figure, it usually has a width of ½ to 1/3 of the width of the shield; if there are several of them in the coat of arms, then the width becomes smaller.

The remaining figures are called non-heraldic and are divided into natural (images of living beings) and artificial (images of a wide variety of objects created by man).

The coat of arms, in addition to the shield, may include status symbols that make up the frame. These include a helmet, crest, mantle or mantle, crown (or a burlet or cap replacing it), shield holders, a motto, as well as awards and insignia. The arrangement of two or more figures above each other is called “in a pillar”, with each other – “in the belt”, the arrangement along the diagonal of the shield is “in a sling”. By default, the figures in the coat of arms are arranged as follows: one - in the middle of the shield field, two - side by side, three - two in a row above one, four - two in a row. When there is a large indefinite number of identical figures, the field is said to be strewn with these figures. A larger figure may be accompanied by smaller ones. Accompaniment on the sides and corners is possible, and on each side there should be the same number of accompanying figures. A larger figure may be burdened or covered by smaller ones. In both cases, small figures are superimposed on a large one, but when encumbered they fit entirely on it, and when covered, the edges of the small figures protrude beyond the edges of the large one. Even if another figure is placed on the upper edge of one figure, then the first figure is called perfected by the second. Creatures and weapons are oriented to the right by default. Figures turned to the right are called reversed. Converted figures are not specified if it is due to the so-called heraldic courtesy, i.e. turning towards another figure. An inverted figure is called overturned, located above or below the normal location - elevated or decreased. The figure of an animal, partially depicted in the field of the coat of arms, is called increasing when approximately half of the figure is visible, and arising when only the head and neck are visible from behind the edge of the shield or other figure, sometimes with part of the paw or tail. Heraldic animals can be depicted in strictly defined poses. Quadrupeds are rebellious (rising on their hind legs), galloping (with a horizontal body position, but supported by two hind legs), walking (on all four paws, with the first one raised), standing (on all four paws), sitting or lying down.

Russian family heraldry. Tribal, personal and family coat of arms in Russia. Principles of constructing family coats of arms. The coats of arms are granted and “original”. Coats of arms of various categories of Russian nobility. Coats of arms of foreign origin.

The right to the family coat of arms pre-revolutionary Russia only nobles possessed - this is what distinguished Russia from European countries, where not only the coats of arms of the clergy were common, but also those of the burghers and even the peasants. Noble coats of arms in Russia were generic, as were noble surnames and most titles. The coat of arms of a nobleman passed to all his legitimate descendants of both sexes in the male line. The transfer of the coat of arms through the female line was formalized as a new award. The basis for it could be the suppression of the family. There were no clear rules for the arrangement of two coats of arms merging into one; the most common ones were in a dissected shield, in a shield with a heart shield, or in a four-part shield.

A feature of granted coats of arms is their immutability. Only the monarch has the right to make changes to the coat of arms by repeated grant; arbitrary changes are unacceptable. This principle was introduced by Paul 1.

At the will of the monarch, special honorary additions could be made to the coats of arms. Most often, a double-headed eagle or part of it was included, but there could also be elements of local coats of arms, signs of awards, indications of distinction, as well as abstract symbols of honor. This is called augmentation. “Original” coats of arms are coats of arms adopted independently; they are valid unless prohibited by the state.

The general armorial of the noble families of the Russian Empire is a set of coats of arms of the Russian noble families, established by decree of Emperor Paul I of January 20, 1797. Twenty volumes of the armorial include 3,066 family and several personal coats of arms. The generally accepted abbreviation is OG. All coats of arms included in the armorial book must be left forever indispensable, so that without a special order from us or our successors, nothing under any circumstances is excluded from them and nothing is added to them again.

To each nobleman of the family whose coat of arms is in the armorial, issue it on parchment behind a clasp exact copies from the coat of arms of this kind and from the description of it. Three centuries ago, as today, family coats of arms began to be used spontaneously in Russia. At first, from the end of the 17th century, the Moscow state recognized only coats of arms of foreign origin (belonging to families “traveling to Rus'”) and confirmed them through the Ambassadorial Order. During Peter's reforms, with the unification of the noble class and the establishment of the Heraldry Office, an attempt was made to use family coats of arms as an attribute of the formalized "gentry", and in this capacity to put them under the control of the state. Initially, the Office of the King of Arms was authorized not only to submit new coats of arms and honorary additions to them for royal approval, but also to independently confirm the coats of arms already in use, subjecting them to editing if necessary. Over time, however, the self-certification procedure was left in force only for coats of arms previously granted in Russia. There was no need for any corrections or editing of coats of arms. This order was consolidated successively by Paul I and Alexander II.

Russian city and regional heraldry. City emblems of the 17th century. Principles of constructing provincial and city coats of arms. Correlation of county coats of arms with provincial ones. City coats of arms in Soviet times. City coats of arms in modern Russia.

Early land emblems are known only from seals. Big State seal Ivan the Terrible, dating from last quarter 16th century, contained 24 land emblems. The Great State Book of 1672 already contained 33 lands, the names of which were at that moment included in the title of the Russian Tsar. Under Catherine 2, all cities were granted coats of arms. The city coats of arms granted by Catherine did not contain any elements other than shields. In city heraldry there are also vowel coats of arms (an eagle in the coat of arms of the city of Orel; a wolf in the coat of arms of Volchansk; partridges in the coat of arms of Kursk, etc.). In addition to vowel coats of arms, “old” coats of arms occupy a prominent place; some of them reflect local ancient cults. But more often than not, the city coat of arms granted by Catherine reflected the nature, economy or political life of the county or city. Sometimes the meaningful and the “telling” elements merged in one symbol. For example, the bell in the coat of arms of Zvenigorod can be perceived both as a vowel coat of arms and as an inclusion in the coat of arms of an element for which Zvenigorod is actually famous. In Soviet times, interest in city heraldry was revived only in the second half of the 1960s. And in about a quarter of a century, about 250 coats of arms of USSR cities were developed. At the same time, heraldic literacy among the compilers of coats of arms, as well as among those who approved these coats of arms, as a rule, was absent. It has become very common to place the name of the city in the coat of arms, which is not at all accepted in traditional heraldry. Meanwhile, almost half of Soviet city emblems contain this element. The idea arose that the coat of arms must necessarily reflect the city’s past, its present and future. This led to the overload of the coat of arms, compiled in accordance with such a premise. In addition, the symbolism of modernity was, as a rule, monotonous - industry was symbolized by a gear or a jackhammer, Agriculture– ear of grain, science – flask, model of an atom. In other matters, a number of cities (Tula, Pskov, Smolensk, Zubtsov, Novgorod, Riga, Yaroslavl) took old coats of arms as a basis. The Soviet coats of arms of the cities of the Murmansk region, which have a very short history, are original. The compilers of coats of arms managed to avoid standard “industrial” solutions. The coat of arms of Monchegorsk, famous for its nickel plant, contains symbols of the chemical elements copper, nickel and cobalt. At the end of the 80s, interest in historical heraldry grew, and cities began to return their former coats of arms. In modern Russia, continuity to pre-revolutionary heraldry has been proclaimed. But coats of arms retain their importance: firstly, many cities existing today have never had coats of arms before; secondly, new graphic versions of old coats of arms are being created; thirdly, despite the reform of 1857, many local coats of arms until 1917 were used in the version of Catherine’s time, although this was contrary to the law. Since 1992, a heraldic department has been operating in the Russian Federation; in 1996, the unity of heraldic policy in the country was proclaimed and federal registration of coats of arms was introduced. Personal coats of arms, coats of arms of societies, associations, and companies are also created.

State heraldry. State emblem and its features. Coat of arms of the Russian Empire, its history and evolution. Large, Middle and Small State Emblem of the Russian Empire. State symbols of the Provisional Government. Coat of arms of modern Russia.

For the first time, a double-headed eagle appeared on the seal of Grand Duke Ivan 3 around 1490. But the coat of arms itself (a double-headed eagle in a shield under a helmet with a royal crown and mantle) appears for the first time in Russia on the personal seal of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, although this is a unique case in the 17th century. At the threshold of the 18th century, the royal emblem was heralded (a double-headed eagle, usually with a horseman on the chest). The details are fixed (the eagle holds the scepter and the orb, the horseman strikes the serpent with a spear), the colors are determined (a black eagle in a golden field, a “natural” horseman in a scarlet shield) and the orientation of the figures (the horseman in a breastplate is turned). The crowns above the eagle were replaced by “imperial” ones (similar to the side crown of the Holy Roman Empire) even before Peter 1 took the imperial title. Initially, in some images, the eagle in the shield wore two crowns, and a third, larger crown began to be located directly above it. Under Peter 1, a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was placed around the shield on the eagle's chest, and the rider was interpreted as St. Georgy. Heraldization also affected emblems that designated individual principalities and possessions according to the full title of the monarch. But the development of a large imperial coat of arms, which included all the coats of arms of the domains, was not carried out during these years. Such a coat of arms was developed under Paul 1, but was not approved. But under Paul 1, the Maltese cross, placed on the chest of an eagle behind a shield with a rider, and the Maltese crown were introduced into the state emblem. Alexander 1 removed the Maltese symbolism, but experimented a lot with the position of the eagle’s wings, with the number of crowns, and with the objects that the eagle holds in its paws. In 1856, Alexander 2 approved the large, medium and small state emblems, coats of arms of titular possessions, large and small coats of arms for all members of the dynasty. Some changes were made to the coats of arms, in particular, the rider was turned to the right, and a thin gold border was applied to the shield with the rider (to avoid the scarlet shield being placed on the black chest of the eagle). In the coats of arms of the senior members of the dynasty, a canopy was introduced instead of a mantle. The younger members of the dynasty crowned their coats of arms with an imperial crown. The Provisional Government abolished the imperial coat of arms and began to use a double-headed eagle on seals without any attributes, without a heraldic shield and a fixed color. It was assumed that the new coat of arms would be drawn up after the Constituent Assembly made a decision on the state structure. But instead, the double-headed eagle completely disappeared from Russian culture for 75 years. state symbols. On November 30, 1993, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the coat of arms was again established in the form of a double-headed eagle under three crowns, albeit of a different color. Another seven years later, this coat of arms was re-approved by constitutional law. According to Art. 1 of the Federal Constitutional Law “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation”, adopted on December 25, 2000, “The State Emblem of the Russian Federation is a quadrangular red heraldic shield with rounded lower corners, pointed at the tip, with a golden double-headed eagle raising its spread wings. The eagle is crowned with two small crowns and above them one large crown, connected by a ribbon. In the right paw of the eagle is a scepter, in the left is an orb. On the eagle’s chest, in a red shield, is a silver rider in a blue cloak on a silver horse, striking with a silver spear a black dragon, overturned on its back and trampled by its horse.

Description of the shield

Shield shapes
Shield division
Honorary heraldic figures
Simple heraldic figures

Heraldic figures are called heraldic figures, which were most often used in the creation of coats of arms. These figures can be divided into Honorary and Simple. The first received this name because they often complained as a sign of special distinction and, in addition, they occupy the most important positions in the shield. According to the rules of Heraldry, the honorary heraldic figure in the description of the coat of arms is proclaimed first, immediately after the mention of the shield.

Simple heraldic figures, having some properties of honorary ones, are smaller in size than the latter and constitute, as it were, a transition from heraldic figures to non-heraldic figures.

Tinctures
Arrangement of non-heraldic figures
Description order

The position of the figure (or location, if there are several figures) on the shield is subject to certain rules.

The number and arrangement of figures is determined by the maximum filling of the free space left in the shield by the main figure. In this case, the same figure can appear repeatedly, in accordance with symmetry and harmony. These conditions also determine the appropriate size of the figures.
All figures must be oriented with their front part towards the right edge, otherwise, facing left and not right, they will be called facing, but this is extremely rare

Views