Coat of arms of Russia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Coat of arms of Russia

Versions
Charge

Armiger	Russian Federation
Adopted	30 November 1993 (current version)
Blazon	Gules, a double-headed eagle displayed, twice imperially crowned, grasping in the dexter claw an imperial sceptre, and in the sinister claw an imperial orb, all Or; in chief another larger imperial crown with issuant and pendent therefrom a ribbon, also Or; the eagle is charged on the breast with an escutcheon Gules, Saint George slaying the dragon.

The coat of arms of Russia is a very important symbol for the country. It comes from the older coat of arms of the Russian Empire. Even though it has changed many times since the 1400s, the current coat of arms looks a lot like its original design from the Middle Ages.

The main part of the coat of arms is a double-headed eagle. This eagle has roots in the Byzantine Empire and even older times. The colors used in the coat of arms are also very old, going back to the 1400s.

What the Coat of Arms Looks Like and Where It's Used
How the Coat of Arms Changed Over Time
See also

What the Coat of Arms Looks Like and Where It's Used

The two main symbols on Russia's coat of arms are the two-headed eagle and Saint George fighting a dragon. These symbols were used long before Peter the Great became a famous ruler.

The coat of arms shows a gold two-headed eagle with its wings spread out. It is on a red shield that has rounded bottom corners. Two small crowns sit on the eagle's heads, and one large crown is above them. These three crowns are connected by a ribbon.

The eagle holds a scepter in its right claw and an orb in its left claw. A scepter is like a fancy staff, and an orb is a ball with a cross on top. On the eagle's chest, there is a red shield. On this shield, a silver horseman in a blue cape rides a silver horse. He is slaying a black dragon with a silver spear.

The current coat of arms was created by an artist named Yevgeny Ukhnalyov. It was officially chosen on November 30, 1993, by a special order from the president. Later, a federal law was approved by President Vladimir Putin on December 20, 2000, making it official.

The coat of arms shown on a 2018 25 ruble coin.

Today, the crowns on the eagle's heads represent the unity and independence of Russia. This includes both the country as a whole and its many regions. The orb and scepter held by the eagle are old symbols of power and authority.

You can see the coat of arms on government buildings and on the cover of the national passport. It is also on the flag used by the president of Russia and on the banner of the Russian Armed Forces. Some of Russia's national awards also feature the coat of arms. Since 2016, Russian ruble coins have shown the coat of arms on one side.

How the Coat of Arms Changed Over Time

The official symbol of Russia has changed a lot during three main periods: the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation. The use of the double-headed eagle as Russia's symbol goes back to the 15th century.

After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the rulers of Muscovy (an old Russian state) saw themselves as the new leaders of the Byzantine legacy. This idea became stronger when Ivan III married Sophia Paleologue, a Byzantine princess. This led to the idea of Moscow being the "Third Rome".

Ivan III started using the golden Byzantine double-headed eagle on his official seal in 1472. This showed his claim to the Roman imperial heritage and that he saw himself as an equal to the Holy Roman Empire. Around the same time, a golden double-headed eagle on a red background appeared on the walls of the Palace of Facets in the Moscow Kremlin.

The other main Russian symbol, Saint George slaying the dragon, also appeared around this time. It first showed up as a rider with a spear on the seal of Vasili I of Moscow in 1390. During Ivan III's time, the dragon was added. However, it wasn't officially linked to Saint George until 1730. Eventually, Saint George became the patron saint of Moscow and, by extension, of Russia.

When Ivan IV became the first Tsar (Emperor), the two symbols were combined. The eagle then had a small shield on its chest showing Saint George. When the Moscow Patriarchate (the head of the Russian Orthodox Church) was created in 1589, a patriarchal cross was sometimes placed between the eagle's heads.

The Russian Empire (1721–1917)

Coat of arms of the Russian Empire

Versions
Greater achievement
Middle achievement
Lesser achievement

Armiger	Emperor of Russia
Adopted	Greater coat of arms: Created in 1882, discontinued in 1917. Lesser coat of arms: Created in 1883, discontinued in 1917.
Blazon	Or, a black two-headed eagle crowned with two imperial crowns, over which the same third crown, enlarged, with two flying ends of the ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew. The State Eagle held a golden scepter and golden globus cruciger. On the chest of the eagle there was an escutcheon with the arms of Moscow, depicting Saint George, mounted and defeating the dragon
Supporters	Archangels Michael and Gabriel
Compartment	Vegetal
Order(s)	Order of St. Andrew

The Russian Empire had different versions of its coat of arms: a greater, middle, and lesser version. The main part was a golden shield with a black two-headed eagle. This eagle wore two imperial crowns, with a larger third crown above them. Ribbons from the Order of Saint Andrew flowed from this crown. The eagle held a golden scepter and a golden globus cruciger (orb). On its chest was a shield with the symbol of Moscow: Saint George riding a horse and defeating the dragon.

The greater coat of arms was approved by Emperor Alexander III in 1882. It included the main coat of arms, a helmet, and was supported by the archangels Michael and Gabriel. It was surrounded by the collar of the Order of Saint Andrew. The whole design was placed on a golden cloak, topped by the Imperial Crown of Russia. Around this central design were the coats of arms of fifteen different territories that were part of the Russian Empire.

The middle coat of arms was similar but simpler, without some of the extra elements. The lesser coat of arms was the simplest, showing just the imperial double-headed eagle with the collar of the Order of Saint Andrew and some smaller coats of arms on its wings.

In the early 1600s, when the Romanov family became rulers, the eagle's image changed. In 1625, the double-headed eagle first appeared with three crowns. These crowns were seen as representing the conquered kingdoms of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia. Or, they could represent the unity of Great Russia, Little Russia (Ukraine), and White Russia (Belarus).

During the rule of Peter the Great, more changes happened. The collar of the new Order of Saint Andrew was added around the central shield. The crowns were changed to the imperial style after Peter became emperor in 1721. Around this time, the eagle's color changed from golden to black, and it stayed black until the Russian monarchy ended in 1917.

Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia (1918–1993)

After the Russian Empire ended, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) adopted a new symbol on July 10, 1918. This symbol was changed several times. It showed wheat as a symbol of farming and a rising sun representing the future of the Russian nation. A red star and the hammer and sickle (symbols of communism) were also included.

The motto of the Soviet Union ("Workers of the world, unite!") was also part of the symbol. It was written in Russian: 'Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!'. The letters 'PCФCP' were shown above the hammer and sickle, which stood for "Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic."

The Soviet Union as a whole adopted its own symbol in 1923. This symbol was technically an emblem, not a traditional coat of arms, because it didn't follow old heraldry rules. However, in Russian, it was still called gerb, the word for a coat of arms. It was the first state symbol designed in a style called "socialist heraldry."

The Soviet Union's emblem showed the Hammer and Sickle and the Red Star over a globe. These were surrounded by a wreath of wheat with ribbons. The ribbons had the communist motto ("Workers of the world, unite!") written in the official languages of the different Soviet republics. Over time, the number of ribbons and languages changed as more republics joined or languages were updated.

In 1992, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the letters on the symbol changed from 'RSFSR' to 'Russian Federation'. In 1993, President Boris Yeltsin signed an order to replace the Communist design with the current coat of arms that Russia uses today.