Sochi is the largest resort city in Russia. It is a popular cultural, recreational and economic center. What is the emblem of the city of Sochi? What is the meaning of its characters?
Briefly about the city
Sochi is a city in the Krasnodar Territory. It is located on the Black Sea coast of the country, from the north-eastern edge of the reservoir. The city occupies almost 177 square kilometers. The permanent population is 402 thousand inhabitants.
The executive power is represented by the administration of Sochi, its head is currently Pakhomov Anatoly Nikolaevich. The urban district covers an area of 3502 square kilometers and covers four intra-city districts: Khostinsky, Central, Lazarevsky and Adler.
The territory of the city covers the slopes of the Caucasus Range. Sochi has formed a humid subtropical climate, which makes it particularly popular among other national resorts. Its beaches stretch 115 kilometers in length. The city has both sea and winter ski resorts.
The city has developed industry, transport network, financial sector and agriculture. Sochi climate promotes gardening. Various exotic plants are grown outside the city (citrus fruits, kiwi, feijoa, etc.), tea. Bees are raised in the foothills, and trout in local mountain rivers.
Coat of arms of Sochi
The official symbols of the city are its coat of arms and flag. The coat of arms of Sochi was first adopted in 1967. After this, design changes were approved in 1997, 2003 and 2005. The shield has a traditional French shape - a rectangle with rounded corners and a point at the bottom.
The space of the coat of arms is divided into four areas, on top of which the fifth field is placed - a rectangular shield, or shingle, slightly overlapping the edges of the others. The shield is located in the center and painted in azure color. It depicts a silver bowl with which silver drops are dripping. In the bowl itself, a fire burns.
The remaining areas are colored white and red diagonally. In the upper left field, the outlines of three mountains are depicted in blue on a white background. Nearby is a red area in which a golden or yellow palm tree is depicted. The third field is red. In its center, the sun is shown in yellow. Under the palm area is a white rectangle in which a blue wavy belt is drawn.
In the first version, the coat of arms of Sochi was framed by a gold ribbon with the inscription "Health to the people." From the sides, it was woven into branches of tea and laurel. Instead of mountains, clouds were depicted. Above the emblem’s shield were a sickle and hammer in golden color. In the 1997 version, the sickle and hammer were replaced with a flying bird.
Character Meaning
The city is a major transportation hub; industry and agriculture are developing in it. However, the coat of arms of Sochi reflects a completely different side of it - the resort. The four main areas into which the shield is divided represent the areas of the urban district. Each of them has its own peculiarity.
Three mountains in the first part symbolize the peaks of the Caucasus Range: Chugush, Aibgu, Achishkho. They are located in the Khostinsky district. The mountains are simultaneously sent to the ski resort of Adler region.
The palm in the second part symbolizes one of the main wealth of the city - its subtropical vegetation. Here is the largest arboretum of the country. The sun in the third field of the shield is a symbol of not only the hot climate, but also the development of the city.
The blue waves in the fourth rectangle are nothing but the Black Sea - the main attraction of the resort. A bowl in the central part placed on the coat of arms of Sochi is a symbol of the mineral springs of the city. Their name, Matsesta, literally translates as "fiery water."
Sochi flag and the meaning of colors
The composition of the flag of the city completely repeats its coat of arms. The Sochi administration approved it in 2006. The flag is a rectangular panel, the sides of which are related to each other as 2: 3.
Like the emblem, it depicts the main mountains of Sochi, a golden palm and the sun, the azure waves of the Black Sea and a bowl of Matsesta "hot water". In addition to the main figures on the emblem and flag, their colors are also symbolic. They correspond to standard values in heraldry.
So, white and silver are symbols of peace, wisdom and simplicity. Yellow is associated with gold and means wealth, nobility, strength and greatness. Blue symbolizes truth, heavenly purity and honor. Red color means life-affirming energy.