NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Coat of Arms of Bulgaria

The coat of arms of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Герб на България, Gerb na Balgariya) consists of a crowned golden lion rampant over a dark red shield; above the shield is the Bulgarian historical crown. The shield is supported by two crowned golden lions rampant; below the shield there is compartment in the shape of oak twigs and white bands with the national motto "Unity renders power" inscribed on them. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The winged lion of Mark the Evangelist for centuries has been the national emblem and landmark of Venice (detail from a painting by Vittore Carpaccio, 1516) The lion is a common charge in heraldry. ... Shield Field Supporter Crest Wreath Mantling Helm Compartment Charge Motto Coat of arms elements Escutcheon is often the term used in heraldry for the shield displayed in a coat of arms. ... A crown is a symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a god, for whom the crown is traditionally one of the symbols of power and legitimacy (See Regalia for a broader treatment). ... The Coat of Arms of Prince Edward Island uses two foxes as supporters. ... In heraldry, a compartment is a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount, or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing (a compartment without supporters is possible but practically unknown, with the exception of South Australia[1]). It is sometimes said... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... A motto (from Italian) is a phrase or a short list of words meant formally to describe the general motivation or intention of an entity, social group, or organization. ...

Description

The current coat of arms of Bulgaria was adopted in 1997. In fact, the present type is a slightly redesigned version of the coat of arms of Bulgaria from the period 1927–1946, which was based on a similar middle form, firstly used by Tsar Ferdinand I (1887-1918) as his personal ruler's coat of arms from the last decade of the 19th century on.^[1] The previous emblem, which combined the traditional gold lion rampant with the pattern of the Coat of arms of the Soviet Union, was abandoned since Communist rule ended in the country in 1989. The new Constitution of Bulgaria, adopted in 1991, describes the Bulgarian coat of arms as follows: This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The state coat of arms of the Soviet Union, from 1958-1991 The state coat of arms of the Soviet Union (Russian: ) was adopted in 1924 and was used until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Constitution of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: ) is the supreme and basic law of the Republic of Bulgaria. ...

For several years, agreeing on the concrete design of the coat of arms was a source of great controversy in the Bulgarian government, as different parties argued over what to put in the arms. The final solution was legitimized in the Law for the coat of arms of the Republic of Bulgaria of 4 August 1998: is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

History

The earliest example for lion's image as a heraldic symbol of Bulgaria known until now is documented in the Lord Marshal's Roll^[4], composed around 1294 AD and preserved in a copy from about 1640. In its first part under №15 is represented the coat of arms of Le Rey de Bugrie or the King of Bulgaria, most probably this of Tsar Smilets (1292-1298) or may be some of his recent predecessors. It consists of an argent lion rampant with golden crown over sable shield. In the end of 14th century an anonymous Arab traveller, who visited the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire Tarnovo, saw and depicted three red lions passant painted on the round golden shields carried by the personal guards of Tsar Ivan Shishman (1371–1395). His manuscript is now kept in the National Library of Morocco.^[5] Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... Lord Marshal may refer to one of the following Lord Marshal of England Earl Marischal Lantmarskalk was the speaker of the Riksdag. ... Tsar Smilets of Bulgaria was married to Princess Maria of Byzantine. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Cyrillic: Ð’ÐµÐ»Ð¸ÐºÐ¾ Ð¢ÑŠÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¾, Great Tarnovo, also Veliko Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgarian was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and his second wife Theodora. ...

After 1396, when all Bulgarian lands were subjugated by the Ottoman Empire but the Bulgarian crown wasn't given to the Ottoman Dynasty formally, thе latter Bulgarian heraldic type as a sign of symbolically independent state was preserved in several European^[6] and Balkan^[7] collections of coats of arms. Gradually, new and in some cases quite different versions appeared, but the lion remained the most widespread heraldic symbol of Bulgaria and its rulers. In the Illyrian collection of Korenich-Neorich from 1595 the three walking lions, usual for some earlier Western Europe's collections, were replaced by one red lion rampant over golden crowned shield. In the beginning of the 18th century the Illyrian heraldist Pavao Ritter Vitezović in two editions of his heraldic collection from 1701 and 1702 reversed the colours of this type and thus the lion became golden and the shield dark red.^[8] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 380 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (550 Ã— 867 pixel, file size: 59 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Front cover of the Tarnovo Constitution. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 380 Ã— 599 pixelsFull resolution (550 Ã— 867 pixel, file size: 59 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Front cover of the Tarnovo Constitution. ... Front cover of the Tarnovo Constitution First page (in Russian and Bulgarian) The Tarnovo Constitution (Ð¢ÑŠÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ° ÐºÐ¾Ð½ÑÑ‚Ð¸Ñ‚ÑƒÑ†Ð¸Ñ) was the first constitution of Bulgaria. ... Motto Ø¯ÙˆÙ„Øª Ø§Ø¨Ø¯ Ù…Ø¯Øª Devlet-i Ebed-mÃ¼ddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital SÃ¶ÄŸÃ¼t (1299â€“1326) Bursa (1326â€“65) Edirne (1365â€“1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453â€“1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans - 1281â€“1326 Osman I - 1918â€“22 Mehmed VI... The Ottoman Dynasty (or the Imperial House of Osman) ruled the Ottoman Empire from 1281 to 1923, beginning with Osman I (not counting his father, ErtuÄŸrul), though the dynasty was not proclaimed until 1383 when Murad I declared himself sultan. ... Pavao Ritter VitezoviÄ‡ (January 7, 1652 â€“ January 20, 1713) was a noted Croatian writer, historian, linguist and publisher. ...

This variant was adopted by the famous painter Hristofor Zhefarovich in his Stemmatographia, printed in 1741. His version became the most influential among Bulgarian intellectuals and revolutionaries in the period of the national awakening of Bulgaria, when the lion was considered and widely used as a major national symbol.^[9] After the liberational Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) the coat of arms of Zhefarovich was laid in the base of the new state coat of arms, described in the Tarnovo Constitution of 1879 as follows: Dedication of Stemmatographia from Pavel NenadoviÄ‡ to Hristofor Zhefarovich Hristofor Zhefarovich (original Cyrillic Ð¥Ñ€Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¾Ñ„Ð¾Ñ€ÑŠ Ð–ÐµÑ„Ð°Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡ÑŠ; Bulgarian: Ð¥Ñ€Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¾Ñ„Ð¾Ñ€ Ð–ÐµÐ²Ð°Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ‡; Macedonian: Ð¥Ñ€Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¾Ñ„Ð¾Ñ€ Ð–ÐµÑ„Ð°Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñœ; Serbian: Ð¥Ñ€Ð¸ÑÑ‚Ð¾Ñ„Ð¾Ñ€ Ð–ÐµÑ„Ð°Ñ€Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ› and Hristofor Å½efaroviÄ‡) was an 18th-century South Slavic painter, engraver, writer and poet and a figure of the Illyrian movement. ... Bulgarian nationalism emerged in the early 19th century under the influence of western ideas such as liberalism and nationalism, which trickled into the country after the French revolution, mostly via Greece. ... It has been suggested that Romanian War of Independence be merged into this article or section. ... Front cover of the Tarnovo Constitution First page (in Russian and Bulgarian) The Tarnovo Constitution (Ð¢ÑŠÑ€Ð½Ð¾Ð²ÑÐºÐ° ÐºÐ¾Ð½ÑÑ‚Ð¸Ñ‚ÑƒÑ†Ð¸Ñ) was the first constitution of Bulgaria. ...

The type and the details regarding the state coat of arms were not described clearly and were not standardized by a special law. Because of this, for several decades they took different forms: lesser form; lesser form without supporters, compartment and motto, but covered with mantle from 1879 to 1880; greater form with supporters, bearing two national flags, compartment, motto and mantle from 1881 to 1927; middle form with supporters, compartment and motto from 1915 until 1918/20. Besides these there were different variations within these types. This perplexed situation was resolved by a special parliamentary commission, which sat after 1923. In 1927 it legitimated the middle form of the coat of arms, similar to these used as personal coats of arms by Bulgarian monarchs Ferdinand I and his son Tsar Boris III (1918–1943), but excluding all dynastic elements and preserving only the pure state symbolism.^[11] Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria (January 30, 1894 â€“ August 28, 1943), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver, son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following Bulgarias defeat in World War I. This was the countrys second...

Following 1944, new times began for the Bulgarian heraldry. In the communist era, the traditional type of coat of arms was replaced by the emblem, which preserved the golden lion rampant placed over a non-historically-justifiable oval azure field, but encircled by the ears of wheat, folded by banners, a gear-wheel, a five-pointed red star and some other elements. This composition was derived principally from the pattern of the emblem of the Soviet Union.^[12] After the breakdown of the totalitarian dictatorship in 1989 and several years of fierce partisan disputes, the traditional middle coat of arms from the period 1927–1946 was restored with some minor changes.^[13]

The crown on top of the shield, and thus upon the shielded lion, according to the Law for the coat of arms of the Republic of Bulgaria, is supposed to be not that of the last Bulgarian monarchy (1879-1946), but that of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396). This empire was established by the brothers Peter and Asen, after it was freed from Byzantine control in the end of the 12th century, and it was subjugated by the Ottomans in the very end of the 14th century. In fact it significantly differs from the crowns known from medieval portraits such as these from the Tetraevangelia of Tsar Ivan Alexander (1331–1371). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 (or 1422). ... --Duk 06:03, 18 May 2005 (UTC) Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Ivan Asen I (also Ioan Asen I, in English John Asen I), ruled as emperor (tsar) of Bulgaria 1189-1196. ... The Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion was a revolt of the Vlachs and Bulgarians living in the Byzantine Empire, caused by a tax increase. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Motto Ø¯ÙˆÙ„Øª Ø§Ø¨Ø¯ Ù…Ø¯Øª Devlet-i Ebed-mÃ¼ddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital SÃ¶ÄŸÃ¼t (1299â€“1326) Bursa (1326â€“65) Edirne (1365â€“1453) Constantinople (Ä°stanbul, 1453â€“1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans - 1281â€“1326 Osman I - 1918â€“22 Mehmed VI... A miniature from the Tetraevangelia depicting the tsar and the royal family The Tetraevangelia of Ivan Alexander or the Four Gospels of Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: Ð§ÐµÑ‚Ð²ÐµÑ€Ð¾ÐµÐ²Ð°Ð½Ð³ÐµÐ»Ð¸Ðµ Ð½Ð° (Ñ†Ð°Ñ€) Ð˜Ð²Ð°Ð½ ÐÐ»ÐµÐºÑÐ°Ð½Ð´ÑŠÑ€, transliterated as Chetveroevangelie na (tsar) Ivan Aleksandar) is a 14th-century manuscript of the Four Gospels in Middle Bulgarian prepared and illustrated during the rule... Ivan Alexander (Bulgarian: , transliterated Ivan AleksandÇŽr;[1] IPA: ), also known as John Alexander,[2] ruled as Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371,[3] during the Second Bulgarian Empire. ...

There is a very popular belief that the three lions represent the three major portions and historical regions of Bulgaria — Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia, which has no connection with the native historical tradition and the principles of heraldry. Moesia (Greek: , Moisia; Bulgarian: ÐœÐ¸Ð·Ð¸Ñ, Miziya; Serbian: ÐœÐµÐ·Ð¸Ñ˜Ð°, Mezija) is an ancient province situated in the areas of modern Serbia and Bulgaria. ... Thraciae veteris typvs. ...

References

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ...

Historical coats of arms

See also

Flag ratio: 2:3 The flag of Bulgaria consists of three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red. ...

External links

v • d • e

Coats of arms of Europe

Albania · Andorra · Armenia² · Austria · Azerbaijan⁴ · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus² · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia⁴ · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan¹ · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia¹ · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey¹ · Ukraine · United Kingdom · Vatican City Â·Â· Coats of arms of Europe Coat of arms of: Albania â€¢ Andorra â€¢ Armenia â€¢ Austria â€¢ Azerbaijan â€¢ Belarus â€¢ Belgium â€¢ Bosnia and Herzegovina â€¢ Bulgaria â€¢ Croatia â€¢ Cyprus â€¢ Czech Republic â€¢ Denmark â€¢ Estonia â€¢ Finland â€¢ France â€¢ Georgia â€¢ Germany â€¢ Greece â€¢ Hungary â€¢ Iceland â€¢ Ireland â€¢ Italy â€¢ Latvia â€¢ Liechtenstein â€¢ Lithuania â€¢ Luxembourg â€¢ Republic of Macedonia â€¢ Malta â€¢ Moldova â€¢ Monaco â€¢ Montenegro â€¢ Netherlands â€¢ Norway â€¢ Poland â€¢ Portugal... The coat of arms of the Republic of Macedonia is composed of a double bent garland of ears of wheat, tobacco leaves and poppy seeds, tied by a ribbon decorated with the pattern of a traditional Macedonian costume. ... The Coat of Arms of Montenegro was changed by an act of Parliament in 1993. ... Large Coat of Arms of Serbia Small Coat of Arms of Serbia The Coat of Arms of Serbia, adopted on August 17, 2004, is a replica of the coat of arms of the former ObrenoviÄ‡ dynasty (first adopted in 1882) and features the white bicephalic eagle of the NemanjiÄ‡ dynasty...

Dependencies, autonomies, and other territories
Abkhazia⁴ · Adjara² · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Åland · Azores · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gagauzia · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Jan Mayen · Jersey · Kosovo · Man, Isle of · Madeira⁵ · Nagorno-Karabakh² · Nakhchivan² · South Ossetia⁴ · Svalbard · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus^2, 3 A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Types of administrative and/or political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... The coat of arms of Abkhazia, an internationally unrecognized republic, was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of Abkhazia on 23 July 1992, after it declared its secession from Georgia. ... Georgias coat of arms was adopted on 1 October 2004. ... The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially known as... The Coat of arms of Ã…land features a gold red deer on a blue field. ... The Coat of arms of the Azores is supported by two chained black bulls, above a scroll with the text Antes morrer livres que empaz sujeitos. Coat of arms of Europe Albania Andorra Armenia2 Austria Azerbaijan4 Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus2 Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia4 Germany Greece Hungary Iceland... The Coat of Arms of Crimea is in use since 1992 and was officially adopted on April 21, 1999. ... The coat of arms of Moldova consists of a stylized eagle holding a cross in its beak and a sceptre and a branch in its claws. ... The Coat of Arms of Serbia was recommended for usage on August 17, 2004. ... The Coat of arms of Madeira reads the most beautiful and free islands in Portuguese. ... Coat of arms of Nagorno-Karabakh The coat of arms of Nagorno-Karabakh consists of an eagle wearing with an ornamented crown. ... The Coat of arms of Azerbaijan mixes traditional and modern symbols. ... Forms of the coat of arms On a red round escutcheon a golden snow leopard with black spots, walking on a golden ground, behind it seven silver mountains. ... Moldavian SSR coat of arms 1940-1991 The coat of arms of Transnistria is a remodeled version of the former Moldavian SSR coat of arms that was substituted by the internationally-recognized Moldovan government after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. ... TRNC Coat of Arms The Coat of Arms of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are styled closely on the arms of the Republic of Cyprus, except that the arms are not colored and that the 1960 was removed from the shield underneath the dove. ...

¹ Has significant territory in Asia. ² Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. ³ Only recognised by Turkey. ⁴ Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia. ⁵ Entirely in the African Plate, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. A transcontinental country is a country belonging to more than one continent. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ... The African plate, shown in pinkish-orange The African Plate is a tectonic plate covering the continent of Africa and extending westward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. ...

Contents