Once in the territory where Chelyabinsk is now located, there was a fortress with the same name. Some time after the Iset province appeared, the village of Chelyabinsk became its center. Then, even less than half a century passed, and a county town appeared on this site, located on the territory of the Ufa governorate. In those days, the cities of the Chelyabinsk region existed autonomously, but history changed everything.
First touches
The dream to acquire their own emblem came true in early June 1782, when Catherine II issued a special Decree. The document contains its description. Against the background of the shield below was an image of a camel with bales on its back. Caravans with these pack animals regularly moved through the territory of the Orenburg province and entered Chelyabinsk. The space of the upper part of the image was occupied by the emblem of Ufa governorship: the silhouette of a marten, which is rapidly rushing in a silver field. So, the emblem of the Chelyabinsk region received its first outlines.
Symbolism changes
The result of administrative reform was the exit of Chelyabinsk from the Ufa province, but, in the end, everything returned to its place: the former status of the county town remained unchanged until 1919.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a guide was found with a description of Chelyabinsk and its environs, dated 1782. The text also says that the upper part of the shield is occupied by the city coat of arms with a sable pattern.
As a result of administrative reforms by the Soviet government in 1934, the Chelyabinsk region appeared on the map of the region, and since the middle of the last century, it has taken on a shape that has remained unchanged to this day. Since these very times, the flag and coat of arms of the Chelyabinsk region began to form.
In the period between the October Revolution and the end of the 60s, the design of the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk was not paid attention. Two events prompted to think about the new type of symbolism of the city that meets the spirit of the times - preparations for the celebration of the 230th anniversary of Chelyabinsk (1965) and the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. The local publication "Chelyabinsk Worker" posted on its pages a description of the coat of arms in almost the same version that the Empress Catherine had proposed in her time. A year later, this text appeared in a city guide. The coat of arms of the Chelyabinsk region could not become permanent for a long time, it was supplemented and replaced by new leaders and officials.
Competition for the best state symbols
On the eve of the half-century anniversary of the revolution, local authorities announced a competition to create a new coat of arms. He set the following goal: the symbol of the city should embody the achievements of the working people and the victorious procession of socialism. In general, many elements of symbolism were contained in the capital's coat of arms of 1924. The list included the following items:
- Red flag;
- gear;
- tractor;
- factory pipe;
- blast furnace;
- the muscular arm of the worker;
- high voltage poles of power lines;
- book, etc.
Almost all the cities of the Chelyabinsk region offered their own version of state symbols. The jury analyzed all the options submitted for consideration, but there was no worthy contender for the prize. The competition, one of the organizers of which was the weekly "Evening Chelyabinsk", decided not to stop.
It lasted almost ten years. During this period, the publication raised a question regarding the rules of heraldry. But in all the submitted projects of the coat of arms, industrial symbols did not combine well with its historical elements. As a result, it was not possible to choose the most acceptable emblem of the Chelyabinsk region.
The same fate befell the contest, announced in the mid-80s, before the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the city.
Flag
This state sign was approved in 2001, December 27. The flag has the form of a red panel (2: 3), on which a yellow stripe is located below, occupying the sixth of the flag. If you look at the symbols of the Chelyabinsk region, you can see a large red space through which a narrow yellow stripe passes. In the center is a white camel with luggage.
Each city in the region has its own state symbol: there are 26 in all. Many of them depict animals and birds: a swan, sable, horse or bear. The predominant colors are green, blue, yellow and red. But some cities differ from neighboring regions in their heraldry. For example, one of the largest cities in the Chelyabinsk region - Magnitogorsk has a very original flag. It shows a black triangle with its top up. This canvas symbolizes the wealth of this ore region. But in Zlatoust a more romantic flag was established: with the image of a golden Pegasus flying against a scarlet background.
Continuation of work on the coat of arms project in the 90s
The leadership of the local administration returned to the issue of the coat of arms in 1994. In this regard, a corresponding decree was signed. In December 1996, a referendum was held. The result of the popular will was the adoption of the charter and coat of arms of Chelyabinsk. Symbolism returned the original appearance of the XVIII century with some changes, including the marten. In the image of the coat of arms were present:
- tower crown over the coat of arms;
- Alexander ribbon around the shield;
- gold mallets on both sides testified to the highly developed industry of the regional center.
The following year, the regional Legislative Assembly announced a competition to determine the draft flag, coat of arms and anthem of Chelyabinsk. The most successful works were presented at an exhibition organized in December 1998. But this time, the emblem of the Chelyabinsk region was not selected.
Final touches
The design epic is not over. It was proposed that the silver coat of arms be supplemented with the following elements:
- A fragment of the fortress wall should serve as confirmation that Chelyabinsk was a southeastern border outpost.
- A loaded camel painted in yellow. It is deployed to the right. The animal symbolizes trade relations and friendship with neighboring states.
- A camel stands on a green field, which represents wealth, a positive attitude and faith in a bright future.
St. Andrew’s ribbon around the shield and a gold crown on top indicates that this is Russia. Chelyabinsk region is a subject of the Russian Federation.