Armenia has experienced quite a lot throughout its history. Once it was a great state, then part of the USSR. Today it is a sovereign country, going in its development an independent road, although not every adult will confidently show it on the map. And even more so, few will be able to say something specific about the coat of arms of Armenia, the meaning of the colors on its flag will call it a political leader. It is still worth partially filling this gap.
About the story
This state is already more than 2.5 thousand years old, and the people are known and even more so. Armenia experienced many ups and downs, conquests and liberation, was part of empires and gained full independence. And her rich history was simply obliged to be reflected in her modern symbols. As you know, each state usually has three: anthem, coat of arms and flag. It is worth talking about them a little more.
National Symbols of Armenia
Unfortunately, the modern tricolor has nothing to do with the history of this country and appeared only in 1918. Red, blue and orange colors were chosen and approved artificially; they do not reflect the symbolism that has been used for centuries. In the framework of the USSR, a traditional scarlet cloth was used with some details that are different for each individual republic, but after independence, Armenia again began to use the pre-Soviet tricolor. The meaning of its colors is explained as follows: red - the personification of the blood of local soldiers, blue - the sky, and orange symbolizes fertile fields.
The anthem also has no serious history, it first appeared in 1918 and lasted only a couple of years, after entering the USSR, its use ceased for a long time. They returned to him after the collapse of the country in 1991, and he still operates. The author of the lines is Michael Nalbandian, and the music is Barsegh Kanachyan.
But about the coat of arms of Armenia it is worth talking separately and in more detail. It is from it that one can judge the past of the country, because unlike the flag and anthem, it has a rather rich history.
Emblem
Despite the fact that it, like the flag with the anthem, was approved only in 1918, when the republic gained independence, but before entering the USSR, it is based on its history to a greater extent than they are. At first glance at the emblem of Armenia, it is rather difficult to understand which country it belongs to, it is hardly possible to immediately think about this small modern state. The main colors are golden, red, blue and orange. A lion and an eagle hold a shield divided into four sectors and a central part. In each corner is a symbol of one of the great dynasties that ruled Armenia. There are four of them: Bagratids from the 9th to the 11th century with a running lion on a red field in the upper left corner, Arshakids from the 1st to 5th centuries with two eagles on the blue lower left, Artashesis, who ruled BC, with birds on the scarlet below and finally , Rubenids, who ruled before the XIV century, whose graphic reflection is in the remainder. In the center is the main mountain of Armenia - Ararat with Noah's Ark on top.
The coat of arms of Armenia was reapproved in 1991, the famous Alexander Tamanyan and Hakob Kojoyan were its artists. Despite their authority, a number of alleged heraldic inaccuracies or errors were discovered not so long ago. In any illustration or photo, the coat of arms of Armenia looks very solid, but some little things are striking to specialists.
So, a lion, usually a symbol of strength and wisdom, is depicted with an open mouth, here, on the contrary, with a closed one. In this case, it can be interpreted as evidence of weakness and vulnerability. Also, some experts consider the lack of a slogan on the ribbon at the bottom of the symbol as an omission. Perhaps in the coming years, the coat of arms of Armenia will undergo some minor changes, keeping the overall picture unchanged.
Paradox
Those who know that the mountain on the emblem of Armenia symbolizes Ararat may wonder how it turned out that it is located in Turkey. The fact is that for a long time it really was located within the borders of the state of which it is a symbol. However, in 1921, when the Armenian SSR had already become part of the Soviet Union, under the terms of the Moscow and Kars treaties, some territory went to Turkey. As a result, the mountain turned out to be outside the country, 32 kilometers from it. Nevertheless, she still remains her informal symbol and is present including on the coat of arms.