Symbols of Russia: bear. Why is the bear a symbol of Russia? Symbols of Russia - photo

State symbols are the visiting card of each country, giving an idea of state values, priorities and policies. The three main attributes of the symbolism are the coat of arms, the anthem and the flag. In addition, many countries also have the symbol of an animal, a bird or a plant. What are the symbols of Russia now? How did they arise and what do they mean?

Flag

Now it's impossible to imagine a country that does not have a flag. Nevertheless, it was not always so. In Russia, the first flag appeared only at the end of the XVII century, when the first military Russian ship, the Eagle, sailed into the sea. Imitating the powerful maritime powers, whose ships had long sailed under state flags, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered and on the Russian ship to raise the cloth. According to some historians, the first flag of Russia was white-blue-red, similar to the current one, only with a gold two-headed eagle. Later it was proposed to replace the blue and red bands with black and yellow or orange. But the proposal was rejected, since the colors of the flag reflected the unique symbols of Russia. In the pictures it seemed so - the white snow covering most of Russia in the winter, blue and red - the colors of the clothes of Russian peasants and women on holiday. This kind of flag was canceled only in 1918, and in 1993 it was again restored by the decree of Yeltsin. Now its white color means peace and freedom, blue is stability, and red is the fatherland, the power of the state and the blood shed for the country.

Coat of arms

In addition to the flag, other symbols of Russia are very significant. Photo of the coat of arms, approved in 2000, shows a golden double-headed eagle with straightened wings and three crowns with ribbon. In his paws he has a scepter and power, on his chest is the coat of arms of Moscow. The eagle is depicted against the background of the red French shield. This image can be deciphered in such a way that Russia is patronized by the Holy Trinity. The Russian state does not threaten anyone and cares only about the inviolability of its lands. All intentions of Russia are pure and directed against the universal evil. The country obeys the law and adheres to justice. The modern coat of arms was created on the basis of the old, donated to the Tsar Ivan III Vasilievich Pope in 1452. The gift was timed to the marriage of the Russian Tsar to the Byzantine princess Sophia. Then the emblem symbolized independence. Two eagle heads meant power over the east and west of the empire, and the crowns were deciphered as a double power.

Anthem

Some foreign ideologists, unkindly related to Russia, believe that only a bear is a symbol of our country. But one of our main symbols is the national anthem - it sounds proudly at official ceremonies, during the awarding of our athletes to the Olympiads and in many other cases. His text and music were written on the basis of the anthem of the Soviet Union. The very first Russian anthem appeared in the distant 1816. Prior to this, all the celebrations were held under the church chants. The text of the first hymn was a poem "The Prayer of the Russians", written by Vasily Zhukovsky. Later, Alexei Lvov composed the second hymn, widely known as "God Save the Tsar". In the restless 1917th the interim government replaced him with the French "Marseillaise". Revolutionaries made their anthem "Internationale". Later the text changed twice. The modern anthem of Russia was approved by the president in the last days of 2000 and sounded on the New Year's holiday.

Bear - a symbol of strength and courage

The hymn, the coat of arms and the flag are the most important symbols of Russia. The bear is chosen as the animal symbol of our country. This is not done by accident, because the clubfoot on the Russian expanses has always been considered the king of the forest. Much later, from the southern countries, fashion came to call the king of animals a lion. Our brown bear appears to be a sluggish looking rabbit, capable of only roaring and hives to ruin. In fact, this is an intelligent beast, which in the northern latitudes has no equal in strength. It is not for nothing that the ancient Rusichs worshiped the bear. They made multiple totems in the form of a bear and believed that such a guard would necessarily protect them from enemies, would give strength in battle. In Russia and other northern countries, there was a cult of the bear. Hunters sought not only to enlist the assistance of the forest lord, but also to connect his spirit with his own. For them, strength, courage and nobility was personified by a bear. The symbol of the beast also became the protector of the whole family.

Fictional myths about Russia and its bears

Curious facts in their history have all the symbols of Russia. Bear, for example, according to some foreign historians, has become our symbol only because of the backwardness and stupidity of Russians. In the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries in developed European countries, Russia (Muscovy, as it was then said) was a wild country where only barbarians live. A great deal contributed to the work of the famous Austrian ambassador and diplomat Gerberstein "Notes on Moscow affairs." In this essay he wrote about the fact that in Russia bears walk right through the streets, break into houses and force people to flee. Perhaps, some such cases have taken place, since in the "Notes" it was narrated about the unusually frosty and hungry year of 1526. Then hungry beasts could appear in cities to find food. However, many scribes of Zapiski filed these isolated cases as a routine affair for the entire country, firmly fixing the readers' negative view of Russia.

Rehabilitation of Russian bears

The foreign public has quietly accepted the main symbols of Russia. Bear for a long time remained as a standard of rudeness and backwardness of Russians. Even now, especially in England, the image of Russia is associated with the awkward forest beast to emphasize the negative attitude towards the country. At the same time, the club-footed bear was long ago rehabilitated. An important role in this played circus performances, in which bears demonstrated their mind and outstanding abilities. It should be noted that not all foreigners associated the Russian bear with slowness and cruelty. So, Friedrich II, the Prussian king, warned in his time that they did not wake the sleeping Russian bear. He meant that the Russian people, like the toptigin, are good-natured and not dangerous until you offend him. If, God forbid, this happens, he turns into an aggressive and powerful defender of his interests.

Bear - a symbol not only of Russia

Bear is a symbol not only of Russia. It is depicted on the arms of Berlin, Bern, Lithuanian Samogitia, and many Russian cities. His image was placed on his arms and knights to know. Thanks to the bear, the city of Bern was named. And the Celtic bear (arctos) served as the name of a huge territory - the Arctic.

The bear is present even on the coat of arms of the Pope! Such honor was rendered to the wild beast thanks to the legend of Saint Corbinian. According to her text, when Corbinian went to Rome, a bear rushed out onto the road and killed the horse of the saint. In punishment Corbinian ordered the beast to accompany him to Rome instead of the killed animal. The bear obeyed. The meaning of the symbol on the emblem of the pontiff is the victory of Christianity over paganism. That's how many different interpretations bear bear, a symbol of Russia. Pictures of this beast depict him in different poses or even only a part - half of the trunk or one head. But its meaning remains the same - power, courage, courage.

Olympic bear

The whole world still remembers a nice cute bear, which became a symbol of the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Some countries so hated the Soviet Union or were afraid that they refused to participate in competitions at all. The image of a smiling good bear helped many foreigners to feel confident in a territory alien to them and to change their attitude towards Soviet people. After the Olympics, the bear became associated with peace, goodness and justice, because everything was fair at the competitions. Of course, this historical fact is not the reason why the bear is a symbol of Russia, but made a small contribution to his choice. Russia is often associated with Moscow. A touching bear - a symbol of the famous Moscow Olympics, which many Western ideologists attached to political coloring, no doubt remained in the memory of people from different countries. He seems to say, they say, look, Russia is not at all dangerous, but open to friends and hospitable.

Bear - a symbol of the lands of Russian

As already noted, all the symbols of Russia have their history and their importance. Bear, in addition, is a symbol or is depicted on the arms of many Russian cities. In Perm, he even put a monument. As creators jest that foreigners do not doubt, bears on the streets of Russia really go. And in Norilsk the bear is not only depicted on the coat of arms with the key from the city in its paws, but also became a living symbol of the city in the form of a small bear cub. The bear is depicted on the arms of Khabarovsk, Yekaterinburg, Syktyvkar, Yaroslavl and other Russian cities, because this beast is loved and respected. And also because the bear is power, courage and protection.