The territory where modern Chita is now located was inhabited by Mongols and Turks in ancient times. Later, the Tungus people formed on these lands. The Tungus (Evenks) were a very strong and hardy people. That is why they were able to survive in such difficult environmental conditions. In the XVII century, the first Russian settlers came to the Tungus lands - the Cossacks of Peter Ivanovich Beketov. Beketov's detachment was sent by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich to the Shilka River to build the first fortification in these places - the Shilkinsky (Nerchinsky) prison.
Beketov's detachment stopped for the winter near the banks of the Ingoda River, before reaching Shilka, and set up camp there. A few years later, the second Russian detachment came to the same lands - under the leadership of the voivode Athanasius Pashkov. In a place not far from the confluence of the Ingoda and Chitinka rivers, he equipped the small village of Plotbishche, from which the history of Chita began.
The history of the formation of the coat of arms
The first coat of arms of the city of Chita was approved in 1913. A decree to this effect was signed by Emperor Nicholas II on April 26, old style.
After the revolutionary events of 1917 and the formation of the young Soviet state, the old state symbols, including coats of arms, were abolished.
In 1994, thanks to local historians, work began on the restoration of the coat of arms of Chita. The coat of arms has been restored. Chita was one of the first among other Russian cities to adopt its official symbols. The historical appearance of the coat of arms of the city was reconstructed thanks to the active work of the Chita architect Viktor Ivanovich Kulesh.
Updated coat of arms
The coat of arms of Chita was legalized thanks to the adoption of the First Charter of Chita, which involved the development of the official symbols of the city. However, in 2002 the Heraldic Council of the Russian Federation developed new rules for heraldry. According to them, the symbols of the Chita coat of arms did not correspond to the territorial and administrative status of the modern state. As a result, a new Regulation on the coat of arms of Chita was developed and adopted on November 15, 2007.
The draft of the new symbol was approved by the Chita State Duma in November, and legalized at the state level on December 15, 2007. The changes did not affect the entire coat of arms, but only some of its optional parts. Instead of ears of corn, the crown was surrounded by a laurel wreath, instead of three, five teeth appeared at the crown, and the ribbon of the Order of the October Revolution began to surround the shield. Chita was awarded this order in 1972. The ribbon of the order is red with blue longitudinal stripes. Such a ribbon adorns a significant award in the Soviet state - the Order of Lenin - and symbolizes courage, courage,selflessness in defense of the motherland.
Description of coat of arms
The coat of arms of Chita depicted in the photo is made up of parts approved by the Heraldic Office. An obligatory part of this coat of arms is a French (rectangular) shield, divided into several parts. According to the description of the emblem of Chita, it appears that the upper part of the shield is golden, the lower part is made of enamel (enamel) of two colors - green and red in the form of a palisade. The palisade has eight battlements.
According to the history of Chita, their number is associated with the development in the 17th century by Russian settlers-explorers of the Chita region and the foundation of eight prisons - Selenginsky, Barguzinsky, Undinsky, Eravninsky, Telembinsky, Irgensky, Albazinsky. The colors for the palisade were not chosen by chance. There is a version that the border pillars that separated the Chita lands from Mongolia and China were of this color. It is connected with the historical role played by Chita at the beginning of the 20th century. It was Chita that established trade relations between the Russian Empire and these states.
Optional parts of the coat of arms of Chita include: the image on the shield, crown, namet, ribbon. In the center of the upper field of the shield is the head of a red bull with a silver tongue and eyes, depicted from the front. Above the shield is a golden three-pronged crown. Ears of gold were used as a bait. On the sides of the shield wraps Alexander's ribbon - two-color red with orange stripes. This ribbon is the ribbon of the Order of Saint AlexanderNevsky and in the emblems symbolizes military prowess. In addition, the ribbon of this order was often used in Tsarist Russia in the coats of arms of regions, townships and county towns.
Symbols of the coat of arms of Chita
| Picture | Allegories |
| Buffalo head | Traditional pastoralism |
| Silver eyes and buffalo tongue | Daurian silver mines |
| Gold Shield Field | Gold mines in Chita land |
| Fence (palisade) | Traditional building craft |
| 8 pieces of palisade | 8 fortifications built in the Chita region in the 17th century |
| Red-green palisade | Border posts on the border with China and Mongolia |
| Tower golden crown | Regional city |
| Gold ears | Traditional farming |
| Alexander Ribbon | Here are the military authorities |
The coat of arms of Chita and the coat of arms of the Chita region
An interesting fact is that the image of the Chita coat of arms is in the lower field of the shield of the coat of arms of the Chita region. He is depicted under a red single-headed eagle with a silver beak, paws and tongue, flying from right to left and carrying a red bow and arrow in its claws.
The red color on the coats of arms of the city of Chita and the Chita region was not used by chance. From ancient times, he personified courage and valor, fearlessness, love, generosity, love and beauty.
Gold, soabundantly used to create a coat of arms, it symbolizes power, purity, we alth and abundance, constancy and respect, and silver - nobility, freedom, wisdom and hope. In addition, gold and silver on the coats of arms also indicates that the Chita lands were rich in gold and silver mines.
