Crimea is a unique and inimitable land, "an order on the chest of the planet Earth," as one of its researchers said. Tourists, getting here for the first time, are surprised how all the diversity of nature could fit in such a small area. After all, there are mountains, and rocks, and the sea coast with pebble beaches, as well as noisy waterfalls and dozens of beautiful caves.
However, in this article we will not talk about the natural beauties of the Crimea, but about its symbolism. You will learn what the Crimean flag symbolizes, as well as what semantics the coat of arms of Crimea carries. Pictures of the main symbols of the republic are also presented here. We hope you enjoy!
The flag and coat of arms of Crimea are the main symbols of the peninsula
Any country, republic, region or city has its own official symbols - the flag and coat of arms. They have developed historically, and, most often, reflect (show) the identity of a particular settlement or territory.
A flag is a rectangular panel with a certain coloring. As a rule, these are stripes of different colors and directions (less often - patterns or drawings). There is eventhe whole science that studies them is vexillology.
The word "coat of arms" (herb) is of German origin and literally means "inheritance". The fact is that initially the coat of arms served as a distinction for a particular family, and this symbol was passed down from generation to generation, by inheritance. Later it began to be used as symbols of cities or countries. The science that comprehensively studies coats of arms is called heraldry.
Now it's worth getting acquainted with what the coat of arms and flag of the Republic of Crimea is. What is their semantics?
Coat of arms of Crimea: photo and description
The basis of the modern Crimean coat of arms is the Varangian shield. It depicts a mythical creature - a griffin, which looks to the left and holds a blue pearl in a silver shell in its paw. A rising yellow sun is depicted above the head of the griffin, and the shield itself is framed by two Greek columns on both sides. From below, the shield is bordered by a ribbon (in the traditional colors of the Crimean flag, which will be discussed later) with the inscription: "Prosperity is in unity".
It is worth noting that the coat of arms of Crimea, in its modern form, was designed in 1991, and approved at the official level in 1992. In March 1995, it was legalized by the Ukrainian authorities through the adoption of the law "On the Autonomous Republic of Crimea".
As you know, in March 2014, the territory of Crimea was annexed to Russia. At the same time, the local authorities of the republic decided not to change the already existing symbols of the peninsula, having adopted the corresponding law in June of the same year.
Here's a storysurvived the modern coat of arms of Crimea. You can see a photo of this symbol below:
The meaning of the coat of arms
Next, we will talk about the semantics of this symbol of the republic. Coat of arms of Crimea - what does it mean?
It is known that the griffin has long been used in the heraldry of the Northern Black Sea region. So, this mythical creature was present on the emblems of the ancient Panticapaeum (now Kerch), as well as Chersonese.
The coat of arms of the Republic of Crimea is based on a red shield. And this is not accidental, because the scarlet color is a reminder of the heroic and sometimes tragic fate of the Crimean people. It is no coincidence that the presence of a pearl in the paw of a griffin. This is a direct allusion to the uniqueness and uniqueness of the Crimean land.
The connection of Crimea with Ancient Greece is also shown on the coat of arms - with the help of two columns along the edges. But the Sun above the shield symbolizes the dawn and the bright future of the region.
Historical emblems of Crimea
As a rule, the symbols of countries and cities often change over time. And the coat of arms of Crimea is no exception here.
It is interesting to see how it has changed throughout the history of the peninsula. After all, at different times on its territory there were various state formations. And the coat of arms, accordingly, also changed.
Coat of arms during the Crimean Khanate
This powerful state formation existed for more than three centuries: from 1441 to 1783. At the same time, it occupied not only the Crimean peninsula, but also the Kuban, as well as almost the entire south-east of modern Ukraine. The capitals of this state in differenttime were Stary Krym and Bakhchisaray. Only in 1783 the territory of the Crimean Khanate was annexed by the Russian Empire. A little later, this annexation was recognized by the Ottoman Empire.
The coat of arms of the Crimean Khanate can be considered the generic emblem of the Girey dynasty - the sign of the tarak-tamga. By the way, even today it is the national symbol of all Crimean Tatars and is depicted on their flags. It is known that this particular sign was minted on coins during the Crimean Khanate, and was also applied to some public buildings.
It is curious that today there is no single interpretation of this sign. According to one of them, the tarak-tamga symbolizes balanced scales.
Coat of arms of the Taurida province
After the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 1783, an administrative unit of the Russian Empire was formed on its territory - Taurida Governorate, which officially existed from 1802 to 1921. Its center (capital) was the city of Simferopol, which immediately began to develop rapidly. By the way, the toponym "Tavrida, Taurika" was brought to the peninsula by the ancient Hellenes, during the colonization of the Crimean coast.
How did the coat of arms of Crimea look like in those days, in the 19th - early 20th centuries? A double-headed black eagle was depicted on a golden shield in the center. On the chest of the eagle was another, small shield with the image of a cross (exactly the one that the Greek emperors sent to Ancient Russia).
The shield of the coat of arms is crowned with the imperial crown - a symbol of royal power. It is bordered by yellowoak branches with a blue ribbon woven into them. As you know, this coat of arms was officially approved on March 8, 1784, when the province itself, in fact, did not yet exist. The image of this Crimean coat of arms is shown below:
Coat of arms of the Crimean ASSR
The next stage in the history of the peninsula is associated with the advent of Soviet power. In 1921, the Crimean ASSR was created on its territory, which lasted until 1992. Simferopol remained the capital of the republic. Until 1954, Crimea was part of the RSFSR, and after that it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR.
How did the coat of arms of Crimea look like at that time? It is worth noting that it had two editions: the first - from 1921, and the second - from 1938. The only difference between them is in the inscriptions. So, initially the Crimean coat of arms had inscriptions in the Crimean Tatar language, and in 1938 they were supplemented with Russian ones.
The coat of arms of the Crimean ASSR looked like this: in the center - a red shield, which depicted a hammer and sickle - the central symbol of the Soviet system. At the same time, it was illuminated by the rays of the rising sun from below. Below, under the shield of the coat of arms, the main motto of the country was inscribed: "Proletarians of all countries, unite!" On both sides, the shield of this coat of arms was bordered by golden ears of wheat: seven on the right and on the left.
The flag of the Crimean ASSR also looked simple and concise. Only two inscriptions were placed in the upper left corner of the solid red cloth: "RSFSR" and "KrASSR" (under the first inscription).
FlagRepublic of Crimea
Now it's worth talking about another symbol of the Republic of Crimea - its flag.
The flag is a mandatory attribute of any territorial entity. At the same time, it must reflect and accurately show the identity of a particular city, region or state. What does the modern Crimean flag mean and what is its history?
The date of birth of this flag is September 24, 1992. In 1999, it was re-approved, but already as the official flag of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine. After the annexation of Crimea to Russia in March 2014, the authorities of the republic decided not to change the flag of Crimea.
The flag of the Republic of Crimea is a rectangular panel consisting of three horizontal stripes of unequal thickness. At the top of the flag there is a blue stripe (1/6 of the entire thickness of the canvas), in the center is a white one (the thickest, occupying 2/3 of the thickness of the canvas), and at the bottom there is a red stripe (1/6 of the entire thickness of the canvas). It is this type of the Crimean flag that is the reference. The authors of this symbol were A. Malgin and V. Trusov.
What is the semantics of the flag of Crimea?
It is believed that the red stripe at the bottom symbolizes the heroic and dramatic past of the peninsula, and the blue one at the top - its bright and promising future. At the same time, the widest strip in the center is the real Crimea. The authors did not accidentally make this band the widest, hinting that all the events that occur in lifepeninsulas are very significant for its future fate. And Crimea itself has a great future.
Conclusion
Thus, the flag and coat of arms of Crimea are the most important symbols of the republic. They reflect the whole essence of the difficult, but very bright history of the Crimean people.
