The coat of arms is a symbol that reflects the state-administrative status of the city and the continuity of its historical traditions. Of course, each settlement has its own emblem and flag. The city of Tomsk is no exception.
What is it, the arms of Tomsk? What is his story? Read the article below.
The first symbol of the city
The oldest city in Siberia is Tomsk. Today it is a center of innovation, education, and besides, it is rich in historical and architectural monuments. The coat of arms of a large settlement has a long and interesting history.
The very first mention of the symbolism of the city dates back to 1635. In those days, great interest in heraldry had not yet begun, but each city and clan had its own seal. So, in the "Service Drawing Book" by Semyon Remezov there are words about the seal and the crown depicted on it.
In 1729, Peter II officially presented the first coat of arms of Tomsk. On a silver shield on a yellow background was a man in gray clothing. He worked in an ore mine. The appearance of the miner on the shield was not accidental. In the 1920s, ore deposits were discovered in the county. In nearby settlements, metallurgical plants immediately began to be built. Near the Koshtak River even silver ore was discovered (hence the color of the shield).
Symbol of 1785
In 1782, Tobolsk governorship was established on the territory of Western Siberia. The city enters into it as a regional one and receives a new symbol. Since 1785, the emblem of the city of Tomsk looks like this: the Tobolsk coat of arms is located in the upper field (at that time any coat of arms contains a symbol of dominant governorship in the upper field), and a silver horse against an emerald background is in the lower part of the shield.
So, in the symbolism of Tomsk for the first time a horse appears, which is to this day its identification mark. The animal appeared on the shield because it was believed that the local horses were very good, some of the best in Russia. Also nearby lived Tatars, who had horse factories.
Coat of arms of Tomsk is changing
In 1804, the status of the city changed - it became the center of the Tomsk province. In this regard, the symbolism of the city is changing. Now in the center of the green "French" shield is a white horse. She runs to the right. The image of the horse is now associated with the proximity of the Moscow-Siberian tract. Most of the inhabitants of the city earned a living by cab. The same image was taken as the basis for the sketch of the coat of arms of the entire province.
What was the emblem of Tomsk until 1917?
In the second half of the 19th century, the heraldry Baron Kene conducts a large-scale study that led to the unification of the Russian emblems. From now on, each coat of arms, depending on the place occupied by its city in the hierarchy of division of Russia, should have its own signs of belonging to the empire. It could be a crown, sash or other symbol. Since Tomsk was a provincial city, its shield was crowned with a five-tower crown (according to the rules of heraldry of 1857). Also, the shield was framed by oak leaves and St. Andrew's ribbon.
In this form, the emblem of Tomsk, the photo of which is shown in the article, exists until 1917. After revolutionary changes in the country and the fall of monarchical power, the crown as a symbol of the empire was removed from the coat of arms of the city. It can be noted that even in pre-revolutionary times in literature there was no image of a shield crowned with a five-tower crown.
In 1980, the City Council attempted to change the emblem by organizing a sketching contest. The attempt was unsuccessful. During this period, many cities were swept by a passion for changing characters, but Tomsk remained with its old symbol of 1804. This coat of arms is the official symbol of the settlement at the present time.
Heraldic symbolism of the image
The new heraldic symbol of the city was approved in 2003. Its essence remained the same, only the image changed slightly. The description of the coat of arms of Tomsk should begin with its main feature - it is incredibly concise. Few cities have such stylish and simple characters. Despite the fact that the coat of arms has only three elements, it looks like a single complex, where each item has its own strictly defined role. The field of the shield, which has a “French” generally accepted form, is painted in bright green (in emerald heraldry) color. It is known that this shade is associated with open spaces of Siberian fields. The main elements are painted in silver and gold colors. What are the elements of the coat of arms?
- Silver horse - meaning strength and dexterity.
- Tower crown.
- Gold ribbon with a silver inscription "Labor and knowledge."
The symbols of the city of Tomsk and the Tomsk region are identical. However, there is a difference that is difficult to notice for an inexperienced person. On the coat of arms of the city, the tail of the horse is lowered down, on the symbol of the region - it is raised up.
Another small remark - from the point of view of heraldry, a silver horse on the coat of arms jumps to the right. But people see a mirror picture, and in their view the horse gallops to the left.
The history of the coat of arms of Tomsk was long, but still he managed to reach our days almost untouched from 1804. The coat of arms was re-approved in 2013 by a decision of the City Duma. And in 2015, the symbol was examined by the President’s Heraldic Council.