Each Russian city has its own story telling about its origin and creation of the coat of arms, flag and other attributes. Saratov is no exception. He owes his appearance to well-known historical figures. The coat of arms of Saratov has existed for more than one century. Let's take a closer look at some historical points regarding the creation of the coat of arms of the city of Saratov.
A bit from the history of Saratov
September 2010 gave the residents of the city of Saratov a celebration of the 420th anniversary of its founding. In 1590, Saratov was founded as a fortified city and defended the Russian state on the southeastern border from raids by nomads. Its founders are Prince G. O. Zasekin and Boyar F. M. Turov. In the XVII-XVIII centuries, Saratov was an important transit point on the Volga, as well as a center of trade. This was facilitated by its convenient location and inexhaustible natural wealth.
In 1781, six months after the issuance of the decree of Catherine the Great, which spoke about the creation of the Saratov governorship, the coat of arms of Saratov was officially approved. Since that time, the official countdown of his story began.
Coat of arms of Saratov. Description and meaning
The coat of arms of the city is based on the traditional version of the heraldic shield. Three fishes are painted on its blue field. Many do not know which fish is depicted on the coat of arms of Saratov. These are sterlet (silver). They mean that in this city there is abundance.
And indeed, in ancient times, the Volga possessed untold wealth, most of which were sterlet. The value of this fish lies in its true royal taste. The arrangement of the fish resembles the English letter Y. The two upper sterlets are placed with their heads towards the center, and their tails towards the corners of the shield. The lower fish is also located head to the center, and its back is on the left side in relation to the one looking at the coat of arms. Sterlet on the emblem, as it were, say that Saratov is one of the richest and most beautiful cities in Russia.
Flag description
As for the flag of the city of Saratov, it has the same symbolism as on the coat of arms. This is a rectangular cloth of white color. At the very bottom of the flag is a blue stripe, occupying about one third of the total area. On the wider white part of the flag is the coat of arms of Saratov. The background repeats in its color the lower blue stripe. The ratio of flag length and width corresponds to a value of 3: 2.
The flag and coat of arms of Saratov described above are today the main heraldic symbols of the city.
Modern option. What does the coat of arms of Saratov mean?
Many years have passed since the approval of the Saratov coat of arms, but it has not changed much. Many times, the Saratov government organized various contests, during which they chose the best coat of arms sketch. Today, the question of the relevance of the image on the emblem of the sterlet is increasingly being raised. After all, this breed of fish is almost never found in the Volga. Many artists participated in competitions and offered various versions of the modern coat of arms. But for now, everything remains unchanged. The blue shield and three sterlet against its background are the historical and modern coat of arms of Saratov. All municipal institutions and offices of important city officials are decorated with this particular emblem.
Many tourists and guests visiting Saratov are well aware of this historical symbolism. Her image can be found in guidebooks and books, and simply on the streets. One of such popular tourist sites is a monument on the embankment of the Cosmonauts, erected in honor of the coat of arms of Saratov. In fact, the city and now remains one of the largest industrial, commercial and tourist centers of the Russian Federation.
History of Russian Coats of Arms
Almost every Russian coat of arms basically has a shield, the most common form of which was the French version. This is a quadrangular shield with a slight sharpening in the lower part. Over the top of the coat of arms you can often see the image of the crown or helmet.
In the period from 1775 to 1785, legislation was in force in the Russian Empire, according to which each city had to have its own emblem. It was a kind of distinguishing feature of a territorial unit of an independent nature, with its own governing bodies. The priority tasks of the city coat of arms included the possibility of distinguishing the city from the village by its presence.
In 1722, namely on April 12, Peter 1 issued a personal order, according to which Francis Santi began to occupy the position of drafter of emblems. The authorship of this graph belongs to 137 different emblems of Russian cities, including the city of Saratov.
The creation of the coat of arms of the city of Saratov took place from 1725 to 1727. But they approved his image after many years - in 1781, August 23. With the light hand of Catherine the Great, Saratov became the universally recognized center of governorship, after which the emblem was approved.
The number of fish located on the coat of arms of the city of Saratov is directly related to the number of Saratov monasteries. Not for nothing that from ancient times fish is considered the Christian symbol of piety.
The Saratov coat of arms was regarded as a reward presented to the city from the supreme authority. It was impossible not to be proud of him; he was placed on the most important buildings, as well as on the city flag. The modern era also supports the symbolism of fame, honor and history of the Saratov region.
Despite the fact that the second half of the 19th century brought Saratov the rapid development of industry and turned the city into a fairly large center for trade in bread and flour, the emblem of Saratov did not change. On it are all the same three fish, indicating a commitment to tradition.
The modern stage of approval of the coat of arms of the city of Saratov
In 1997, the Saratov City Duma issued a decision approving the text of the Regulation on the coat of arms of the city under No. 13-108 (dated November 18). And already in 2001, according to the Law of the Saratov Region βOn the Coat of Arms and the Flagβ, the modern look of the city coat of arms was finally adopted.
A golden crown, oak and laurel branches, ears of wheat and gold ribbons are added to his image. These symbols depicted on the modern emblem are not at all random. All of them originate in the historical heritage of the city of Saratov.