Symbols of presidential power: description, history, interesting facts

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

The President of Russia, as the highest ruling person of the country, in accordance with the rules, has his own symbols of presidential power. Depending on the country, they may change slightly, but their transfer at the time of the inauguration of the new president is mandatory, otherwise power simply does not transfer.

Historical background

Symbols of the presidential power of the Russian Federation originate from royal regalia. Just as the All-Russian emperors had to have a crown, scepter and orb, so the current rulers must have the material attributes of power.

The first attempts to introduce obligatory items into the legislation, which serve as symbols of presidential power in the Russian state, were made back in the days of the Soviet Union. In 1991, the law "On taking office of the President of the RSFSR" stated that the head of state must have a round seal, and the flag of the country should be raised at his location. However, such signs were not at all officially approved symbols.presidential power.

Only in 1993, after the abolition of this law, President Boris Yeltsin, by his decrees, began to assert the symbols of his dominant position in the country. Over time, the official symbols of presidential power in the Russian Federation were strengthened in the laws, which are still used today.

Presidential standard

During his inauguration, Yeltsin used a special flag, which came to be considered the first standard - the main symbol of presidential power. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the crimson cloth could no longer play its role, so it was not officially approved.

Only in February 1994 did the presidential standard begin to serve as a symbol of presidential power. It was during that period of time that its official appearance was also approved. By itself, it represents a flag, the cloth of which consists of 3 stripes of different colors. The horizontal stripes are painted in white, blue and red hues. In the very center, the coat of arms of the country was drawn - a double-headed eagle in gold color.

The standard itself is bordered on all sides with gold fringe, and the shaft, on which the canvas was impaled, is crowned with a metal blade depicted in the form of a spear. The presence in one item of two official symbols of the country at once - the state flag and the emblem, as it were, emphasizes the dominant position of the standard, which makes it the brightest symbol of the president's power.

Use of the standard

The standard is the symbol of presidential power,which must be permanently in the president's office for the entire term of his reign. However, its transmission is accompanied by a number of nuances. First of all, during the inauguration of the new president, he must be brought into the ceremonial hall along with the state flag, and then installed on the right side.

As soon as the president takes his oath, a duplicate of this standard must be raised above the dome in the official residence of the head of state, located in the Kremlin. The standard itself is transferred to the office, where it is placed on the left side of the president's desk.

They take him out of there only during especially large events or the annual messages of the president to the legislature. However, in its essence, the standard is obliged to constantly follow the president himself on his trips around the country.

Badge of the President

Another symbol of presidential power in the Russian Federation is the badge of the president. Officially, it consists of two items - the chain and the sign itself. It was approved only in August 1996 in law No. 1138. However, its final appearance was described only in a presidential decree, which was published only 3 years later. Despite the fact that it is stored in the hall of awards of the Grand Kremlin Palace, in its essence it is not a state award at all. This placement was solely due to the fact that the symbol in appearance is based on the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.

Appearance

The sign itself is an equilateral cross made ofgold. Its ends gradually expand. The distance between the ends of this cross must be 60 millimeters. The entire front side of the sign is covered with ruby enamel, and in the very middle there is an image of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation as an overlay. On the reverse side of the symbol there is also a round-shaped medallion on which the motto "Benefit, Honor and Glory" is engraved, as well as the date of creation of the sign itself - 1994 and bay leaves on the bottom of the medallion. The laurel wreath also acts as a link for the chain and badge.

The chain itself is also considered a symbol. It is made of silver, gold and enamel. There are 17 links in total. 8 sockets of the chain have a round shape with the same motto as on the medallion, and 9 in the form of the state emblem of the country. On the reverse side of the links there are special overlays made of white enamel. They are engraved in golden type with the full names of each of the presidents of the country, as well as the years of their entry into office for each elected term.

Using the badge of the president

The use of this symbol of presidential power is entirely dependent on existing protocol norms. The first time it was entrusted to Yeltsin during his second coming to power in 1996. Then he put it on the shoulders of Putin, and he, respectively, to Medvedev in his office at the time of the transfer of affairs. In other situations, the sign is located on the left side of the podium during the swearing-in. At the same time, the outgoing president necessarily mentions the transfer of the sign as an imperious symbol. During the first reignPutin from 2000 to 2008, during the ceremony, the sign was not put on, but was constantly on a pedestal on a red pillow.

Lost symbol

President Yeltsin by his decree in 1996 approved another symbol of presidential power in the country. They were served by a special copy of the Constitution of the country. It was made in a single copy. Contains the official text of the main law of the country, approved in 1993. The cover is bound in scarlet varan leather, it also has the state emblem of the Russian Federation made of silver and the golden inscription "Constitution of the Russian Federation".

So far in May 2000, Vladimir Putin has abolished the special Constitution as one of the symbols of presidential power in the country, but the book still has its value, albeit as a tradition. It is on it that the presidents of the country take the oath after taking office.

It is used exclusively during the inauguration of the President of the country, and in all other cases is permanently stored in the Library of the President of the Russian Federation on the third floor of the Senate building in the Kremlin. To this day, there is no official description of this symbol.

All of the above symbols of the power of the head of state are transferred from president to president directly on the day he takes office.