The coat of arms of Saratov - description and meaning

Every Russian city has its own history, telling about its origin and creation of the emblem, flag and other attributes. Saratov is no exception. By his appearance, he is obliged to the notorious historical figures. The coat of arms of Saratov has existed for more than one century. Let's take a closer look at some historical moments concerning the creation of the arms of the city of Saratov.

A little bit from the history of Saratov

September 2010 presented the citizens of the city of Saratov with the celebration of the 420 anniversary from the day of its foundation. In 1590 Saratov was founded as a city-fortress and carried out the defense of the Russian state on the southeastern boundary of the nomadic raids. Its founders are Prince G. O. Zasekin and boyar F. M. Turov. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, Saratov was an important trans-shipment point on the Volga, as well as a trade center. This was facilitated by its convenient location and inexhaustible natural resources.

In 1781, six months after the issuance of the decree of Catherine the Great, which referred to the creation of the Saratov vicegerency, the coat of arms of Saratov was officially approved. Since that time, the official countdown of his history began.

The coat of arms of Saratov. Description and meaning

At the heart of the city's coat of arms lies the traditional version of the heraldic shield. Three fish are drawn on his blue field. Many do not know what kind of fish on the coat of arms of Saratov is depicted. This sterlet (silver). They mean that in this city there is abundance.

Indeed, in the old days the Volga had an untold wealth, most of which were sterlets. The value of this fish lies in its truly royal taste. The location of the fish resembles the English letter Y. The two upper sterlets are placed head to center, and tails to the corners of the shield. The lower fish is also located head to the center, and its back is on the left side relative to the person looking at the coat of arms. Sterlets on the coat of arms seem to say that Saratov is one of the richest and most beautiful cities in Russia.

Description of the flag

As for the flag of the city of Saratov, it has the same symbolism as the coat of arms. This rectangular white cloth. At the lowest part of the flag is a blue strip, occupying about one-third of the total area. The broader white part of the flag depicts the coat of arms of Saratov. Its background repeats in its color the lower blue band. The ratio of the length of the flag and the width corresponds to a value of 3: 2.

The above-described flag and the coat of arms of Saratov are today the main heraldic symbols of the city.

The modern version. What does the coat of arms of Saratov mean?

Many years have passed since the approval of the Saratov emblem, but it has not changed much. Many times the Saratov government organized various competitions, during which they selected the best sketch of the coat of arms. At the moment, the question of the relevance of the image on the coat of arms of sterlet is increasingly raised. After all, this breed of fish is almost never found in the Volga. Many artists participated in competitions and offered different versions of the modern coat of arms. But so far everything remains unchanged. The blue shield and three sterlets against it are the historical and modern coat of arms of Saratov. All municipal institutions and offices of important city officials are decorated with this coat of arms.

Many tourists and guests visiting Saratov know this historical symbolism well. Her image can be found in guides, books, and simply on the streets of the city. One of such popular tourist sites is a monument on the Kosmonavtov embankment, erected in honor of the Saratov emblem. In fact, the city still remains one of the largest industrial, commercial and tourist centers of the Russian Federation.

History of Russian Coats of Arms

Almost every Russian coat of arms is basically a shield, the most common form of which was the French version. This is a shield of a quadrangular shape, having a slight sharpening in the lower part. Over the top of the coat of arms, you can often see an image of a crown or a helmet.

In the period from 1775 to 1785 in the Russian Empire, legislation was in place, according to which each city had to have its own coat of arms. This was a kind of distinctive feature of a territorial unit of an independent character, which has its own governing bodies. The priority tasks of the city's coat of arms included the possibility of distinguishing the city from the village by its presence.

In 1722, namely April 12, Peter 1 issued a personal order, according to which the post of compiler of arms was occupied by Francis Santi. The author of this column owns 137 different emblems of the cities of Russia, including the cities of Saratov.

Creation of the arms of the city of Saratov occurred in the period from 1725 to 1727 years. But the image was approved after many years - in 1781, on August 23. With the light hand of Catherine the Great, Saratov became the universally recognized center of vicegerency, after which the arms were approved.

The number of fish located on the arms of the city of Saratov is directly related to the number of Saratov monasteries. Not for nothing since ancient times, fish is considered a Christian symbol of piety.

The Saratov coat of arms was regarded as a reward presented to the city from the supreme authority. Not to be proud of it was impossible, it was placed on the most important buildings, as well as on the city flag. The modern era also supports the symbols of glory, honor and history of the Saratov region.

Despite the fact that the second half of the 19th century brought Saratov a rapid development of industry and turned the city into a large enough center for the trade in bread and flour, the Saratov coat of arms did not change. On it - all the same three fish, indicating a commitment to tradition.

The modern stage of the approval of the city of Saratov

In 1997, the Saratov City Duma issued a decision approving the text of the Regulations on the City of Arms under Nos. 13-108 (dated November 18). And already in 2001, according to the Law of the Saratov Region "On the arms and the flag," the modern look of the city coat of arms was finally adopted.

To his image is added a golden crown, oak and laurel branches, ears of wheat and golden ribbons. These symbols, depicted on the modern coat of arms, are not at all accidental. They all originate in the historical heritage of the city of Saratov.