Makeevka is one of the largest cities in the Donbass. This is the most important center of coal mining and the coke industry. What do the flag and coat of arms of Makeevka look like? And what does the symbolism of this city carry? This will tell our article.
Makeevka: exploring the city
Makeevka is an independent settlement in the east of Ukraine. Although in fact it is adjacent to the northeastern outskirts of neighboring Donetsk. This is one of the oldest cities in the Donetsk region - Makeevka dates back to 1690, when the first Cossack village arose here.
Today, about 350 thousand people live in Makeevka (13th place in terms of population among the cities of Ukraine). Among them, there are approximately the same number of Russians and Ukrainians (50% and 45%, respectively). Tatars, Georgians, Greeks, Belarusians, Gypsies, Armenians, Moldavians and Bulgarians also live here. In short, the ethnic composition of the urban population is quite colorful.
Makeevka is often called the “Donbass in Miniature”. Indeed, on its territory there are enterprises of all sectors of the economy represented in the Donetsk region (coal mining, coke, metallurgical, machine-building, light and food). The largest industrial enterprises of the city: Makeevugol, Makeevkoks, Yasinovsky Coke and Chemical Plant.
Makeevka, although in contact with Donetsk, is still isolated from the "capital" of Donbass. So, the city center is quite self-sufficient. And very handsome in terms of architecture. In the post-war years, a beautiful ensemble in the style of the Stalinist Empire style with an abundance of columns and magnificent gables was formed here.
City symbols
Makeevka, like any other city, has its own official symbols. This is a coat of arms, flag and anthem ("Makeevka is the pearl of Donbass").
Symbols for the city were selected through an open creative competition. It was attended by quite a lot of people. Among them were residents not only of Makeevka, but also of some other cities of Donbass. But the winner was the native Makeevich - artist Alexander Stepanovich. His works stood out qualitatively among all the others.
Both the flag and the coat of arms of Makeevka were approved by the decision of the city council on the same day - April 20, 2000. When developing their sketches, the recommendations of the Ukrainian heraldic community were taken into account.
Flag of Makeevka
At the heart of the city flag is a standard rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 2: 3.
The flag of the Donetsk region - the golden sun rising over the black field, which symbolizes the main wealth of the region - coal and black earth, occupies the upper left corner of the canvas. Four eight-pointed stars of the same size surround him on the right side. Their different colors convey the key factors (features) of urban life:
- black is the mining industry.
- gold - metallurgy.
- green - natural resources (in particular, agriculture).
- silver - spiritual traditions.
Coat of arms of Makeevka
The main urban symbol is based on the Spanish shield with a traditional frame. Golden solid strip, it is divided into two parts:
- The lower field is black with the image of two golden hammers, symbolizing the main branch of the urban economy - coal. Under them is also indicated the date of foundation of Makeevka. It is curious that on the previous (Soviet) version of the coat of arms there was a different date - 1777.
- The upper field is blue with the image of the golden rising sun. The crescent-shaped rays of the heavenly luminary symbolize the preservation of traditional spiritual values.
A crown is crowned with a coat of arms. On both sides it is also decorated with a wreath of feather grass (a hint of the steppe surroundings of the city), in which a green ribbon is woven with the inscription: “Makeevka” at the bottom.
The coat of arms of Makeyevka is dominated by two colors: gold (as a symbol of wealth and prosperity of the city) and black (as a symbol of coal mining). By the way, black color is quite common in modern heraldry of Donbass.