The article describes what the coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola looks like, gives the history of its occurrence and a photo.
Basic symbols of the coat of arms
The heraldry of many Russian cities has undergone many changes over time and historical events. But in fact, all modern symbols used in the coats of arms of a particular city have a direct historical continuity from their predecessors. The coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola is no exception.
First appearing in 1781 and changing many times over time, the heraldry of the city acquired its modern look only in June 2011. But the main emblematic symbols of the city of Yoshkar-Ola, which have passed through several centuries, are:
- moose;
- tower crown;
- Mari ornament;
- azure background.
Appearance description
However, the modern coat of arms of the city of Yoshkar-Ola is strikingly different from the original. In the central part of the shield of rich azure color there is an image of a powerful adult silver elk. Well-developed horns and hooves stand out on the body of the animal with bright golden spots. The shield is crowned with a five-pronged gold-colored tower crown, into which a national ornament is gracefully woven.scarlet Mari.
History: what the first coat of arms looked like
However, the elk was not always the main figure of the coat of arms of the capital of Mari El, although it was always present there. Yoshkar-Ola, formerly called Tsarevokokshaisk, acquired its first heraldry in 1781 by decree of Catherine II.
The battle shield has been split in two. Above, on a white background, a black dragon with red plumage was depicted, a golden crown flaunted on the head of the bird. This pangolin has been considered a symbol of Kazan since ancient times and to this day. The lower half of the coat of arms was occupied by a young elk on a blue background. The top confirmed the entry of Tsarevokokshaisk into Kazan, and the bottom spoke of the rich nature and fauna that provided the inhabitants with food.
USSR period
The coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola existed in this form for a long time, until the advent of Soviet power. This period was marked for the city by a change of name, and subsequently heraldry. The coat of arms underwent official changes in 1968 thanks to the efforts of N. V. Ivanova.
A gold inscription "Yoshkar-Ola" appeared at the top of the shield on a white background. The ornament, which won the national pride of the inhabitants of Mari El, began to be located horizontally under the name. Below the shield was vertically divided by colors in half: the left one is blue, and the right one is red. The color scheme is reminiscent of the belonging of the Mari Republic to the RSFSR. In the upper part of the color background in the center is a snowflake, the center of which is a gear, symbolizingmetalworking industry. Moreover, a snowflake is considered a direct symbol of a machine-building plant in the republic, and of course, the severity of the winter climate in the region. At the bottom of the shield is the already familiar figure of a noble and stately elk.
Last changes
Since October 28, 2005, a silver moose cow stands on the coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola, the photo of which is in the article. The azure background takes over. The shield is crowned with a five-pronged tower crown of gold color with a national ornament on the bottom. The authors of this coat of arms are the honored artist of Mari El I. V. Efimov and his son, graduate student of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences P. I. Efimov.
Depriving the elk of its horns, the heraldists thereby emphasized the historical continuity from the original source. The fact is that on the very first coat of arms adopted by Catherine II, the animal looked more like a teenage elk that did not have time to acquire horns. Well, since June 22, 2011, the elk returns to the heraldic shield of Yoshkar-Ola again and remains the main one on it to this day. This animal was not without reason chosen as the emblem of the city, as it symbolizes strength, prosperity and nobility, and at the same time indicates the natural we alth of the city and the entire region.
