heraldic shield (coat of arms) - a conditionally depicted stylized shield of a form recognized in the heraldic tradition, or a characteristic design (pavese), carrying on its front surface (in the armorial field) a certain set of armorial figures. It is the basis of any coat of arms.

Shield points

In order to accurately determine in which part of the shield this or that heraldic figure is located, the following points or areas of the shield should be distinguished.

Forms of heraldic shields

Forms of heraldic shields outwardly distinguish one national tradition of herbalism from another.

The forms of heraldic shields received conditional names according to the nationality of the chivalry, which preferred a certain configuration of shields. The most common form of a knight's shield in the era of the birth of heraldry was triangular, which, along with the form " french shield" became one of the main ones in heraldry. In Russian heraldry, the most common is also French form shield.

Shield	The form	traditional name	Period of greatest distribution	Links	Example
	Triangular with narrowing at the head	Varangian (Norman), Early Gothic	XIII-XIV			Coat of arms of Slovakia
	Triangular	Varangian (Norman), Old French	XIII-XIV			Coat of arms of Norway
	Quadrangular with pointed base	French	XVIII-XXI			Coat of arms of Russia
	Quadrangular with pointed base and upper corners	French	XVIII-			Coat of arms of the Vatican
	Quadrangular with round base	Spanish	XIV-			Coat of arms of Vilnius
	Quadrangular with rounded base	Spanish	XIX -			Coat of arms of Spain
	Figured	German (Germanic), "tarch"	-XVI			Coat of arms of the Devonshire family
	Stretched Hide	German (Germanic), "cartouche", baroque	XVI-XVII			Emblem of the RSFSR
	Stretched Hide	Polish, Baroque	XVI-XVIII			Coat of arms of Estonia
	Stretched Hide	Polish, Baroque	XVII-XVIII			Coat of arms of the Sapieha family
	Triangular with two inverted arcs at the head	English	XVIII-			Coat of arms of Panama
	Triangular					Coat of arms of Nicaragua
	Rectangular with a sharp base and upper corners	English	XVIII-			Coat of arms of Moldova
	Rectangular with a sharp base	English	XVIII-			Emblem of Ukraine
	Oval	Italian, ladies	XVI-XVIII			Coat of arms of Ecuador
	Rhombic (oblique)	ladies'	-XVIII			Coat of arms of Princess Anne
	Round	Byzantine (Eastern)	XII-XVI			Emblem of China
	Drop-shaped (almond-shaped)	Varangian, Russian, Old Russian	XXI			Coat of arms of Novaya Zemlya
		Hussite pavese				Coat of arms of Czechoslovakia

Meanwhile, the "nationality" of the names of the forms of the shield is only a tribute to tradition. According to the rules of heraldry, when describing the coat of arms (blazoning), the shape of the shield is not called.

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Notes

2. “From the 12th to the 16th century, the forms of heraldic shields followed the models of their real counterparts used in battles, but after the Renaissance, artistic liberties found their place in literally all ways of decorating anything, including heraldry.”
3. Heraldically right, that is, left in relation to the viewer.
4. “The heyday of heraldic images falls on the fantastic period of the Rococo, when the coats of arms themselves became just a kind of “apology” for the elaborate frame.”
6. “If the Varangian shield is more elongated downward, and at the top its sharp edges are slightly rounded, then it is called Early Gothic.” Pokhlebkin V.
7. “The most ancient form of the shield is triangular, tapering downwards. This is a Norman, or Varangian shield, as it is called in Russian heraldry. Pokhlebkin V.
8. "Varangian shield - the traditional name for a triangular shield."
9. “The pointed triangular shield, found in most old armorials, is called Norman (for its resemblance to a real Norman battle shield), or Old French (by time and location in armorials).” Ivlev S. A.
10. “By the end of the 13th century, the size of the shield decreased, taking on a shape similar to the base of an iron (in Russia it is called“ Varangian ”). This form of shield has become very popular, and it is this form that has dominated and mainly served heraldry since the 14th century.
11. “A square or rectangle close to a square and only slightly elongated in height, with a heart-shaped point downwards, is called a French shield.” Pokhlebkin V.
12. “At a later time, the French new shield became most widespread - almost rectangular, with rounded lower corners and a pointed end in the center of the lower side of the shield.” Ivlev S. A.
13. "Spanish shield - code name shield having a rounded lower edge.
14. "The shield, which is a square, the lower side of which is slightly curved, rounded, is called Spanish." Pokhlebkin V.
15. "A rectangular shield, evenly rounded at the bottom, is called Spanish, since it is indeed often found in the countries of the Iberian Peninsula." Ivlev S. A.
16. “Tarch is a small tournament shield. In coats of arms it is usually depicted as round, although other forms may be used.
17. “The shield is figured, pretentious, forming notches and curls and became widespread in the late Renaissance in the countries that were part of the Holy Roman Empire as a purely decorative, heraldic, and not combat form of the shield, is called German, especially in the heraldry of those countries where this form penetrated from Germany. In Russia, he was especially popular in late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century among graphic artists of the book, who called it “cartouche” in their professional jargon”. Pokhlebkin V.
18. “In the blue field of the“ Baroque ”or“ German ”shield, a silver stretched bow with an arrow pointing up.”
19. "The German shield is the conventional name for a figured shield; as a rule, it is not mentioned in the blazon."
21. "Peculiar undulating upper ends of the shield and small protrusions are characteristic of English coats of arms." Ivlev S. A.
22. "The oval, egg-shaped shield is called Italian and is used most often for women's coats of arms." Pokhlebkin V.
23. "Italian shield is the traditional name for an oval shield."
24. “So a rhombic shield belongs only to the ladies' coat of arms, although it could have, for example, oval shields.” Ivlev S. A.
25. « round shield considered oriental. It has existed since ancient times in all countries of the East - Asia Minor, the Middle East, Central Asia and Far East- and is also characteristic of Russia, especially since the end of the 13th century. Pokhlebkin V.
26. “Recently, the Russian shield for personal and corporate coats of arms has become widespread.”
27. “At the beginning of heraldic history, in the second half of the 12th century, the shield was so long that it covered almost half of the body of the warrior carrying it. It was usually arched in order to fit perfectly to the figure. Note that in Ancient Russia this form of the shield was very popular, which is why it is often called "Old Russian".
28. “Worthy of being accepted by Great Russian herbalism as a backbone original form coat of arms, which is a national feature of Russian protective weapons. The upper edge (crown) of the Great Russian shield forms a regular semicircle, and the convex arcuate lateral edges converge below at an acute angle.

Literature

• Winkler. P. P. Coats of arms of cities Russian Empire. St. Petersburg, 1900.
• Noble families of the Russian Empire. Volume 1. Princes / Compiled by P. Grebelsky, S. Dumin, A. Mirvis, A. Shumkov, M. Katin-Yartsev. - St. Petersburg. : IPK "Vesti", 1993. - 344 p. - 25,260 copies. - ISBN 5-86153-004-1.
• Karamyshev O. M.

Links

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An excerpt characterizing the Heraldic shield

Natasha, pale and frightened, ran into the living room.
- Mom, Bolkonsky has arrived! - she said. - Mom, this is terrible, this is unbearable! “I don’t want to… suffer!” What should I do?…
The countess had not yet had time to answer her, when Prince Andrei entered the drawing room with an anxious and serious face. As soon as he saw Natasha, his face lit up. He kissed the hand of the countess and Natasha and sat down beside the sofa.
“For a long time we have not had pleasure ...” the countess began, but Prince Andrei interrupted her, answering her question and obviously in a hurry to say what he needed.
- I have not been with you all this time, because I was with my father: I needed to talk to him about a very important matter. I just got back last night,” he said, looking at Natasha. “I need to talk to you, Countess,” he added after a moment's silence.
The Countess sighed heavily and lowered her eyes.
“I am at your service,” she said.
Natasha knew that she had to leave, but she could not do it: something was squeezing her throat, and she looked impolitely, directly, with open eyes at Prince Andrei.
"Now? This minute!… No, it can't be!” she thought.
He looked at her again, and this look convinced her that she had not been mistaken. - Yes, now, this very minute her fate was being decided.
“Come, Natasha, I will call you,” said the countess in a whisper.
Natasha looked with frightened, pleading eyes at Prince Andrei and at her mother, and went out.
“I have come, Countess, to ask for the hand of your daughter,” said Prince Andrei. The countess's face flushed, but she said nothing.
“Your suggestion…” the Countess began sedately. He remained silent, looking into her eyes. - Your offer ... (she was embarrassed) we are pleased, and ... I accept your offer, I'm glad. And my husband ... I hope ... but it will depend on her ...
- I will tell her when I have your consent ... do you give it to me? - said Prince Andrew.
“Yes,” said the Countess, and held out her hand to him, and with a mixture of aloofness and tenderness pressed her lips to his forehead as he leaned over her hand. She wanted to love him like a son; but she felt that he was a stranger and a terrible person for her. “I'm sure my husband will agree,” said the countess, “but your father ...
- My father, to whom I informed my plans, made it an indispensable condition for consent that the wedding should not be earlier than a year. And this is what I wanted to tell you, - said Prince Andrei.
- It is true that Natasha is still young, but so long.
“It could not be otherwise,” Prince Andrei said with a sigh.
“I will send it to you,” said the countess, and left the room.
“Lord, have mercy on us,” she repeated, looking for her daughter. Sonya said that Natasha was in the bedroom. Natasha sat on her bed, pale, with dry eyes, looked at the icons and, quickly making the sign of the cross, whispered something. Seeing her mother, she jumped up and rushed to her.
- What? Mom?… What?
- Go, go to him. He asks for your hand, - the countess said coldly, as it seemed to Natasha ... - Go ... go, - the mother said with sadness and reproach after the fleeing daughter, and sighed heavily.
Natasha did not remember how she entered the living room. When she entered the door and saw him, she stopped. “Is this stranger really become my everything now?” she asked herself and instantly answered: “Yes, everything: he alone is now dearer to me than everything in the world.” Prince Andrei went up to her, lowering his eyes.
“I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you. Can I hope?
He looked at her, and the earnest passion of her countenance struck him. Her face said: “Why ask? Why doubt that which is impossible not to know? Why talk when you can’t express what you feel in words.
She approached him and stopped. He took her hand and kissed it.
– Do you love me?
“Yes, yes,” Natasha said as if with annoyance, sighed loudly, another time, more and more often, and sobbed.
– About what? What's wrong with you?
“Oh, I’m so happy,” she answered, smiled through her tears, leaned closer to him, thought for a second, as if asking herself if it was possible, and kissed him.
Prince Andrei held her hands, looked into her eyes, and did not find in his soul old love To her. Something suddenly turned in his soul: there was no former poetic and mysterious charm of desire, but there was pity for her feminine and childish weakness, there was fear of her devotion and gullibility, a heavy and at the same time joyful consciousness of the duty that bound him forever with her. The real feeling, although it was not as light and poetic as the former, was more serious and stronger.
“Did maman tell you that it couldn’t be before a year?” - said Prince Andrei, continuing to look into her eyes. “Is it really me, that child girl (everyone said so about me) thought Natasha, is it possible that from now on I am a wife, equal to this strange, sweet, intelligent person, respected even by my father. Is that really true! Is it really true that now it is no longer possible to joke with life, now I am big, now responsibility for all my deeds and words lies on me? Yes, what did he ask me?
“No,” she answered, but she did not understand what he was asking.
“Forgive me,” said Prince Andrei, “but you are so young, and I have already experienced so much life. I'm scared for you. You don't know yourself.
Natasha listened with concentrated attention, trying to understand the meaning of his words, but did not understand.
“No matter how hard this year will be for me, postponing my happiness,” continued Prince Andrei, “during this period you will believe yourself. I ask you to make my happiness in a year; but you are free: our engagement will remain a secret, and if you are convinced that you do not love me, or would love ... - said Prince Andrei with an unnatural smile.
Why are you saying this? Natasha interrupted him. “You know that from the very day you first came to Otradnoye, I fell in love with you,” she said, firmly convinced that she was telling the truth.
- In a year you will recognize yourself ...
– whole year! - Natasha suddenly said, now only realizing that the wedding was postponed for a year. - Why is it a year? Why a year? ... - Prince Andrei began to explain to her the reasons for this delay. Natasha didn't listen to him.
- And it can not be otherwise? she asked. Prince Andrei did not answer, but his face expressed the impossibility of changing this decision.
- This is terrible! No, it's terrible, terrible! Natasha suddenly spoke up and sobbed again. “I’ll die waiting for a year: it’s impossible, it’s terrible. - She looked into the face of her fiancé and saw on him an expression of compassion and bewilderment.
“No, no, I’ll do everything,” she said, suddenly stopping her tears, “I’m so happy!” The father and mother entered the room and blessed the bride and groom.
From that day on, Prince Andrei began to go to the Rostovs as a groom.

There was no betrothal, and no one was announced about Bolkonsky's engagement to Natasha; Prince Andrew insisted on this. He said that since he was the cause of the delay, he must bear the full burden of it. He said that he had forever bound himself with his word, but that he did not want to bind Natasha and gave her complete freedom. If in six months she feels that she does not love him, she will be in her own right if she refuses him. It goes without saying that neither the parents nor Natasha wanted to hear about it; but Prince Andrei insisted on his own. Prince Andrei visited the Rostovs every day, but not like a groom treated Natasha: he told her you and only kissed her hand. Between Prince Andrei and Natasha, after the day of the proposal, completely different than before, close, simple relations were established. They didn't seem to know each other until now. Both he and she loved to remember how they looked at each other when they were still nothing, now they both felt like completely different beings: then pretended, now simple and sincere. At first, the family felt awkward in dealing with Prince Andrei; he seemed like a man from an alien world, and Natasha for a long time accustomed her family to Prince Andrei and proudly assured everyone that he only seemed so special, and that he was the same as everyone else, and that she was not afraid of him and that no one should be afraid his. After a few days, the family got used to him and did not hesitate to lead the old way of life with him, in which he took part. He knew how to talk about housekeeping with the count, and about outfits with the countess and Natasha, and about albums and canvases with Sonya. Sometimes the family Rostovs among themselves and under Prince Andrei were surprised at how all this happened and how obvious the omens of this were: both the arrival of Prince Andrei in Otradnoye, and their arrival in Petersburg, and the similarity between Natasha and Prince Andrei, which the nanny noticed on the first visit Prince Andrei, and the clash in 1805 between Andrei and Nikolai, and many other omens of what happened, were noticed at home.
The house was dominated by that poetic boredom and silence that always accompanies the presence of the bride and groom. Often sitting together, everyone was silent. Sometimes they got up and left, and the bride and groom, remaining alone, were also silent. Rarely did they talk about their future lives. Prince Andrei was scared and ashamed to talk about it. Natasha shared this feeling, like all his feelings, which she constantly guessed. Once Natasha began to ask about his son. Prince Andrei blushed, which often happened to him now and that Natasha especially loved, and said that his son would not live with them.
- From what? Natasha said scared.
“I can’t take him away from my grandfather and then…”
How I would love him! - said Natasha, immediately guessing his thought; but I know you want no pretexts to accuse you and me.
The old count sometimes approached Prince Andrei, kissed him, asked him for advice on the upbringing of Petya or the service of Nikolai. The old countess sighed as she looked at them. Sonya was afraid at any moment to be superfluous and tried to find excuses to leave them alone when they did not need it. When Prince Andrei spoke (he spoke very well), Natasha listened to him with pride; when she spoke, she noticed with fear and joy that he was looking at her attentively and searchingly. She asked herself in bewilderment: “What is he looking for in me? What is he trying to achieve with his eyes? What, if not in me what he is looking for with this look? Sometimes she entered into her insanely cheerful mood, and then she especially liked to listen and watch how Prince Andrei laughed. He rarely laughed, but when he did, he gave himself over to his laughter, and every time after that laughter she felt closer to him. Natasha would have been perfectly happy if the thought of the upcoming and approaching parting had not frightened her, since he, too, turned pale and cold at the mere thought of it.
On the eve of his departure from Petersburg, Prince Andrei brought with him Pierre, who had never been to the Rostovs since the ball. Pierre seemed confused and embarrassed. He was talking to his mother. Natasha sat down with Sonya at the chess table, thus inviting Prince Andrei to her. He approached them.
"You've known the Earless for a long time, haven't you?" - he asked. - Do you love him?
- Yes, he is nice, but very funny.
And she, as always talking about Pierre, began to tell jokes about his absent-mindedness, jokes that they even made up about him.
“You know, I confided our secret to him,” said Prince Andrei. “I have known him since childhood. This is a heart of gold. I beg you, Natalie,” he said suddenly seriously; I'm leaving, God knows what might happen. You can spill... Well, I know I shouldn't talk about it. One thing - whatever happens to you when I'm gone...

The basis of the coat of arms is a shield. With a description of this main element, we will begin the presentation of the rules of heraldry. In heraldry, there are shields of the most different forms- from simple to highly intricate. The most common form of a knight's shield in the era of the birth of heraldry was triangular, which became the main one. But in different historical periods There were other configurations as well. Today, the shape of the shield can serve as a starting point for the examination of the coat of arms.

Since the coat of arms is basically an attribute of chivalry, the heraldic shield is primarily the shield of an equestrian knight, and its shape changed along with the development of military art. Here is how P. von Winkler says about this in his book "Weapons" (St. Petersburg, 1894)

"In the history of the development of the arms business of Europe, there is not a single period that would be more important than the period of the 10th and 11th centuries. The reason and pretext for this was given by the northern people, who already in the 8th century terrified all of ancient Europe with their brave raids. These were the Normans, having established themselves in the north of the Frankish state (912), they take an active part in the development of chivalry, thanks to their abilities, activity and enterprise, they soon became the first people in military affairs, they were everywhere seen as an example and a model of everything that concerns As early as the ninth century, the Normans were in Andalusia, landed on the African coast, passed through Italy, took out extraordinary military experience from these campaigns and, under fire and sword, did not lose sight of anything that was new to them and useful to other peoples.Thus, they made significant changes in military affairs, changes that became the basic provision for of all the Middle Ages and who, with their organization and offensive tactics, corresponded feudal system, elements for these transformations they mostly borrowed from Eastern peoples. On the wallpaper of Baio, depicting pictures of the conquest of England, at first glance, the influence of the East is noticeable in armament, although further development, it must be admitted, is carried out according to peculiar national beliefs. There, for the first time, we find, next to the ancient pilum, a sharp helmet with a characteristic nosepiece, a tight-fitting shell, but, at the same time, we notice that the Norman, as well as the Saxon, restrains the use of his large national shield with a long sword.

An ancient tapestry from Bayo depicting the conquest of England by the Normans - a scroll 73 meters long, made using the application method - has become a valuable source of information for historians about the Normans. On the tapestry, you can see that the Anglo-Saxons, like their opponents, are armed with large elongated shields, specially designed to protect as much as possible. larger area bodies. During this period and in the following centuries, warriors fought mainly on foot, and "body-length" shields elongated in height provided good protection against archers. However, cavalry is becoming increasingly important. Normans, natives of Scandinavia, were sailors, but quickly mastered the art of equestrian combat. Their ancestors, the Vikings, took over the peninsula in northern France, now called Normandy, and settled there. Normans created strong state and sought to expand their possessions. Under the leadership of Duke William the Conqueror, they invaded England. On October 14, 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, a battle took place between the nine thousandth army of William and ten thousand English infantry, led by King Harold. The Anglo-Saxons successfully defended themselves, but a thousandth detachment of Norman horsemen, having launched a false attack, lured them out of their positions, after which they were completely defeated, and King Harold himself died in battle.

At the end of the 9th century, the warlike Normans enthusiastically embraced the idea of ​​conquering the Holy Land. The era of the Crusades began, which had a huge impact on military tactics and weapons. The role of cavalry in European wars increased. The shape of the shield has undergone significant changes, since the knight now needed protection not from frontal, but from side impacts, since with the advent of new small arms, such as a crossbow, capable of penetrating steel armor with its "bolts", the importance of the shield as a means of protection against shooters has decreased . It should be noted here that the mounted knights held the shield obliquely, which is why many artists depict the heraldic shield "couche", that is, inclined at an angle between 25 and 45 degrees. So the height of the shield was reduced, and the shield eventually took on the shape known as the "heater". The classic "heater" has exact dimensions and is depicted according to a certain pattern.

Initially, the form of heraldic shields repeated the form of combat, really existing ones, and changed along with the development of weapons. But over time, there was a departure from the classical (plausible) forms in the heraldry. The appearance of "bouche" - a round neckline with right side shield that served as a support for the spear.

There are at least nine main forms of heraldic shields: "Varangian", "Spanish", "Italian", "French", "English", "Byzantine", "German", rhombic, square. However, these "national" names are purely arbitrary, and the shape of the shield is not mentioned at all in the description of the coat of arms. The most convenient in terms of free space is the so-called French shield, which, compared to shields of more complex shapes, provides maximum area for filling. This shield has long been used in heraldry as the main one. It is a rectangle with a base equal to 8/9 of the height, with a tip protruding in the middle lower part and rounded lower corners.

The helmet is placed over the shield. The shape of the heraldic helmet has changed over time, depending on fashion and armor improvements. Gradually, rules were developed according to which the helmet was depicted in accordance with the title, dignity or rank of the owner of the coat of arms. This is how this system looks in English heraldry. Golden helmet with a lattice visor, turned straight - for the coats of arms of sovereigns and princes of royal blood. A silver helmet with a gold lattice visor, turned heraldically to the right - for peers. Silver helmet with a raised visor, turned straight - for baronets and knights. Silver tournament helmet, turned heraldically to the right - for esquires and gentlemen. The many-part coat of arms of the princes Barclay de Tolly-Weymarn was formed in the process of merging several noble families with their own coats of arms. An integral part of these coats of arms were also crests, in certain cases also inherited, which is why there are five helmets with different tops on the coat of arms. It is easy to determine which part of the shield corresponds to each of them (we add that in this case the central helmet, unlike the other four, is crowned with a princely crown corresponding to the title of the owner of the coat of arms).

pommel

The pommel, crest or helmet crest is an ornament fixed on the top of the helmet, originally from animal horns and bird feathers. This element was developed during jousting tournaments. It served as an additional identification mark by which it was possible to recognize a knight in the general dump of a tournament battle, since from a distance this figure was better seen than the coat of arms depicted on the shield. Crests were made from light wood, leather and papier-mâché, but over time they began to be made from more valuable materials. The crests did not immediately become an indispensable part of the coat of arms. In England, heralds in the 16th century legalized this element in order to be able to charge an additional fee for it. Currently, crests are automatically included in new coats of arms. Helmet and crest must be turned to the same side. The crest is attached to the helmet, usually along with a burlet or helmet crown. The crest itself is a repetition of the main figure of the coat of arms, but can often be a separate, independent sign. Some of the earliest coats of arms do not have crests, as they were approved before crests came into vogue.

Crests should, if possible, match the colors of the armorial shield, although this is not always observed.

According to the conditional classification, crests are auxiliary and independent.

Auxiliary crests completely repeat the image on the coat of arms. For this, the so-called shield boards and wings, providing an area often equal to the area of ​​the shield itself. Independent crests do not repeat the image on the shield, but in most cases correspond to it in tinctures.

The main types of crests are as follows: 1. Horns 2. Wings 3. Feathers and flags 4. Natural figures (human or animal) 5. artificial figures 6. Shield boards 7. Hats

There are two types of horns - cowhide, in the form of a crescent, and bull, S-shaped. They are always depicted in pairs, protruding from either side of the helmet. Until the 14th century, helmets were decorated with sickle-shaped pointed horns, and later acquired a more curved shape with sawn off ends. From here came the second type of heraldic horns - S-shaped, open, that is, having small sockets at the ends, which makes them look like elephant trunks. They also resemble hunting horns, which has led some heraldists to confuse the two terms. However, hunting horns were sometimes depicted as horns, in pairs, coming out on the sides of the helmet, mouthpiece up. Already on the earliest coats of arms, the horns are decorated with twigs, feathers and bells planted in them; branches, feathers, etc. were stuck into the holes of open horns.

Horns are painted in accordance with the coloring of the shield. Sometimes a minor figure in the coat of arms is placed between the horns: some animal, human figure, some object.

Other types of horns are often found: the horns of a goat, a deer, and a unicorn, the latter, always solitary, notched and bent back. These horns are independent crests and do not bear images of armorial figures.

The wings are usually depicted in pairs, and their position - straight or profile - depends on the position of the helmet. If the helmet is facing straight, the wings are depicted outstretched; on a helmet facing in profile, the wings are depicted parallel to each other, with sharp ends facing backwards.

On ancient coats of arms with pot-shaped helmets, the wings were depicted in a stylized way, more like boards, painted like feathers or seated with individual feathers. With the development of heraldry and the departure from primitive Gothic forms, the wings took on a more natural look.

The wings are painted in accordance with the coloring of the shield and, like shield boards, sometimes completely repeat the primary and secondary figures depicted on it. Sometimes a minor armorial figure (for example, a star or a rose) depicted in the coat of arms is placed between the wings.

There are three types of feathers - cock, peacock, ostrich. They are depicted individually, in threes, fives, etc., usually in the form of a fan.

Cockerels, depicted as a bunch of narrow long feathers of unequal length, are the most ancient. They are attached to the tops of headdresses worn on a helmet, or inserted into special quivers.

Peacock feathers are depicted both individually and as a whole peacock tail, fan-shaped loose. Feathers have a natural coloring - green with yellow-red-blue "eyes".

Ostrich feathers, which appeared in heraldry later than the previous two, are depicted separately, but most often three, bent from above. Ostrich feathers have shield tinctures. If there is one feather, it is painted in several colors, or painted with a metal tincture of the shield, if there are three feathers, then their color alternates: metal-enamel-metal, or enamel-metal-enamel.

Feathers are often inserted into quivers that have a cylindrical, elongated or pointed downwards, painted with armorial figures in accordance with the coloring of the shield.

Feathers cannot be shown coming straight out of the helmet, so they always come out of either the quiver or the crown.

Natural figures (human and animal)

The most diverse and picturesque family is formed by crests bearing images of humans and animals. There are the following types of such crests:

1. Separate parts of the human or animal body. These are, first of all, heads, as well as full arms, hands and legs.

2. Trunks or busts of humans and animals. This is primarily the upper body with a head, neck and chest, but without arms or front legs (and the neck and chest are depicted as unusually elongated, the neck is bent back in the form of the letter S).

3. Increasing figures. In contrast to the above, this method involves the image of a human or animal figure waist-deep or lower, with hands or front paws, as if growing out of a helmet.

4. Complete figures of a person or animal. In this case, the figures are depicted as they are represented in the shield, although animals, such as a lion, are sometimes shown sitting on a helmet.

artificial figures

Heraldry disposes large quantity the so-called non-heraldic figures, any of which can be transferred to the crest either separately or in combination with other figures, forming a complex structure. Of particular interest are such crests, in which, with the help of several figures, some plot is encrypted, repeating or supplementing the image on the coat of arms.

Shield boards

Shield boards are round, hexagonal or fan-shaped. They are large enough to fully reproduce the image on the coat of arms. The edges and corners of these boards are often decorated with tassels, bells, and feathers. The boards themselves are sometimes mounted on a cushion, decorated with tassels at the corners, which rests on the helmet.

Hats

The crown is placed on the helmet or, as in state emblems, directly above the shield (for example, the princely crown in the coat of arms of Liechtenstein). The crown in the coat of arms indicates the title of the owner of the coat of arms. There are many varieties of crowns, and any of them can be found in coats of arms, placed on a helmet, above a shield or above a mantle. The following types of heraldic crowns can be distinguished: imperial, royal and princely crowns, which are depicted in the emblems of monarchs and in state emblems (as well as in the emblems of administrative regions), symbolizing sovereignty; crowns of marquises, counts, viscounts, barons; noble tiaras; tiaras, mitres and hats of the clergy; wall crowns, made up of fortress towers and walls, placed in the city emblems.

The mantling (lambrequin, mantling), resembling a whole or torn cloak, is depicted as a matter attached to the helmet. The origin of the heraldic design is described in the section "History of Heraldry". The outer and inner surfaces of the mantle should be painted alternately with enamel and metal, and in modern heraldry it is customary to paint the surface of the mantle with the main color of the shield, and the wrong side (lining) with the main metal of the shield. Last Rule is considered artificially introduced into heraldry at a time when "living heraldry" gave way to "clerical" ("paper"). Thus, the principles of classical heraldry will not be violated if:
a) the surface of the indentation will be metal, and the lining will be enamel;
b) the coloring of the insignia will not match the coloring of the coat of arms.

The bait can be painted using furs. Sometimes the bast is covered with shield figures embroidered on its surface, and sometimes the surface of the bast is dotted with small non-heraldic figures, for example, linden leaves, stars, hearts, etc.

If two, three or more helmets are used in the coat of arms, each of them must have a personal insignia. The namet can be painted not in two, but in four colors (especially when the shield is made up of two coats of arms). In this case, the right side of the insignia is painted in the colors of the more honorable part of the coat of arms - the right, and the left side - in the colors of the left side of the coat of arms.

There are three types of helmet mantling, each of which corresponds to a certain period in the development of heraldry.

The mantle (mantling, lambrequin) is a traditional part of the monarch's ceremonial vestments. In heraldry, this attribute of sovereignty is present in the coats of arms of monarchs and sovereigns, as well as representatives of the highest aristocracy. The heraldic mantle can be viewed as a piece of clothing, but probably also as a reminder of the tent in which the knight rested and changed clothes during the tournament, and of the tents in which the crusaders sheltered weapons and armor from the weather during military campaigns. The mantle is usually depicted as purple, lined with ermine and tied at the corners with gold cords with tassels. On some large state emblems (for example, on the large emblem of the Russian Empire), a canopy is depicted over the mantle - a round tent made of the same material.

Shield holders

Shield holders are figures located on the sides of the shield and supporting it. As a rule, these are the same heraldic animals - lions, eagles, griffins, unicorns, or human figures - savages with clubs, angels or warriors. However, shield holders can be taken not from classical heraldry, but act as independent symbols of something. For example, in many state emblems of the relatively young countries of Africa, Asia and America, the most characteristic representatives of the local fauna - kangaroos, ostriches (Australia), antelopes, tigers, zebras - are shield holders. The choice of shield holders for the coat of arms is not limited to any special rule heraldry, although in Russian heraldry, thoroughly clerical, it is accepted that only representatives of the highest aristocracy can have shield holders. In Western heraldry, the same principle applies to shield holders as to mottos - they can change at the request of the owner of the coat of arms.

Coat of arms of the Austrian lands Austrian Empire(Fig. H. Ströl)

Base

The base is the platform on which the shield holders stand and on which the entire coat of arms is located. It can be a hill or a lawn, as in the coat of arms of Great Britain, an ice floe, as in the coat of arms of Iceland, a carved plate, as in the arms of Greece and Sweden, mountains, as in the coat of arms of Malawi, or an island in the sea, as in the coat of arms of Malta. The base can also be a bizarrely curved branch, similar to a detail of a cast-iron grate, as on the coat of arms of the princes Barclay de Tolly-Weymarn. The base is not an obligatory element of the coat of arms, it is often used as a motto ribbon. The supporters must always stand on a base, whatever shape it may be. The only exceptions are shield holders floating in the air, that is, flying angels.

The motto is a short saying, usually written on a ribbon at the bottom of the shield. Sometimes the mottos are placed in the coat of arms without a ribbon, if the shield is round, the motto is usually written around the shield. Obviously, the basis for the motto could originally have been a knightly battle cry (such as "Crom boo", the motto of the Dukes of Fitzgerald, meaning "Crom (old family castle) forever!", But the motto may be short sentence reminder of some important historical event. or expressing the creed of the owner of the coat of arms. The text of the motto can be encrypted and understandable only to the initiated. In Western heraldry, it was customary to write mottos in Latin, although this rule was not required. The meaning of some ancient mottos is generally impossible to understand - either history did not retain data on the events that the motto spoke about, or due to various circumstances, the phrase was distorted, errors crept into it. The motto is not a mandatory and permanent part of the coat of arms, so the owner can change it at will. When compiling new coats of arms, the motto is always included in their design. In state monarchical coats of arms, the motto is sometimes placed on the canopy - a tent located above the mantle. The colors of the ribbon and letters must match the primary colors and metals of the coat of arms. Here are examples of heraldic mottos. "God with us" - the state motto of the Russian Empire. "Gott mit uns" (German) - the German imperial state motto of a similar content. "Dieu et mon droit" (French) - "God and my right" - British motto. Dieu protege la France (French) - old French motto "God Save France" .
The modern French coat of arms is inscribed with the words:
"Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" (French) - "Freedom equality Brotherhood" . "Je maintiendrai" (French) - "I will keep" - Netherlands.. "Nihil sine Deo" (lat.) - "Nothing Without God" - Romania.. "L" union fait la force (French) - "Unification gives strength" - Belgium. "Providentiae memory" (lat.) - "Remember Predestination" - Saxony.

From noble mottos, the following examples can be given. "Treu auf Tod und Leben" - the motto of the German counts Totlebenov, in which their surname is played out -
"Faithful in death and in life" . "Labore et Zelo" - Latin motto of Counts Arakcheevs - "Work and Perseverance" . "Semper immota fides" - the motto of the Vorontsov counts - "Loyalty is always unwavering" . "Deus conservat omnia" - the motto of the Sheremetevs - "God Saves Everything" . "Honor and Loyalty" - the motto of the most serene princes of Warsaw, the counts of Paskevich-Erivan.

The motto ribbon is usually located at the bottom of the coat of arms, under the base or against its background (except for Scottish heraldry, in which the motto is placed above the crest).

Although flags are found in some large coats of arms, they are not a heraldic element. However, they are worth mentioning because of their close connection with heraldry.

Flags and banners have long been used as identification marks well visible at a distance. They were indispensable on the battlefield, but also during jousting. With the development of military technology, tournament armor acquired such massiveness and strength that the knights could abandon the shield as the main element of protection. In this regard, it was necessary to transfer the image of the coat of arms from the shield to the pennant, which replaced the shield with the coat of arms as an identification mark.

There are three main types of coat of arms: the actual flag (banner), the standard (standard) and the flag, or pennant (pennon).

banner

The medieval flag, bearing the image of the coat of arms of the owner, was a vertically elongated rectangle with a ratio of width to height of 2 to 3. The edge of the flag opposite the staff could be equipped with numerous "tongues", or one large "tongue" in the upper right corner (then called "schwenkle "). No one below the rank of a banneret knight was entitled to a flag (Knight Banneret is a now defunct ancient title that gave the privilege of leading their people under their own flag during battle, unlike bachelors (Bachelor), lower-ranking knights who did not have enough vassals, to gather them under his banner). The rank of the banneret was below that of the knights of the Order of the Garter when assigned by the king in time of war, and in regular time followed after the title of baronet). Pictured is the Royal Banner of Scotland.

Standard (standard)

Thomas Howard	Henry Stafford (1475)
Sir Robert Welles (1470)	Sir Maester Guildford
Count Edmund Roos (1460)	Lord Robert Willoughby (1440)

The standard is a long panel, tapering towards the end and rounded. Moreover, the rounded end forked if the standard did not belong to the prince of royal blood. The standard, the size of which varied from 11 yards (10 meters) for the emperor to 4 yards (1.5 meters) for the baron, was usually divided into three parts: the first was placed a knightly or national coat of arms, the second - a coat of arms, and the third - an image of its top (there were other options). These parts were separated by stripes on which a knightly battle cry or motto was inscribed. The color of the standard corresponded to the family colors of the knight or the colors of his coat of arms.

During the battle, the standard served as a guide for the troops. It showed not the physical presence of the commander in chief, but the location of his headquarters. The drawing shows the standards of Sir Henry Stafford (1475) and Thomas Howard, a participant in the War of the Scarlet and White Roses (from 1455 to 1485). The cross of St. George on the rise (the area near the staff) shows the national (English) affiliation.

Checkbox (pennon)

This is a flag, or pennant, of medium size (about three feet or one meter), which had a triangular shape and was attached to the shaft of a spear. Like the banner, it indicated the physical presence of the person whose coat of arms he carried. A smaller triangular flag was called "pavon pennon". Shown here is a flag with a forked end - the pennant of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

The drawings of coats of arms and crests placed on the page were made by Jiri Louda.

Topic

BASES OF THEORETICAL HERALDY

Plan

The general structure of the coat of arms.

Historical forms of the shield.

Color and graphic division of the shield.

Heraldic and non-heraldic figures in the coat of arms.

External components of the coat of arms.

Materials and colors in the coat of arms and their symbolic meaning.

Origin and development of coats of arms in Russia.

1. The general structure of the coat of arms

Theoretical heraldry - This is a special section of heraldry that studies the rules for compiling and reading coats of arms.

Theoretical heraldry distinguishes 10 in the structure of the coat of arms constituent parts- one internal, main and mandatory, as well as 9 external, optional.

Components of the coat of arms

1. Shield.

2. Helmet.

3. Crest.

4. Crown.

5. Mantle.

6. Namet.

7. Shield holders.

8. Motto.

9. Kleynods.

10. Windbreak.

Shield - the inner, main and only obligatory part of the coat of arms. The shield is the main armorial field, on which all symbols, emblems, figures that characterize the owner of the emblem are applied. The shield is the center of any coat of arms, a contour within which, as well as around it, various emblems and figures are applied.

The outer part of the coat of arms consists of a helmet, a crest, a crown, a mantling, kleinods, a mantle, shield holders and a motto. The presence of all components of the outer part is not necessary. The outer part, unlike the inner part, is more subject to changes associated with changes in the official position of the coat of arms owner. For example, in the coat of arms of A.A. Arakcheev until 1816, the shield holders were a knight and a horse, and then two artillery soldiers of the sponsored regiment.

2. historical forms shield

Heraldic shields originated from real shields, and therefore they were introduced into heraldry gradually, as the shape of the shield developed depending on time and country. That is why heraldic shields have a historically and nationally determined form and their corresponding national names. All types of shields are based on simple geometric shapes: triangle, square, circle, ellipse, rhombus. In total, there are 8 main forms of the shield: French, Spanish, Varangian, English, Byzantine, Italian, German, Polish. The most ancient form of the shield is triangular, tapering downwards. This is a Norman, or Varangian shield.

3. Color and graphic division of the shield

Division of the shield. Sometimes the shield on the coat of arms was one-color, sometimes it was divided into parts according to its color. The field of the shield is divided into parts using 4 main divisions: dissection (vertically), intersection (horizontally), bevels on the right and left (from top to bottom diagonally). The section is made with both straight and winding lines. Beveling with a stepped line on the right is called descending degrees, on the left - ascending. There is a hierarchy of parts of the shield - the most honorable is the center of the field, then to the right or in the center from above (depending on division), then from above or in the center from below, etc. Often there are divisions such as stepped, concave or convex, serrated, pointed, sawtooth, scaly, cloud-like, flame-shaped, cochlear. Multiplicity arises either when several coats of arms are combined (including the coats of arms of extinct lines), or when the coat of arms receives more high title(for example, in the coat of arms of A.V. Suvorov), or when receiving a coat of arms late (usually the older the coat of arms, the fewer sections on its shield).

Thus, the heraldic shield was the main bearing structure of the entire coat of arms and, in turn, was a complex structure in which the main meaning heraldic badge.

4. Heraldic and non-heraldic figures in the coat of arms

Heraldic and non-heraldic figures. In theoretical heraldry, the figures that were placed on the shield were divided into two main types: heraldic and non-heraldic. Distinguish six main heraldic figures:

1. Shield head. The shield had a head in the case when 2/7 of its length at the top was given in a different color, if its length is less than the indicated value, then the figure was called the top. The head of the shield can be beveled or triangular.

2. The foot or tip of the shield. If 2/7 of the length at the bottom of the shield was given in a different color, then the heraldic figure was called the tip; if these dimensions are smaller, the figure is called a foot. The tip can also be beveled or triangular.

3. Pillar . Such a heraldic figure was obtained when 1/3 of the width of the shield was given in a different color. The column can be either right or left, or shifted to the right or left. If the column is of normal width and is alone in the shield, then it is designated as narrow.

4. Belt . Highlighting 1/3 of the length of the shield in a different color was a belt that could be raised or lowered, it could also be narrow, but there could be several belts in the shield.

5. Sling - this is a selection with a different color of 1/3 of the shield diagonally. The bandage can be on the right and left, it can be narrow, raised or lowered, or repeated several times in the shield.

6. Rafter - two opposite bandages, not reaching the top of the shield. If its top touches the bottom of the shield, it is called overturned. It can be narrowed or repeated several times, raised or lowered.

7. A simple heraldic cross.

8. Andrew's cross.

Non-heraldic figures divided into natural, artificial and legendary.

natural figures images of living beings (people, animals, birds, insects, reptiles), plants, celestial bodies and elements (sun, crescent, stars; rivers, hills, clouds) were called natural figures. of people : images of saints, images of a person or parts of a person's body (hand, head, legs, heart, sometimes engulfed in flames). From animals you can find images of a lion, a leopard; horse, deer, dog, wolf, boar, bear, bull, badger, goat, lamb, etc. From birds an eagle, a crane, a swan, a rooster, a peacock, an owl, a dove are depicted. There are images of snakes, dolphins, fish, crayfish, beetles, bees, ants, snails, shells, and from plants - lilies, roses, wreaths, trees, branches.

About 40 variants of images of a lion and a leopard, as well as their symbioses (lion leopard and leopard lion), are known, differing in its posture or in the nature of the execution of individual details (especially the tail, which can be double and triple and bend in different directions).

The symbolic meaning of animal images: lion and leopard - power, might, strength, courage. Horse - combines the courage of a lion, the sight of an eagle, the strength of an ox, the speed of a deer, the dexterity of a fox). The dog is a symbol of devotion and obedience. The cat is independent. Wolf - anger, greed. Bear - forethought. Boar or boar - fearlessness, indomitability. The bull is the fertility of the earth. Sheep - meekness. Doe - timidity. The deer is a symbol of a warrior before whom the enemy is running), etc. Of the birds, the most often depicted are: an eagle (power, generosity), a raven (longevity), a rooster (a symbol of battle, struggle), a heron (shyness), a peacock (vanity), a pelican (loving children), a crane (with a stone in one paw - a symbol of vigilance), etc. From marine animals: a dolphin (a symbol of strength); from insects: bees and ants (industriousness), butterflies (inconstancy). The snake can be depicted as crawling (a symbol of envy, discord, rebellion, ingratitude), curled up in a ring with a tail in its mouth (a symbol of eternity), wrapped around a bowl (a symbol of medicine).

Plants in heraldry are represented by trees: oak (strength, strength), olive tree (peace), palm tree (durability, peacefulness); branches; flowers - rose, lily; wreaths, cereals - ears, sheaves; herbs; fruits. The fleur-de-lis (lily of the Carolingians) at its core, apparently, was the image of the tip of a spear, which explains its widespread use in heraldry. The sun (a symbol of truth, truth, wisdom) is depicted as a disk with a human face and is surrounded by radiance or has eight rays. In the same way, the moon, depicted as a crescent, sometimes has a human profile. The number of rays of the stars is different: in German heraldry there are usually six, in French - five.

artificial figures - these are images of objects made by human hands: swords, spears, arrows, chain mail, pistols, horseshoes, spurs, rings, banners, towers, fortresses, cannons, wheels, ships, anchors. Among the figures of peaceful use are a bowl, a lyre, a cornucopia, etc.

To legendary figures include images of creatures that do not exist in nature, for example, images of a centaur, sirens, vultures, unicorns, pegasi, dragons, phoenixes, capricorns and many others, including the double-headed eagle.

The figure depicted on the shield may contain a hint of the owner's surname or the name of his possession, such a coat of arms is called a vowel. In Russia, such coats of arms were characteristic of the new, service nobility. Glasnost can be expressed by placing individual initials on the shield, and sometimes full names (in the land emblems). The figure placed on the shield can be part of the coat of arms of the overlord and thus testify to the award of the coat of arms for special merits. Such evidence in Russian heraldry is the placement of a double-headed eagle on the shield. In Russia, the award of count dignity was introduced by Peter I, the counts first received the title of count of the "Holy Roman Empire", and then they were elevated to the count dignity of the Russian Empire, therefore two double-headed eagles are placed in their coats of arms: Russian (with crowns) and imperial (with halos above their heads). ).

The subject of theoretical heraldry is a set of rules and techniques for compiling coats of arms, without knowledge of which their correct “reading” and definition is impossible. In accordance with these rules, the coat of arms was composed of various parts: a shield, a helmet, a crown, a crest, a namet, shield holders, mottos, a mantle and various decorations around the shield. However, not every coat of arms required the simultaneous presence of all these parts. Some of them were the main, mandatory, others were not. The main part of the coat of arms is the shield. There are several types of heraldic shields: French- quadrangular shape with a sharpening at the bottom in the middle. The height of such a shield should be equal to 9/8 of its width; Spanish- the same size as the French, but with a smoothly rounded bottom; Varangian- triangular, with smoothly curving sides; italian- oval and German- a shield of elaborately carved shape. In addition to them, there were round, oblique and square shields. In Russian heraldry, the French form of the shield has become the most common.

heraldic sides. The parties in heraldry are defined in terms of who stands behind the coat of arms and holds it; thus, from the viewer, the right heraldic side is on the left, the left heraldic side is on the right. A shield divided in half vertically is called dissected; divided in half horizontally - crossed; divided into two parts from corner to corner - beveled on the right or left. The shield, divided both vertically and horizontally, is both dissected and crossed. Other types of divisions were also used, for example, forked, wedge-shaped. The divisions of the shield could also be formed by curved lines. In this case, they had the corresponding names - serrated-crossed, concave-dissected, spiky-dissected. The division of the coat of arms with jagged lines was characteristic of German coats of arms.

Heraldic colors. The colors of all details (shapes, fields, etc.) must be defined. It is desirable to confine ourselves to the main heraldic colors: two "metals" - gold and silver (in heraldry there is no distinction between gold and yellow, between silver and white), five "finifts" ("enamels") - azure (this concept combines various shades of blue and blue, between which there is also no distinction), scarlet (red, scarlet), green, black and purple (can be transmitted in various shades of purple, cold crimson, lilac); a stylized image of some furs is also allowed (ermine, squirrel, "anti-ermine"; each of the furs is considered a separate color in heraldry) and flesh color (when depicting people, angels, centaurs, sphinxes and other humanoid monsters). When the coat of arms is reproduced in one color, conditional hatching is used for scarring. Silver is depicted as an unshaded surface, gold as a dotted surface. Black color is depicted by a solid surface, and in relief reproduction - by intersecting strokes. The antiermine fur has a black background with white "tails" depicted in the same way as the ermine. Sable fur is equivalent to black. The main figures placed on a metal background should be enamel, and vice versa - the figures in the enamel field should be metal. Metal on metal, enamel on enamel are not superimposed. This is the so-called "basic rule of heraldry".

Graphic image. Silver is empty space, gold is dots, azure is horizontal lines, and scarlet is vertical lines. The black parts of the emblem can be painted over completely or covered with vertical and horizontal lines like a lattice. Green and purple enamels correspond to oblique lines; it is only important not to confuse which slope corresponds to green, and which to purple. If the shield is depicted as slanted, the shading is slanted along with it.

Theoretical heraldry: the basic rules of heraldic images, the names of the parts of the shield, the ways of dividing the shield and the hierarchy of armorial fields, heraldic and non-heraldic figures, the names of various forms of their relative position.

Among the armorial figures, abstract geometric ones stand out, which are called heraldic, or honorary figures. The most important heraldic figures are a pillar (vertical strip), a cross (connected pillar and belt), right and left bandages (diagonal stripes), ending (a strip along the lower edge of the shield), a border (a strip along all edges of the shield), a rafter (two inclined stripes connected by a "house"). The column can be shifted to the right and left, the belt can be raised or lowered, the head and end can be beveled to the right or left. The rafter, unless otherwise specified, rests on the lower corners and does not reach the middle of the upper edge of the shield. If it reaches the middle of the shield, then it is called lowered, if it rests not on the corners, but on the sides of the shield, then it is called elevated. It can be overturned (inverted), right (resting against the left corners and the middle of the right side of the shield), left, beveled to the right (resting against the middle of the base and left side of the shield and the right upper corner) or beveled to the left. If there is only one heraldic figure, it usually has a width of ½ to 1/3 of the width of the shield, if there are several of them in the coat of arms, then the width becomes smaller.

The remaining figures are called non-heraldic and are divided into natural (images of living beings) and artificial (images of a wide variety of objects created by man).

The composition of the coat of arms, in addition to the shield, may include status signs that make up the frame. These include a helmet, a crest, a mantle or mantle, a crown (or a burlet or cap replacing it), shield holders, a motto, as well as awards and official signs. The arrangement of two or more figures above each other is called “in a column”, with each other - “in a belt”, the arrangement along the diagonal of the shield is “in a bandage”. By default, the figures in the coat of arms are arranged as follows: single - in the middle of the shield field, two - side by side, three - two side by side above one, four - two in a row. With a large indefinite number of identical figures, the field is called dotted with these figures. A larger figure may be accompanied by smaller ones. Accompaniment to the sides and corners is possible, and there must be the same number of accompanying figures on each side. A larger figure may be burdened or covered by smaller ones. In both cases, small figures are superimposed on a large one, but when encumbered, they fit on it entirely, and when covered, the edges of the small figures protrude beyond the edges of the large one. Even if another figure is placed on the upper edge of one figure, then the first figure is called the perfected second. Living creatures and weapons are rotated to the right by default. Figures turned to the right are called reversed. Inverted figures are not specified if it is due to the so-called heraldic courtship, that is, turning towards another figure. An inverted figure is called an overturned, located above or below the normal position - elevated or lowered. The figure of an animal, partially depicted in the field of the coat of arms, is called increasing when about half of the figure is visible, and arising when only the head and neck are visible from behind the edge of the shield or other figure, sometimes with part of the paw or tail. Heraldic animals can be depicted in strictly defined poses. Quadrupeds are rebellious (standing on their hind legs), galloping (with a horizontal body position, but relying on two hind legs), walking (on all four legs, with the first one raised), standing (on all four legs), sitting or lying.

Russian family heraldry. Tribal, personal and family coat of arms in Russia. Principles of construction of family coats of arms. Coats of arms granted and "original". Coats of arms of various categories of the Russian nobility. Emblems of foreign origin.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, only the nobles had the right to a family coat of arms - this Russia differed from European countries, where not only the coats of arms of the clergy, but also burghers, and even peasants were common. Noble coats of arms in Russia were generic, like noble families, and most of the titles. The coat of arms of a nobleman passed to all his legitimate descendants of both sexes in the male line. The transfer of the coat of arms through the female line was formalized as a new award. The basis for it could be the suppression of the clan. There were no clear rules for the layout of two merged coats of arms in one, the most common ones were in a dissected shield, in a shield with a heart shield or a four-part shield.

A feature of the granted coats of arms is their immutability. Only the monarch has the right to make changes to the coat of arms by re-granting, arbitrary changes are unacceptable. This principle was introduced by Paul 1.

At the will of the monarch, special honorary additions could be made to the coats of arms. Most often, a double-headed eagle or part of it was introduced, but there could also be elements of local emblems, awards, indications of differences, as well as abstract symbols of honor. This is called augmentation. "Original" coats of arms are coats of arms adopted independently, it is valid if it is not prohibited by the state.

The general armorial of the noble families of the Russian Empire is a set of coats of arms of Russian noble families, established by decree of Emperor Paul I of January 20, 1797. Twenty volumes of the armorial include 3,066 family and several personal coats of arms. The common abbreviation is OG. Leave all the coats of arms entered into the coat of arms forever indispensable so that without our special, or the successors of our commands, nothing under any circumstances is excluded from them and nothing is added to them again.

To each nobleman of the family whose coat of arms is in the armorial, to issue on parchment for a staple, exact copies from the coat of arms of this family and from the description of the one located. Three centuries ago, as today, tribal coats of arms began to be used spontaneously in Russia. At first, from the end of the 17th century, the Muscovite state recognized only coats of arms of foreign origin (belonging to families "traveling to Russia") and confirmed them through the Ambassadorial Order. In the course of Peter's reforms, with the unification of the noble class and the establishment of the King of Arms office, an attempt was made to use family coats of arms as an attribute of the "gentry" being drawn up, and in this capacity to put them under the control of the state. Initially, the King of Arms Office was authorized not only to submit new coats of arms and honorary additions to them for royal approval, but also to independently confirm the already used coats of arms, if necessary, subjecting them to editing. Over time, however, the self-validation procedure was left in place only for coats of arms previously granted in Russia. The need for any editing, editing of coats of arms at the same time disappeared. This order was fixed successively by Paul I and Alexander II.

Russian city and regional heraldry. City emblems of the 17th century. Principles of construction of provincial and city coats of arms. Correlation of county coats of arms with provincial ones. City emblems in Soviet time. City coats of arms in modern Russia.

Early land emblems are known only from seals. Big State seal Ivan the Terrible, dating from the last quarter of the 16th century, contained 24 land emblems. The Big State Book of 1672 already contained 33 lands, the names of which were at that moment included in the title of the Russian Tsar. Under Catherine II, all cities were granted coats of arms. The city emblems granted by Catherine did not contain any elements other than shields. In city heraldry there are also vowel coats of arms (an eagle in the coat of arms of the city of Orel; a wolf in the coat of arms of Volchansk; partridges in the coat of arms of Kursk, etc.). In addition to the vowel coats of arms, a prominent place is occupied by the "old" coats of arms, some of which reflect local ancient cults. But more often than not, the city coat of arms granted by Catherine reflected nature, the economy, or political life county or city. Sometimes the content and the "speaking" element merged into one symbol. For example, the bell in the coat of arms of Zvenigorod can be perceived both as a vowel coat of arms and as an inclusion in the coat of arms of an element that Zvenigorod is actually famous for. In Soviet times, interest in urban heraldry revived only in the second half of the 1960s. And in about a quarter of a century, about 250 coats of arms of the cities of the USSR were developed. At the same time, the compilers of coats of arms, as well as those who claimed these coats of arms, as a rule, lacked heraldic literacy. The placement of the name of the city in the coat of arms has become very common, which is not at all accepted in traditional heraldry. Meanwhile, almost half of the Soviet city emblems contain this element. The idea arose that the coat of arms should certainly reflect the past of the city, its present and future. This led to an overload of the coat of arms, drawn up in accordance with such a premise. In addition, the symbolism of modernity was, as a rule, monotonous - the industry was symbolized by a gear or a jackhammer, Agriculture- an ear, science - a flask, a model of an atom. In other matters, a number of cities (Tula, Pskov, Smolensk, Zubtsov, Novgorod, Riga, Yaroslavl) took the old emblems as a basis. The original Soviet coats of arms of the cities of the Murmansk region, just having a very short history. The compilers of the coats of arms managed to avoid standard "industrial" solutions. The coat of arms of Monchegorsk, famous for its nickel plant, contains the symbols chemical elements copper, nickel and cobalt. At the end of the 80s, interest in historical heraldry grew, and the old coats of arms began to return to cities. In modern Russia, succession to pre-revolutionary heraldry has been proclaimed. But herbalism retains its significance: firstly, many cities that exist today have never had coats of arms before; secondly, new graphic versions of old coats of arms are being created; thirdly, despite the reform of 1857, many local coats of arms until 1917 were used in the version of Catherine's time, although this was contrary to law. Since 1992, a heraldic department has been operating in the Russian Federation, in 1996 the unity of heraldic policy in the country was proclaimed and federal registration of coats of arms was introduced. Personal coats of arms, coats of arms of societies, associations, firms are also created.

State heraldry. State emblem and its features. Coat of arms of the Russian Empire, its history and evolution. Large, Medium and Small State Emblem of the Russian Empire. State symbols of the Provisional Government. Coat of arms of modern Russia.

For the first time, a double-headed eagle appeared on the seal of Grand Duke Ivan 3 around 1490. But the coat of arms itself (a double-headed eagle in a shield under a helmet with a royal crown and a name) for the first time in Russia appears on the personal seal of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich, although this is a unique case in the 17th century. On the threshold of 18 c, the royal emblem is heraldized (a double-headed eagle, usually with a rider on its chest). The details are fixed (the eagle holds the scepter and orb, the rider strikes the serpent with a spear), the colors are determined (a black eagle in a golden field, a “natural” horseman in a scarlet shield) and the orientation of the figures (a horseman in a breastplate is reversed). The crowns above the eagle were replaced with "imperial" ones (similar to the side crown of the Holy Roman Empire) even before Peter 1 assumed the imperial title. Initially, in some images, the eagle in the shield wore two crowns, and the third, large crown began to be located directly above it. Under Peter 1, a chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was placed around the shield on the chest of the eagle, and the rider was interpreted as St. George. Heraldization also affected the emblems that denoted individual principalities and possessions according to the full title of the monarch. But the development of a large imperial coat of arms, which included all the coats of arms of the possessions, was not carried out during these years. Such a coat of arms was developed under Paul 1, but was not approved. But under Paul 1, the Maltese cross, placed on the chest of an eagle behind a shield with a rider, and the Maltese crown were introduced into the state emblem. Alexander 1 removed the Maltese symbolism, but experimented a lot with the position of the eagle's wings, with the number of crowns, with objects that the eagle holds in its paws. In 1856, Alexander II approved the large, medium and small state emblems, the emblems of the title estates, the large and small emblems for all members of the dynasty. Some changes were made to the coats of arms, in particular, the rider was turned to the right, and a thin golden border was applied to the shield with the rider (to avoid imposing a scarlet shield on the black chest of an eagle). A canopy was introduced into the coats of arms of the senior members of the dynasty instead of the mantle. The younger members of the dynasty crowned their coats of arms with the imperial crown. The provisional government abolished the imperial coat of arms and began to use the double-headed eagle on seals without any attributes, without a heraldic shield and a fixed color. It was assumed that the new coat of arms would be drawn up after the adoption Constituent Assembly government decisions. But instead, the double-headed eagle disappeared altogether from Russian state symbols for 75 years. On November 30, 1993, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, a coat of arms was re-established in the form of a two-headed eagle under three crowns, however, of a different color. Seven years later, this coat of arms was re-approved by a constitutional law. According to Art. 1 of the Federal Constitutional Law “On the State Emblem of the Russian Federation”, adopted on December 25, 2000, “The State Emblem of the Russian Federation is a quadrangular, with rounded lower corners, pointed at the tip, a red heraldic shield with a golden double-headed eagle, raising up its spread wings. The eagle is surmounted by two small crowns and above them by one large crown connected by a ribbon. In the right paw of the eagle is a scepter, in the left is a power. On the chest of the eagle, in a red shield, there is a silver horseman in a blue cloak on a silver horse, striking with a silver spear a black dragon overturned and trampled on his horse.

Target:

• To acquaint students with the symbolic language of decorative art on the example of coats of arms, the coats of arms of the cities of the Krasnodar Territory, the history of the coat of arms of Belorechensk.
• To form an idea of ​​the coat of arms as a hallmark of any human community. Raise a sense of patriotism, respect for the history and traditions of their homeland.
• develop creative interest, cognitive activity, possession of a composition, associative-figurative thinking.

Lesson type: combined.

Lesson form: lesson.

Equipment:

• Tape recorder, computer, multimedia projector.
• Posters depicting the symbols of Russia, the Krasnodar Territory.
• Musical line: anthem of Russia, anthem of Kuban.
• Art materials: album, colored pencils, paints.

Lesson plan:

1. A conversation about state symbols, the symbols of the Krasnodar Territory, about the history of the appearance of emblems, about the main elements of emblems and their symbolic meaning.
2. Statement of the artistic task.
3. Practical implementation of the task.
4. Summing up, analysis and defense of works.

During the classes

1. Class organization.

The anthem of Russia sounds (students stand up).

Teacher: Guys, what kind of music is playing now.

Students: This is the national anthem of Russia.

Teacher: What is an Anthem?

Students: This is the symbol of our country.

Teacher: What other state symbols do you know?

Students: Emblem, flag.

Teacher: Today our lesson is about coats of arms.

Teacher's story: "History of heraldry".

Symbolic images have been in human use since ancient times and were depicted on rings, shields, banners. These signs changed at the request of the person who applied them.

Persons outstanding for their valor and courage placed symbolic images on their clothes and weapons. This was necessary because the iron-clad knights differed little from each other.

And the most ancient coats of arms were on seals, coins, medals of ancient states. In the III millennium BC in Sumer it was an eagle with a lion's head, in Egypt - a serpent, in Armenia - a lion, in Byzantium - a two-headed eagle. Coats of arms were compiled and described by heralds (stewards) at knightly tournaments - these people were called heralds. Thus, the art of drawing up coats of arms - heraldry - arose.

The coat of arms is a symbolic image, compiled on the basis of certain signs and approved by the supreme authority. In the composition of the coat of arms, everything mattered and carried information about the owner. The shape of the coat of arms can be varied, but basically it is the shape of the shield of the ancient knights. Five forms of Western European shields are known.

The surface of the coat of arms was either one color or divided into several fields of a certain color. These fields were called heraldic figures. The chosen one had a symbolic meaning.

Teacher: Guys, what do you think the colors can mean - gold, silver, red, green, black.

Students: Red - blood, courage, black - mourning, green - calmness, gold - wealth, silver - purity.

Teacher: Basically you got the meaning of the colors right. Gold - wealth, fidelity, constancy. Silver - innocence, purity, virginity. Blue - greatness, clarity. Red - courage, courage. Green - freedom, abundance. Black - modesty, learning, sadness.

The coat of arms is divided into several parts. These main divisions (there are three of them) are dissection, intersection, bevelling.

Animals, plants, mythological creatures, weapons, etc. can be depicted on the field of the coat of arms.

Symbolism of color

• Gold- nobility, nobility
• Silver- innocence, kindness, frankness
• Red- courage, courage, generosity, love
• Green- hope
• Black- wisdom, sadness
• Blue- loyalty, honesty.

Emblem alphabet

Handshake - the emblem of friendship

The coat of arms can also have a short saying reflecting the idea of ​​the coat of arms - this is the motto of the coat of arms.

Cities and states have their coats of arms. The coat of arms of the city is depicted on the main buildings. It is compiled based on the characteristics of the city, its history, main buildings, flora and fauna around the city.

Teacher: Do you know the history of the coat of arms of the city of Belorechensk.

Coat of arms of the city of Belorechensk

The coat of arms of the city has a traditional form for the coats of arms of Russian cities - the shape of a shield. In its upper part, against the background of the flag of Russia, the inscription "Belorechensk". In the central part of the emblem, on a green background, there is a retort framed on the left side with golden ears of corn, and on the right side with oak leaves. At the bottom of the frame there are symbols of industry and the railway. Below the frame, the emblem is crossed horizontally by two wavy lines, symbolizing the Belaya River, on the right bank of which the city of Belorechensk is located. At the very bottom of the emblem are two Cossack sabers crosswise, a hat and the inscription “1862” - this is the year the city was founded.

And now look at the coats of arms of the city of our Krasnodar Territory.

Coat of arms of the city of Labinsk	Coat of arms of the city of Novorossiysk	Coat of arms of Tikhoretsk	Coat of arms of the city of Tuapse