Why is there a double-headed eagle on the coat of arms of Russia: the history of the formation of the coat of arms. Emblem of Russia. History of occurrence, meaning, facts
A. BARYBIN.
Coat of arms - double-headed eagle Russia inherited from Byzantium after the marriage of Sophia Paleolog, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor, with Grand Duke Ivan III. Why did the Greek princess prefer the Moscow prince to the rest of the contenders for her hand? And there were applicants from the most noble European families, and Sophia refused everyone. Maybe she wanted to marry a man of the same Orthodox faith as her? It is possible, but hardly an insurmountable obstacle for her to marry a groom, for example, of the Catholic faith. After all, the Orthodox faith did not prevent her uncle Demetrius Paleolog, and later brother Manuel, from becoming a subject of the Islamic Sultan. The main motive was, no doubt, the political calculation of the Pope, who brought up Sophia. But this decision did not come suddenly and not easily.
people of the Middle Ages... From some of them only names and meager information have been preserved on the pages of chronicles, others were participants in turbulent events, the intricacies of which scientists are trying to figure out today.
In 1453, the Ottoman troops besieged Constantinople - this is how an old engraving depicts the siege. The empire was doomed.
Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III (left) in battle with the Tatar Khan. The engraving of the 17th century so symbolically depicts the end of the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
Ivan III Vasilyevich ruled on the throne of Moscow from 1462 to 1505.
On the left is the state seal of Ivan the Terrible. On the right is the state seal of the Russian Empire at the end of the 17th century.
State banner with the image of the coat of arms.
Let us first turn to the history of Byzantium. In 395, the Roman Empire was divided into eastern (Byzantine) and western. Byzantium considered itself the successor of Rome and - by right. The West entered a period of decline in culture, spiritual life, and in Constantinople public life trade and crafts flourished as before, the legal code of Justinian was introduced. Strong state power limited the influence of the church on intellectual life, which had a beneficial effect on education, science and art. Byzantium, being a bridge between Europe and Asia, occupied the most important strategic position. But she was forced to fight on all four sides - with the Persians, Goths, Avars, Huns, Slavs, Pechenegs, Polovtsians, Normans, Arabs, Turks, Crusaders.
Since the end of the XII century, the star of Byzantium has been gradually declining. That was the time of a desperate, full of drama struggle with a powerful rival - the Turks, an energetic, warlike and numerous people. (His pressure did not weaken and kept Europe in horror until the 18th century.) Gradually, in parts, the Turks seized the lands of the empire. At the end of the XIV century, the Balkan Slavic countries submit to them, and the position of Byzantium becomes critical. The climax of the struggle came in the 15th century. Byzantium fought stubbornly, courageously, inventively. The famous Byzantine diplomacy showed miracles of resourcefulness. To a large extent, it was through her efforts that the famous crusades of the knights were carried out at one time, significantly weakening the Turkish sultanate and postponing the collapse of the empire.
Byzantium lacked its own strength to cope with the Turkish danger. Only the combined efforts of all of Europe could stop Turkish expansion. But European politicians were not able to achieve such a unification: religious discord between Orthodox Byzantium and the Catholic West remained a stumbling block (as is known, the split christian church occurred in the 9th-11th centuries). And then the emperor John VII Palaiologos made in 1438 a truly historic attempt to bring the churches together. Byzantium at that time was in a difficult situation: under its rule were the nearest suburbs of Constantinople, several small islands and the despotate of Morea, with which there was no land communication. The thin thread of the current truce with the Turks was about to break.
John III negotiates with Pope Eugene IV to convene Ecumenical Council with the goal of finally bringing about the unification of the churches. The Byzantines are making the greatest possible preparations under the circumstances for the council, which, according to their plan, should adopt church dogmas common to the entire Christian world. In the course of this preparation (the fact is very important for our story), the well-known church leader, diplomat, orator and thinker Isidore, a staunch supporter of the unification of churches (it was he who unwittingly played a big role in the fate of Sophia Paleolog and Ivan Vasilyevich) was appointed Metropolitan of Moscow.
In 1438, a delegation headed by the emperor and the patriarch left Constantinople for Italy. Metropolitan Isidore arrived separately with a delegation from Russia. For more than a year in Ferrara, then in Florence, fierce theological disputes continued. They did not reach an agreement on any point. By the end of the council, strong pressure was exerted on the Greek side, and the Byzantines signed the final document, the so-called Union of Florence, in which they agreed with the Catholics on all positions. However, in Byzantium itself, the union divided the people into its supporters and opponents.
So, the merger of churches did not happen, the only correct political move did not take place. Byzantium remained face to face with a powerful enemy. With the light hand of the French Enlighteners of the 18th century, who saw Byzantium as a stronghold of monarchism, it is traditionally customary to speak of it as a country that is decaying, stagnant, and decrepit (this attitude was intensified by hostility towards Orthodoxy). Our thinkers Chaadaev and Herzen did not like her either. Western historians still have a slight disdain for Byzantium.
Meanwhile, she stood at the most important strategic point, on the border of East and West, owned the straits and held out for 1100 years! Byzantium, albeit weakened, not only heroically fought against numerous invasions, but also kept the colossal cultural potential accumulated by the ancient Greeks and Romans. When church obscurantism and intolerance to any deviation from the biblical canons reigned in Europe, Roman law was taught at the University of Constantinople, all citizens of Byzantium were legally equal before the law, literate people were read by ancient authors, and in schools they were taught to read according to Homer! And it is still not known when the Italian Renaissance would have appeared, turning a person from barren scholasticism to the brilliance of ancient culture, if not for the constant cultural contacts of Europeans with their eastern neighbor.
In April 1453, Constantinople was besieged by troops Turkish Sultan Mehmed II numbering, according to various estimates, from 200 to 300 thousand soldiers. The most powerful artillery at that time, great amount siege equipment, a large fleet, excellent specialists in undermining and blasting - everything was directed against the great city. The siege was carried on continuously and stubbornly. In order to deprive the Greeks of the relative safety of their sea walls, in the inner harbor of the Golden Horn, protected by chains, the Turks, during the course of the battles, dragged 70 heavy warships along the multi-kilometer wooden deck.
What could the Byzantines oppose to all this force? Powerful ancient stone walls and towers, deep ditches, traps and other defensive structures built at different times by excellent fortification engineers. The city was impregnable for pre-firearms. But there was almost no artillery on the walls, and the besieged used only stone-throwing machines in battle. The emperor was able to put up only 7 thousand soldiers on the walls, there were only 25 ships in the harbor. In the city itself, there were ongoing religious disputes between Orthodox and Catholics, provoked by the adoption of the Union of Florence. Religious strife greatly weakened the defense potential of Constantinople. And Mehmed also took this into account.
But, in spite of everything, the morale of the defenders was incredibly high. The heroic defense of Constantinople is legendary. The defense was led and inspired by the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI Palaiologos, a courageous and experienced warrior with a strong and resolute character. For a month and a half, all assaults, all attacks from the sea are repulsed, tunnels are unraveled and liquidated.
But on May 29, 1453, during the last assault, part of the wall collapsed under the blows of the cannonballs. Selected units of the Janissaries rushed into the breach. Konstantin gathers the remaining defenders around him and rushes to the last counterattack. The forces are too unequal. Seeing that everything was over, he, a descendant of the ancient Greeks, rushed with a sword in his hands into the thick of the battle and died heroically. great city fell. Byzantium perished, but perished undefeated. "I'm dying, but I'm not giving up!" is the motto of its heroic defenders.
The fall of Constantinople made a deafening impression throughout the world of that time. The Europeans seemed to believe in a miracle and waited for the city to stand again, as happened more than once in the past.
For three days, the conquerors kill, rob, rape, and drive the inhabitants into slavery. Books and works of art perish in the fire. Few could escape on ships. The exodus to Europe from the still free Byzantine lands began.
Of the closest relatives of Constantine, two brothers survived - Demetrius and Thomas, who each ruled their own part of the despotate of Morea on the Peloponnese peninsula. The Turks systematically annexed the remaining lands of Byzantium to the sultanate. Morea's turn came in 1460. Dimitri remained in the service of the Sultan. Thomas went to Rome with his family. After his death, his two sons, Andrei and Manuel, and his daughter Sophia were in the care of the Pope.
Sophia, with her charm, beauty and intelligence, earned universal love and respect in Rome. But the years went by, it's time for her to get married. Pope Paul II offers noble suitors, but she rejects all (and even the King of France and the Duke of Milan) under the pretext that they are not of her faith. The final decision to marry Sophia to Prince Ivan III Vasilyevich of Moscow, who had been widowed several years ago, was made by the pope under the influence of Cardinal Vissarion. Bessarion of Nicaea, one of the most enlightened people of his era, in the past an Orthodox metropolitan, is a close friend and associate of Isidore of Moscow in an effort to unite the churches. Together they actively spoke at the Florence Cathedral, and, naturally, Vissarion heard and knew a lot about Russia.
The Grand Duke of Moscow was at that time the only Orthodox monarch independent of the Turks. Seasoned politicians in Rome saw that a rising Russia had a future. Roman diplomacy was constantly looking for ways to counter the Ottoman expansion to the West, realizing that after Byzantium, Italy's turn might come. Therefore, in the future one could count on Russian military assistance against the Turks. And here is such a convenient opportunity: by marriage to involve Ivan Vasilyevich in the sphere of Roman politics and make an attempt to subject a huge and rich country to Catholic influence.
So, the choice is made. The initiative came from Pope Paul II. In Moscow, all the subtle intricacies in the papal palace were not even suspected when the embassy from Italy rushed in with an offer of a dynastic marriage. Ivan, as usual, consulted with the boyars, with the metropolitan, with his mother. Everyone said the same thing to him, and he agreed. An exchange of embassies followed. Then there was the bride's triumphal journey from Rome to Moscow, Sophia's solemn entry into the Kremlin, the first date of the young, the bride's acquaintance with the groom's mother, and, finally, the wedding.
Now let's look in historical retrospect at some important events in the life of two countries - Byzantium and Russia - related to the double-headed eagle.
In 987, the Grand Duke of Kiev Vladimir I concluded an agreement with the Byzantine emperor Vasily II, according to which he helped the emperor suppress a rebellion in Asia Minor, and in return he had to give Vladimir his sister Anna as a wife and send priests to baptize the pagan population. In 988, Orthodoxy was officially introduced in Rus' according to the Byzantine rites. This step determined further fate and culture of Russia. But the princess didn't come. And then in 989 the Grand Duke captured the Byzantine colony of Chersonesus in Taurida. In the negotiations that followed, they came to an agreement: Vladimir would return the city to the Greeks as soon as Anna arrived to the groom. That's how it all happened. This dynastic marriage was an exceptional event at that time: Anna is the sister of Basil II and the daughter of the previous emperor Roman II. Until that moment, not a single porphyrogenic princess or Byzantine princess had married a foreigner.
The children of emperors born in a special room of the female half of the imperial palace in Constantinople - Porphyry were considered to be Porphyrogenous. Even random people could become emperors in Byzantium, which, by the way, often happened. But only the children of ruling emperors could be porphyrogenic. Generally in early middle ages the authority and prestige of the Byzantine court in the eyes of Europeans were enormous. The royal houses of Europe considered it their highest honor to have at least some sign of attention from the emperor, not to mention family ties. Therefore, the marriage of Vladimir to Anna had a great resonance in that world and increased international weight new Christian state at the very beginning of its Christian path.
And now, five centuries later, the last princess of the already dead Byzantium also marries the Russian Grand Duke. As a legacy, she brings an ancient coat of arms to our country Byzantine Empire- double-headed eagle. The lost once great empire seemed to be passing the baton to the country, also Orthodox, with the emerging Great Russian nation.
A few words about the very first consequences for Russia of the arrival of Sophia with the coat of arms of her ancestors. Highly educated for those times, she herself and her Greek associates clearly had a positive influence on the cultural level at the court of the Grand Duke, on the formation of a foreign department, and on increasing the prestige of the Grand Duke's power. The new wife supported Ivan III in his desire to improve relations at court, abolish appanages and establish the order of succession to the throne from father to eldest son. Sophia, with her halo of imperial majesty of Byzantium, was an ideal wife for the Russian Tsar.
It was a great reign. The figure of Ivan III Vasilyevich, who basically completed the unification of Russian lands into a single state, was for his time in terms of the scale of his deeds comparable only to Peter I. One of the most glorious deeds of Ivan III was Russia's bloodless victory over the Tatars in 1480 after the famous "standing on river Ugra. Complete legal liberation from the remnants of the Horde dependence was marked by the appearance on the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin of the Byzantine, and now the Russian double-headed eagle.
Double-headed eagles in coats of arms are not uncommon. Since the 13th century, they appear in the arms of the counts of Savoy and Würzburg, on Bavarian coins, they are known in the heraldry of the knights of Holland and Balkan countries. At the beginning of the 15th century, Emperor Sigismund I makes the double-headed eagle the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, and after its collapse in 1806, the double-headed eagle becomes the coat of arms of Austria (until 1919). Both Serbia and Albania have it in their coats of arms. He is in the coats of arms of the descendants of the Greek emperors.
How did he appear in Byzantium? It is known that in 326 the emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine the Great, makes the double-headed eagle his symbol. In 330, he transferred the capital of the empire to Constantinople, and since that time the double-headed eagle has been the state emblem. The empire splits into western and eastern, and the double-headed eagle becomes the coat of arms of Byzantium.
The appearance of the double-headed eagle as a symbol is still incomprehensible. It is known, for example, that he was depicted in the Hittite state, the rival of Egypt, which existed in Asia Minor in the second millennium BC. In the VI century BC. e., as archaeologists testify, the double-headed eagle can be traced in Media, east of the former Hittite kingdom.
In 1497, it first appears as a state emblem on a double-sided wax state seal Russia: on its front side there is a coat of arms of the Moscow Principality - a horseman slaying a dragon (in 1730 he officially received the name of St. George), and on the back - a double-headed eagle. For almost five hundred years of life in Russia, the image of the eagle on the Russian coat of arms has repeatedly changed. On seals, the double-headed eagle existed until 1918. The eagles were removed from the Kremlin towers in 1935. And on November 30, 1993, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin, the two-headed sovereign eagle of Russia was again returned to the Russian coat of arms. And at the end of the 20th century, the Duma legalized all the attributes of the symbols of our country.
The Byzantine Empire was a Eurasian power. Greeks, Armenians, Turks, Slavs and other peoples lived in it. The eagle in her coat of arms with heads looking to the West and to the East symbolized, among other things, the unity of these two principles. This is most suitable for Russia, which has always been a multinational country, uniting the peoples of both Europe and Asia under one coat of arms. The sovereign eagle of Russia is not only a symbol of its statehood, but also a symbol of a thousand-year history, of our ancient roots. He is a symbol of the historical continuity of cultural traditions - from the deceased great empire who managed to preserve the Hellenic and Roman cultures for the whole world to the young growing Russia. The double-headed eagle is a symbol of the unification and unity of the Russian lands.
On April 11, 1857, Alexander II approved the state emblem of Russia. It is considered one of the most complex emblems in the history of the states of the world.
1:773 1:778Let us recall the history of the appearance of the double-headed eagle, how it changed and in what form it reached today.
1:976 1:981West and East
1:1017National emblem Russia is an ancient symbol of our statehood. The eagle is present on the coats of arms of many states, but the two-headed one was preserved in only a few: Russian, Serbian and Albanian. For the first time, such a symbol appeared in the XIII century BC and later appeared on many emblems.
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The question of where the image of the double-headed eagle came from in Rus' is still debatable.. Even in the "History of the Russian State" Nikolai Karamzin drew attention to this fact. He suggested that for the first time such a coat of arms appeared in Russia in the 15th century, when Tsar Ivan III married the niece of the Byzantine emperor. Wishing to emphasize kinship with the rulers of a strong state, the king ordered to depict a double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of Byzantium, on the reverse side of the princely seal.
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There are other versions of the origin of the coat of arms: according to one, Ivan III simply wanted to get closer to the countries of Western Europe, where, at that time, a similar symbol was actively used. On the other hand, to improve relations with those close to the South Slavic states, such as Serbia or Montenegro.
2:1882One way or another, since the 15th century, this symbol has been firmly entrenched on Russian emblems..
2:147 2:152At times the reign of Ivan the Terrible on the chest of the eagle began to have the image of George the Victorious.
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In the 17th century, a scepter and an orb appeared in the paws of a bird. They symbolized the unity and integrity of the empire, the protection of sovereignty.
3:1099Three crowns later appeared: two on the heads of an eagle, the third is large on top in the middle. They meant the Holy Trinity, although later they were also interpreted as a symbol of the unity of the Great Russians, Little Russians and Belarusians.
3:1482 3:1487Great contribution to Russian heraldry was made by Peter I, which gave the Russian state the title of empire. He ordered to add to the coat of arms Chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Then the eagle turned from gold to black, and the background on which it was located was yellow.
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The right wing was decorated with shields with the coats of arms of Kyiv, Novgorod and Astrakhan, and the left - with Vladimir, Kazan and the Siberian kingdom.
4:728After the adoption of the title of emperor by Peter I, the royal crowns were replaced on the coat of arms with imperial ones.
4:907The double-headed eagle has become a symbol of the inseparability of European and Asian Russia, united under one imperial crown: one crowned head looks to the West, the other to the East.
4:1252 4:1257Return of the Eagle
4:1298Alexander II brought the image of the coat of arms in line with the rules of international heraldry. After all, neither under Peter, nor under the following Russian emperors, not a single official document, approving the image of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. Therefore, the kings often experimented in the field of state heraldry. For example, under Alexander I, the eagle lowered its wings down.
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On April 11, 1857, the Large, Medium and Small coats of arms, drawn up by the artist Boris Vasilyevich Kene, were approved. The large state emblem has become one of the most complex coats of arms in the history of the states of the world. His description alone takes up several pages of text. Several inaccuracies were made by the author during creation. For example, the Muscovite horseman, who strikes a snake with a spear, was turned to the right, although before that he had always been turned to the left.
5:1345In this form, the coat of arms of Russia remained unchanged until October revolution 1917.
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In the USSR, a new coat of arms appeared, which looked completely different. He represented the image of the hammer and sickle against the background the globe in the rays of the sun and framed by ears of corn. On them was the inscription "Proletarians of all countries, unite", written in all languages of the Union republics. Later, a five-pointed star was located in the upper part of the coat of arms. The Soviet coat of arms took its final form in 1978.
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Only in 1993 did the double-headed eagle return to the coat of arms of the Russian state.
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He again became a symbol of the eternity of Russian statehood, its continuity with the great empires of antiquity.
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Anna Nenasheva
9:1403 9:1437 9:1442 The Medes, Persians, Arabs, Armenians, Seljuk Turks, Mongols, and also Byzantines borrowed the double-headed eagle from the Hittites. In the 12th century in Western Europe there are state heraldic symbols - coats of arms. On various European coats of arms, the double-headed eagle appears already in the 13th century. At the same time, it becomes the coat of arms of Serbia, later also of Montenegro, Albania, it was used in the Chernigov and Tver principalities. At the beginning of the 15th century, a black double-headed eagle also appears on the coat of arms of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation", in 1806 it was inherited by the Austrian (since 1867 - Austro-Hungarian) Empire, which collapsed after the defeat in the First World War. In Byzantium (Roman power), the state emblem as such did not exist. However, the golden double-headed eagle on a red field was the personal symbol of the last Byzantine dynasty, the Palaiologos. The niece of the last Emperor Constantine XI, Zoya, brought it with her to Moscow in 1472, but it appears on the state seal of her husband Ivan III only from 1497. This is most likely due to two reasons. Since 1489, diplomatic relations between Russia and the Habsburg Empire were established, and the emperor of the "Holy Roman Empire" recognized the Moscow sovereign as his equal, "brother". Thus, Ivan Vasilievich could claim to use the imperial symbols - the double-headed eagle. In addition, in 1494, Zoya's elder brother Andrei, who had priority rights to the Byzantine throne, sold them to the French king. The second brother Manuil had previously renounced his rights in favor of the Ottoman sultan. Thus, only the Moscow Empress Zoya (Sofya Fominichna), her husband, son Vasily III and subsequent descendants remained the legitimate heiress. |
The Russian double-headed eagle, like the Paleologian and Habsburg eagles, was sometimes depicted with open paws, sometimes holding a cross, a sword or an orb. Since the 17th century, a new image has been established - with an orb and a scepter. Under Peter I, the color of the eagle becomes black. Since the Hittite times, only the crowning of the eagle with one, two or three crowns has been unchanged - the main royal attribute. The symbolism of the eagle was combined with the idea of the Third Rome, as it was expressed in 1523-1524 by the elder of the Pskov Spaso-Eleazarov Monastery Philotheus. When famous old man wrote that “two ubo Romes fell, and the third stands, and there will be no fourth”, he spoke not about a subject for pride, but about the greatest responsibility of Russia: the fourth Rome will not happen, not because the third Rome will stand forever, but the world will stand only as long as the third Rome, which preserves the Orthodox faith, will last. Therefore, the double-headed eagle is not a symbol of self-exaltation, but a sign of striving for the fulfillment of God's will.
One can only repeat the words of the prophet Isaiah, which apply to all of us: “To whom will you liken Me, and [with whom] compare, and with whom will you compare, that we may be like? They pour out the gold from the purse and weigh the silver on the scales, and hire a silversmith to make a god out of it; they bow to him and bow down before him; they lift him on their shoulders, carry him and put him in his place; he stands, does not move from his place; shout to him, - he does not answer, does not save from trouble. Remember this and show yourselves to be men; take it, apostates, to heart; remember the former, from the [beginning] of the age, for I am God, and there is no other God, and there is none like Me. I proclaim from the beginning what will be at the end, and from ancient times what has not yet been done, I say: My council will take place, and whatever I please, I will do. I called an eagle from the east, from a far country, the fulfiller of My decree. I have spoken, and I will carry it out; I have planned and will do. Hear Me, hardhearted, far from the truth: I have brought My righteousness near, it is not far off, and My salvation will not delay; and I will give salvation to Zion, to Israel my glory” (Isaiah 46:5-13).
controversial issue
The double-headed eagle, which has served as a symbol for centuries Russian state and royal power, has long been animatedly discussed by historians and various sections of the country's population. Usually we are talking about his various images and their historical evolution. So where did the double-headed eagle come from in Russian history? The fact is that it was not invented specifically as an official symbol of Russian statehood, but has its own interesting story. Even in ancient times, paired heraldic images were not uncommon. birds of prey. There were both unequal pairs, when one bird torments another, and allied, where the two parts of the image were facing each other. Despite the rather long history of the presence of the double-headed eagle on the Russian attributes of state power, disputes about its origin have not subsided so far.
The first appearance of the double-headed eagle
For the first time, Russia, like many other European countries, acquired a coat of arms in the medieval period. At the end of the fifteenth century, the first sovereign of the already united state, Ivan the Third, created a nationwide seal. A letter of 1497 brought to our days her red wax print. It attracted the attention of Russian historians Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev and Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin, the latter in his historical writings noted that all the symbolism of the Russian sovereign emblem goes back to this seal. There, for the first time, the two-headed eagle with both crowned heads and the rider who slays the mythical dragon reunited and remained inseparable over the next several centuries.
dominance of the double-headed eagle
However, on the seal of the first Russian sovereign, both emblems are in an equivalent position, where each of them takes its own side. In subsequent images, starting around the sixteenth century, the double-headed eagle occupies a dominant position, and in the seventeenth century it completely becomes the main emblem of the sovereign coat of arms of Russia. Somewhat later, in the Russian historical literature, a version begins to appear about borrowing this symbol from the once glorious Byzantium and connecting it with the primordially Russian George the Victorious. It should not be forgotten that the wife of Ivan the Third was Byzantine princess Sophia, niece of Emperor Constantine Palaiologos.
Byzantine gift?
Subsequent generations of historians, writers and publicists clearly liked this version, because, in their opinion, it looked quite logical. Thus, the hypothesis that the emblem of the double-headed eagle went to Russia as a kind of dowry began to wander through the pages of various authors up to the present day. However, for some domestic researchers, the “gift of Byzantium” causes considerable skepticism. For example, the world-renowned authority in the field of Byzantine and Russian symbols N.P. Likhachev believed that the borrowing of the Byzantine coat of arms by Ivan the Third was impossible for the simple reason that this eastern empire never had any nationwide seals. There existed only the personal emblems of the emperors. And the double-headed eagle, the meaning of which lies in the fact that it symbolizes the monarchical power of the royal couple, is not seen on any of them.
Under the shadow of the double-headed eagle
This two-headed bird of prey was well known to many ancient civilizations, such as the Hittites and the Sumerians. On various reliefs discovered during archaeological excavations on the territory of modern Turkey, the image of a double-headed eagle is adjacent to Hittite deities. In that era, he decorated fabrics, prints, and was actively used in wall paintings. As cultural heritage, which passed to the Seljuks from the ancient civilizations of Western Asia, the image of a two-headed bird became known to the Muslim world of the Middle Ages. And the Europeans met her during the period crusades and began to use this image as a decorative element.
Attribute of imperial power
In the process of its historical evolution, the double-headed eagle gradually turned from a mythological image and a decorative element into a political symbol and attribute of monarchical power. Since the thirteenth century, his image can already be seen on various coins and coats of arms of the rulers of some European principalities, duchies and countries, as well as on the shields of knights. Thus, the double-headed eagle acquires the features of a coat of arms. Then, in the process of European integration of the Russian state, it comes to Russia, where it is officially approved as a sign of imperial power.
Russia is unique, among other things, in that over the centuries it has managed to unite in one state the most diverse peoples - each with its own culture, faith and language. Thanks to this, many peoples were not only able to survive as a separate ethnic group, but also were able to further develop their original culture.
A book about the friendship of peoples in a single state should definitely appear in the very near future. The whole current political environment is vehemently demanding it. However, at the moment there is no such book, or it is so deeply hidden that it cannot be found.
In search of such a book, this publication was born. I tried to make a very rough sketch of the history of the unification of peoples in one Russian state. To begin with, I just wanted to mark on the time scale when this or that nation joined, and also to find out, at least superficially, the reasons for such joining, and finally, - calculate the time life together in one state.
The structure of the publication was suggested to me by the Great Emblem of the Russian Empire. I recently stumbled upon it by chance and suddenly discovered that in it, in the form of a kind of map, the very story that I am looking for is encrypted!
Great coat of arms of the Russian Empire
Briefly - about the history of the coat of arms. In Rus', there never existed the concept of a knightly hereditary coat of arms, widely accepted in Western Europe. During the battles, battle banners were carried over the army with embroidered or painted images of the Orthodox cross or saints. The history of the coat of arms of Russia is, first of all, the history of the Grand Duke's press.
Ivan III the Great (1440-1505) eliminated the dependence of Rus' on the Golden Horde and united around Moscow many of the original Russian territories, fragmented since the 12th century. To increase his authority in the eyes of foreign states, Ivan III married Princess Sophia Paleolog, the niece of the last emperor of Byzantium, and adopted the family coat of arms of the Byzantine kings - a double-headed eagle. Since then, the double-headed eagle has been the state emblem on the seals of Russian rulers.
A little later, the image of the Moscow coat of arms was added to the emblem: a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear. This rider was first placed on the reverse side of the seal, and then migrated to the chest of the eagle. Then, first, the coats of arms of the kingdoms of Astrakhan, Kazan and Siberia, conquered by Ivan IV the Terrible (1530 - 1584), and then the coats of arms of all the main regions and lands that became part of the empire in the subsequent time were attached to the Moscow coat of arms. Thus, the state emblem became the emblem of its entire territory.
Manifesto of Paul I
The idea of the Great State Emblem, as we know it today, was originally proposed by Paul I (1754-1801), the son of Catherine II. In 1800, he published a manifesto on the "Complete State Emblem of the All-Russian Empire" with a detailed description of all parts of the coat of arms. In particular, this is what he writes:
One of the sheets of the manifesto of Paul I on the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire: a sheet with a list of coats of arms of the lands that are part of Russia.
“The current Russian Imperial Coat of Arms was assigned to our Empire in the fifth for ten centuries from now to our days by the Providence of God the fate of the Kingdoms that determines, at different times different Powers and lands were attached to the Throne of Russia, whose names are included in our Imperial Title; but the coat of arms of Russia and the State seal have hitherto remained in their former form, disproportionate to the space of our possessions. Now we deign to include in the composition of the Russian Coat of Arms, in accordance with our full Title, all the Coats of Arms and signs of the Kingdoms and lands we possess, and therefore, affirming them in the form attached to this, we command the Senate to make their order appropriate in discussing the use of them.
sovereign title
Full title of Alexander II. As you can see, for different lands he can be king, sovereign, grand duke, prince, heir, duke.
Here it is important to pay attention to such a concept as the "imperial title", which Paul I speaks about several times. The title in general is an honorary hereditary title in class societies (baron, count, prince). Sovereign's title - this is the most important title honorary title ruler of the Russian state. This title from the time of Ivan III was supposed to include a listing of all subject lands. This principle of title was preserved by the descendants and was filled with new content in the process of gain or loss of land. Over time, the title more and more turned into a modified, mobile formulation, with the help of which both large-scale and current political tasks were solved. The history of the sovereign's title is the history of the expansion of the territory of the state. When adding a new territory, the sovereign added to his title the title of the former ruler of this territory.
Heraldic reform
Unfortunately, Paul I was killed (not without the participation, by the way, of British intelligence), and he did not have time to bring his manifesto to life. His idea begins to embody his son, Nicholas I (1796-1855). He starts a heraldic reform, inviting Baron B. Kene for this. Again, due to death, Nicholas I did not have time to complete the reform, and his son Alexander II (1818-1881) finished the work. In 1857, the Great State Emblem was “highly affirmed”.
This coat of arms in its original form existed until 1917. Only in 1882, Alexander III (1845-1894) made a slight amendment to the coat of arms: in addition to purely stylistic and compositional changes, a shield was added with the coat of arms of Turkestan, which became part of Russia in 1867.
What is shown on the coat of arms
Drive detailed description We won’t leave the whole coat of arms so as not to deviate from our main topic, we’ll just say that the main shield with the emblem of Moscow is surrounded by shields with the emblems of kingdoms, principalities and regions annexed to Russia at different times.
The main shield is surrounded by nine shields from below. Coats of arms of kingdoms: I. Kazansky, II. Astrakhan, III. Polish, IV. Siberian v. Chersonese Tauride, VI. Georgian. VII. United coats of arms of the great principalities: Kyiv, Vladimirsky And Novgorod. VIII. Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy Finnish. IX. The family coat of arms of His Imperial Majesty.
There are six shields above the main shield. X. Shield of the united coats of arms of the principalities and regions of the Great Russian. XI. Shield of the united coats of arms, principalities and areas of the southwestern. XII. Shield of the united coats of arms of principalities and regions of Belarusian and Lithuanian. XIII. Shield of United Coats of Arms regions of the Baltic. XIV. Shield of United Coats of Arms northeastern regions. XV. Coat of arms Turkestan.
It turns out that the state emblem - is a kind of map, reflecting how political structure Russia and its geography. Let's try to figure out what historical event is associated with each of the armorial shields, we will supplement the “map” given to us with historical content. In brackets, next to the name of the shield, we will indicate the number corresponding to the number of this shield in the diagram above.
United coats of arms of the Grand Duchies (VII)
Coat of arms Kyiv ( Saint Michael)
Vladimirsky ( lion leopard),
Novgorod ( two bears and fish).
These are the three most "root" old Russian grand principalities. The Kiev coat of arms symbolizes the ancestral home of the Russian state Kievan Rus (formed in the middle of the 9th century). Also, Kyiv denotes the south-western Rus' formed a little later, the Vladimir coat of arms - north-eastern Rus', and Novogorodsky - north-western (Novgorod Republic). All three Russias were formed in the XII century as a result of fragmentation Kievan Rus and the Tatar-Mongol invasion.
The titles of all the rulers of Russia, starting with Ivan III, always began with a listing of these three lands: “Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod ...” - this is how the title of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II began. Then followed all the other kingdoms, principalities and regions.
The history of Russia as a whole, starting with Kievan Rus, has more than 1000 years. Conventionally, all three Russ formed in the 12th century in connection with the collapse of Kievan Rus (before that, they had been together for 300 years). Under the influence of the Tatar invasion in the XIII century until the middle of the XV century they were separated (200 years), but since then they have been together again (more than 500 years). It will be interesting further to compare with these time intervals the time of the joint life of other peoples, gradually joining Russia.
Coats of arms of Great Russian principalities and regions (X)
Coat of arms Pskov ( golden leopard in the center) , coat of arms Smolensky ( a gun) , coat of arms Tverskoy ( golden throne) , coat of arms Yugorsky ( hands with spears) , coat of arms Nizhny Novgorod ( deer), coat of arms Ryazan ( standing prince) , coat of arms Rostov ( silver deer) , coat of arms Yaroslavsky ( bear) , coat of arms Belozersky ( silver fish) , coat of arms Udorsky ( fox).
As a result of the ensuing war with the Commonwealth, Russia returned the lands lost as a result of the Time of Troubles. And Alexei Mikhailovich (1629-1676) supplemented the title with a new wording: "Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke of All Great and Small and White Russia Autocrat."
The territory of present-day central Ukraine was part of Russia/USSR from the middle of the 17th century to the end of the 20th (together for more than 300 years).
In 1654, the scepter and orb first appeared on the royal seal in the paws of an eagle. Forged double-headed eagle mounted on the spire of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. In 1667, Alexei Mikhailovich, in the first ever decree on the coat of arms (“On the royal title and on the state seal”), gave an official explanation of the symbolism of the three crowns over the heads of the eagle:
“The double-headed eagle is the coat of arms of the sovereign Grand Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of All Great and Small and White Russia, the autocrat, His Tsarist Majesty of the Russian reign, on which three crowns are depicted signifying the three great Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberian glorious kingdoms. On the Persians (chest) the image of the heir; in pasnoktyah (claws) a scepter and an apple, and reveals the most merciful Sovereign, His Royal Majesty the Autocrat and Possessor.
More than 100 years later, in 1793, under Catherine II, as a result of the second partition of the Commonwealth, Podolsk and Volyn, along with the entire right-bank Ukraine, were ceded to Russia.
The territory of the current western, right-bank, Ukraine as part of Russia / CCCP since the end of the 18th century (together 200 years).
A significant part of modern Ukraine in the middle of the XIV century was included in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and from the middle 16th century - c the composition of the Commonwealth (i.e., before reunification with Russia, central Ukraine was Lithuanian for 200 years and Polish for another 100 years, and western Ukraine was Lithuanian for 200 years and Polish for another 200 years).
For the first time, Ukraine acquires formally independent statehood, becoming Soviet republic within the USSR. At the same time, the territory of modern Ukraine was formed. And the first sovereign state Ukraine forms in 1991 as a result of the collapse of the USSR. Those. This state is just over 20 years old.
Coats of arms of the Baltic regions (XIII)
Coat of arms Estonian ( three leopard lions) Livonian ( silver vulture with sword) , emblems - Courland ( lion) and Semigalsky ( deer) , coat of arms Karelian ( hands with swords).
Peter I (1672-1725) cut a window to Europe. In 1721, according to the Treaty of Nystadt, Estonia (today's server Estonia), Livonia (today's northern Latvia and southern Estonia) and Karelia passed from Sweden to Russia. Accordingly, at that time the title of sovereigns included: "Prince of Livonia, Estland and Karelia." And the phrase of the big title "Great Sovereign, Tsar of All Great and Small and White Russia, Autocrat" changes to "We, Peter the Great, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia."
On the coat of arms near the eagle, instead of royal crowns, imperial crowns appear, on his chest appears the order chain of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the patron saint of Russia and heavenly patron the king himself. On the wings of an eagle for the first time appear shields with the coats of arms of the Great Kingdoms and Principalities. On the right wing there are shields with coats of arms: Kyiv, Novgorod, Astrakhan; on the left wing: Vladimir, Kazan, Siberian.
"Poltava battle". Louis Caravaque. 1717–1719
In 1795, under Catherine II, as a result, Courland and Semigallia (present-day western Latvia) were ceded to Russia. Catherine II adds "princess of Courland and Semigalle" to the title.
So. From the 13th to the 16th centuries (300 years), the peoples of present-day Estonia and Latvia were under the control of the Germans as part of the Livonian Order. According to the resultsLivonian War from the end of the 16th to the beginning of the 18th century (another 100 extra years) the territory of Estonia was part of Sweden, and the territory of Latvia was divided between Sweden and the Commonwealth.
From the beginning of the 18th to the beginning of the 20th centuries, Estonia and Latvia were part of the Russian Empire (200 years), and from the middle to the end of the 20th century they were part of the USSR (another 50 years).
For the first time in their centuries-old history, Estonia and Latvia became independent states in 1918 as a result of the collapse of the Russian Empire. And in 1940 entered to the USSR in connection with the threat of an attack by Nazi Germany. Estonia and Latvia regained their independence in 1991 due to the collapse of the USSR. Thus, the total history of sovereignty among these peoples is about 50 years old.
Coats of arms of Belarusian and Lithuanian principalities and regions (XII)
Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy Lithuanian ( silver rider - in the center) , coat of arms Bialystok ( eagle rider) , coat of arms Samogitsky ( bear) , coat of arms Polotsk ( rider on a white background) , coat of arms Vitebsk ( rider on a red background) , coat of arms Mstislavsky ( wolf).
In 1772, under Catherine II, as a result of the first partition of the Commonwealth, Belarusian lands, including Polotsk, Vitebsk and Mstislavl, were ceded to Russia. In 1795, as a result of the third partition of the Commonwealth, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ceded to Russia. In 1807, under Alexander I, according to the Treaty of Tilsit, Bialystok (Belarus) and Samogitia (Lithuania) were ceded to Russia.
It turns out that today's Belarus and Lithuania lived together with Russia/USSR for 200 years. Prior to that, Belarus was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. And the Grand Duchy of Lithuania itself was formed in the XIII century. 300 years later, in the middle of the 16th century, it formed the Commonwealth state with Poland and stayed with it until joining Russia for almost 250 more years. The history of Lithuanian independence spans over 500 years.
Belarus for the first time gained formal independence within the USSR. And it gained full independence for the first time in 1991 as a result of the collapse of the USSR. This state is just over 20 years old, like Ukraine.
"Storm of Prague" (1797). Alexander Orlovsky. The assault was commanded by General-in-Chief Suvorov and received the highest military rank of field marshal for this victory. The storming of Prague ended the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1794.
Coat of arms of Chersonese Tauride (V)
Coat of arms of Chersonese Tauride
As a result of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, according to the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty, under Catherine II, Novorossia and North Caucasus, and the Crimean Khanate came under its protectorate.
And already in 1783, Catherine II (1729-1796) issued a manifesto, according to which the Crimea, Taman and Kuban became Russian possessions. Thus, the Crimea finally became part of the Russian Empire. And Catherine II added to the sovereign title: "Queen of Tauric Chersonesus."
Crimea, North Caucasus and Novorossiya as part of Russia for 200 years.
The modern history of Crimea begins in the middle of the 15th century with the formation on its territory from a fragment of the Golden HordeCrimean Khanate , which quickly became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire (it turns out that Crimea was part of the Khanate for 300 years).
Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland (VIII)
Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland
As a result of the war with Sweden, under the Friedrichsham Peace Treaty in 1809, the lands of Finland passed from Sweden to Russia on the rights of a union. Alexander I (1777-1825) adds the title "Grand Duke of Finland" to the sovereign.
The territory of present-day Finland, for most of its history, from the 12th century to the beginning of the 19th century (600 years), was part of Sweden. After that, it became part of Russia as the Grand Duchy of Finland, having existed in this form until the collapse of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century (they were together for 100 years). For the first time, Finland gained an independent statehood in 1917. Those. This state is less than 100 years old.
"Transition of Russian troops through the Gulf of Bothnia in March 1809"
Woodcut by L. Veselovsky, K. Kryzhanovsky after the original by A. Kotzebue, 1870s.
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Poland (III)
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Poland
After the final defeat of Napoleon, according to the results of the Vienna Congress in 1815 former lands Poland, which at that moment was under the protectorate of France, went to Russia and formed a union with it as Polish kingdom. Alexander I adds to the sovereign title: "Tsar of Poland". After the coronation of Nicholas I to the Kingdom of Poland in 1829, since 1832, the coat of arms of this kingdom first appears on the wings of an eagle.
Poland was formed as an independent state parallel to Kievan Rus, in the 9th century. In the middle of the 16th century, Poland united with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to form the Commonwealth, which existed until the end of the 18th century. Then the state completely disappeared, being divided among neighboring states, including Russia. A with early XIX century, Poland was revived as the Kingdom of Poland as part of Russia and existed in this form until the beginning of the 20th century and the collapse of the Russian Empire (100 years together). Before joining Russia, Poland had 900 years of independent history.
Trying to protect the country from the raids of Turkey and Iran, the Georgian kings repeatedly asked Russia for patronage. In 1783, under Catherine II, the Treaty of Georgievsky was concluded. Its essence was reduced to the establishment of a protectorate by Russia. In 1800, the Georgian side asked for closer cooperation. And Paul I (1754-1801) issued a manifesto according to which Georgia joined Russia as an independent kingdom. But already in 1801, Alexander I issued a new manifesto, according to which Georgia was directly subordinate to the Russian emperor. Accordingly, Paul I adds to the title: "Sovereign of the Iversky, Kartalinsky, Georgian and Kabardian lands." And Alexander I adds to the title already: "King of Georgia."
The formation of Georgia as a state dates back to the 10th century. From the 13th to the 14th centuries, the state was first invaded by the Mongols, and then by Tamerlane. From XV to XVII Georgia is torn apart by Iran and the Ottoman Empire, turning into an isolated Christian country, surrounded on all sides by the Muslim world. From the end of the 18th century to the end of the 20th century, Georgia was part of Russia/USSR (200 years together). Before that, it turns out that Georgia has an 800-year history of a separate state.
The conquest of Transcaucasia by Russia was completed in the first years of the reign of Nicholas I. As a result of the Russian-Persian war of 1826-1828, the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates were annexed to Russia, which united into the Armenian region, where about 30 thousand Armenians moved from Persia. As a result of the Russo-Turkish war of 1828-1829, Russian authority over the Transcaucasus was recognized and Ottoman Empire, and about 25 thousand Armenians moved from its territory to Russia. As a result of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, Russia annexed the Kars region, inhabited by Armenians and Georgians, and occupied the strategically important Batum region. Alexander II (1855-1881) adds to the title: "Sovereign of the Armenian region." The annexation of Turkestan was preceded by the annexation of the Kazakh Khanate (present-day Kazakhstan). The Kazakh Khanate was formed from a fragment of the Golden Horde in the 15th century, and in the 19th century it consisted of three parts: the Younger (west), Middle (center) and Senior (east) zhuzes. In 1731, under the protectorate of Russia - for protection from the Khiva and Bukhara khanates - the Younger zhuz was asked and accepted. In 1740, the Middle Zhuz was adopted under the protectorate to protect against the Kokand Khanate. In 1818 - a part of the Great Zhuz. And in 1822 the power of the Kazakh khans was abolished. Thus, Kazakhstan has been together with Russia for more than 250 years.
"Parliamenters". Artist Vasily Vereshchagin
In 1839, Russia begins the fight against the Kokand Khanate. One of the most important reasons was opposition to the aggressive policy of the British Empire in Central Asia. This confrontation was called "The Great Game". In the 50s and 60s many Kokand cities were taken, and in 1865 Tashkent was taken and the Turkestan region was formed. In 1867, Emperor Alexander III (1845-1894) approved a project on the formation of a new governor-general - Turkestan Territory. This marked the completion of the initial stage of the annexation of the Central Asian territories. Alexander III begins to be titled "Sovereign of Turkestan".
Formulated like this:
"By God's hastening mercy We ( name) , Emperor and Autocrat All-Russian, Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod;Tsar Kazansky,Tsar Astrakhan,Tsar Polish,Tsar Siberian,Tsar Chersonis Tauride,Tsar Georgian;Sovereign Pskov andGrand Duke Smolensk, Lithuanian, Volyn, Podolsky and Finnish;Prince Estonian, Livonian, Courland and Semigalsky, Samogitsky, Bialystok, Korelsky, Tver, Yugorsky, Perm, Vyatsky, Bulgarian and others;Sovereign and Grand Duke Novgorod Nizovsky lands, Chernigov, Ryazan, Polotsk, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersky, Udorsky, Obdorsky, Kondia, Vitebsk, Mstislav and all northern countrieslord and sovereign Iver, Kartalinsky and Kabardian lands and regions of Armenia; Cherkasy and Mountain princes and othershereditary Sovereign and Possessor ; Sovereign Turkestan,Heir Norwegian,duke Schleswig-Holstein, Stornmarn, Dietmar and Oldenburg and others, and others, and others.
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