Modern emblem of Moscow

The Coat of Arms of Moscow depicts a horseman with a spear in his hand slaying a dragon. The horseman is often informally identified with Saint George. The heraldic emblem of Moscow has been an integral part of the Coat of Arms of Russia since the 16th century. Its three colours – blue, red, and white – are believed to have inspired the colours of the Flag of Russia. Download high resolution version (532x631, 153 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (532x631, 153 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Government Russia District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuri Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... Chinese dragon, colour engraving on wood, Chinese school, 19th Century A dragon is typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile, with magical or spiritual qualities. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... Coat of Arms of Russian Federation. ... Flag of the Russian Federation The flag of Russia is a tricolour of three equal horizontal fields, white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. ...

Pre-Muscovite Russia

The emblem had its origins in a Byzantine tradition of depicting a patron saint of the ruling monarch on his seal and coins. Yaroslav the Wise was the first Russian ruler whose patron saint was Saint George. Accordingly, he built several cities and churches in the name of that saint. In several forms of the church of Christianity, but especially in Roman Catholicism, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... Yaroslav I the Wise (978?-1054) (Christian name: Yury, or George) was thrice prince of Novgorod and Kiev, uniting the two principalities for a time under his rule. ...

Saint George was also the patron saint of his great grandson, Yury Dolgoruky, who founded the city of Moscow. Yury is thought to have honored his patron saint on his coins which represent a standing warrior holding a sword in his right hand. Monument to Yury Dolgoruky in Moscow. ...

For some reasons not completely understood, Yury's elder brother, Mstislav the Great, started to use a seal featuring a horseman slaying a dragon. According to some, this might have been a reference to St. George as the patron saint of England, since Mstislav's maternal grandfather was the last Anglo-Saxon king of that country, Harald II. Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great (Мстислав Владимирович Великий in Russian) (June 1, 1076 — April 14, 1132), Grand Prince of Kiev (1125-1132), the eldest son of Vladimir Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... Harold Godwinson, or Harold II of England (c. ...

A century later, Alexander Nevsky resumed this usage. A lot of his coins depict a horseman slaying a dragon, though the latter is not always visible. Alexander's motivation for reverting to Mstislav's emblem is disputed. It is possible that the image referred to his own victories over the Swedish and German crusaders in the Battle of the Neva and Battle of the Ice. Statue in Pereslavl, just in front of the cathedral Alexander was baptised in. ... The Battle of the Neva (Невская битва in Russian, or Nevskaya bitva), a Swedish armies on the Neva River on July 15, 1240. ... The Battle of the Ice also known as the Battle on Lake Peipus or the Battle of Lake Peipus (Russian: Ледовое побоище, German: Schlacht auf dem Peipussee, Estonian: Jäälahing), took place in 1242. ...

Muscovite Russia

Alexander's great grandson, Ivan II, was the first ruler of Moscow to employ as his emblem the standing warrior with a sword in his hand. Ivan's son Dmitry Donskoy chose to represent this warrior riding a horse with a spear in his hand. Historians traditionally connect Dmitry's symbol with his victory over the Mongols in the Battle of Kulikovo, although historical clues are scarce. At about the same time, a similar symbol, the Pahonia, emerged as a state emblem in the rival Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Ivan II Ivanovich the Beautiful (Иван II Иванович Красный in Russian) (March 30, 1326–November 13, 1359) was a ruler of Moscow (1353–1359). ... Grand Prince (Velikiy Kniaz) Dmitri Ivanovich Donskoi (Дмитрий Донской, in Russian) (October 12, 1350 - 1389) was a Russian ruler (1359 - 1389). ... The Mongols are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China. ... Single combat of Peresvet and Temir-murza. ... The Pahonia (Belarusian: , translated as Chase) is a historical symbol of Belarus. ... The presumable banner of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the coat of arms, called Пагоня in Belarusian, Vytis in Lithuanian and PogoÅ„ in Polish Another version of the Lithuanian banner The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos Didžioji KunigaikÅ¡tystÄ—, Belarusian: Вялі́кае Кня́ства Літо́ўскае (ВКЛ), Ukrainian: Велике Князівство Литовське (ВКЛ), Polish: Wielkie KsiÄ™stwo Litewskie) was an...

Modern statue of St. George and the Dragon on Poklonnaya Gora.

Whatever the meaning of Dmitry's emblem, there is no reason to suppose that the dragon symbolised Islam and the horseman stood for Christianity, as some modern interpreters suggest, demanding to remove the symbol from the Coat of arms of Russia for neutrality's sake. Image File history File links Poklonka_tsereteli. ... Image File history File links Poklonka_tsereteli. ... Night view of the hill from Kutuzov Avenue. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ...

The symbol of the horseman slaying the dragon passed down through the generations: from Dmitry to his son Vasily I, then to Vasily II and Ivan III. A coin which featured the image became known as kopeck, from kopyo, the Russian word for "spear". Basil I (known as the Macedonian, 811 - 886), Byzantine emperor, was born to a family of Armenian (not Slavonic) descent, settled in Macedonia. ... Painting of Basil II, from an 11th century manuscript. ... Albus rex Ivan III Ivan III Vasilevich (Иван III Васильевич) (January 22, 1440 - October 27, 1505), also known as Ivan the Great, was a grand duke of Muscovy who first adopted a more pretentious title of the grand duke of all the Russias. Sometimes referred to as the gatherer of... 1998 Russian Federation one rouble coin. ...

Ivan III used the triumphant horseman as a state emblem of Russia on his seal from 1479. In 1497, it was replaced with the double-headed eagle, popularly interpreted as a symbol of Ivan's marriage into the last ruling dynasty of the East Roman Empire, thus illustrating his claim to the Byzantine political and cultural heritage. Two-headed eagle emblem of the Byzantine Empire. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ...

Both emblems had been used on state seals alternatively until 1562, when the first Russian tsar, Ivan the Terrible, combined them by placing a heraldic shield with the triumphant horseman to the chest of the double-headed eagle. This layout has become known as the Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire and then of the Russian Federation. Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), often spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is the official Slavonic title designating Emperor in the following states: Bulgaria in 913–1422 (for later usage in 1908–1946, see below) Serbia in... Ivan IV (August 25, 1530–March 18, 1584) was the first ruler of Russia to assume the title of tsar. ...

Imperial Russia

At first the charging horseman was interpreted as showing the figure of the ruling tsar slaying an enemy intruding into the Russian lands. This attitude was clearly expressed by the Muscovite statesman Grigory Kotoshikhin, among others. On the title page of the 1663 Bible the heraldic horseman appears to have the face of Tsar Alexis. Manuscript of Kotoshikhins book Grigory Karpovich Kotoshikhin (Григорий Карпович Котошихин in Russian) (c. ... Alexey Mikhailovich Romanov (In Russian Алексей Михаилович Романов) (March 9, 1629 (O.S.) - January 29, 1676 (O.S.)) was a Tsar of Russia during some of the most eventful decades of the mid-17th century. ...

Relief above the entrance to the Tretyakov Gallery.

The foreigners visiting Muscovy were the first to notice the emblem's resemblance to the traditional iconography of Saint George and the Dragon. Although during Peter I's reign the horseman was still represented with a crown and his face bore some resemblance to Peter's, this Westernizing monarch was the first to identify the heraldic horseman as St. George. Saint George versus the dragon St. ... Portrait of Peter by Paul Delaroche Peter I (Russian: Пётр I Алексеевич or Pyotr I Alekseyevich) (Peter Alexeyevich Romanov) (9 June 1672–8 February 1725 [30 May 1672– 28 January 1725 O.S.] [1]) ruled Russia from 7 May (27 April O.S.) 1682 until his death. ...

A learned Italian heraldist in Peter's service, Count Santi, associated the horseman with St. George as the patron saint of the prince who founded Moscow. In 1730, Santi prepared the first detailed description of the heraldic emblem of Moscow, which, drawing on the traditions of Western heraldry, named the horseman as St. George. In Santi's version of the emblem, set against the red field appears a white knight riding a silver horse and charging with his spear against a black dragon reminiscent of Zilant, a heraldic symbol of Muslim Kazan. With several minor modifications, this emblem was officially confirmed in 1781, during Catherine II's municipal reform which involved standardization of the municipal heraldry. Coat of arms of Kazan guberniya (1730). ... Kazan (Russian: ; Tatar: Qazan, Казан) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russias largest cities. ... Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from June 28, 1762, to her death on November 6, 1796. ...

In 1883, it was decided to bring the colours of Moscow's emblem in line with the three colours of the Flag of Russia. The colour of the dragon was changed from black to white and the horseman's cloak was altered from gold to azure. These colours do not appear to correspond to the colour scheme traditionally used in Russian icons depicting Saint George and the Dragon. In 1903, the ancient colour scheme was revived by painter Viktor Vasnetsov in his design of the Tretyakov Gallery facade, whose entrance also displays a large effigy of St. George and the Dragon. Flag of the Russian Federation The flag of Russia is a tricolour of three equal horizontal fields, white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. ... Self-portrait 1873 Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов) (May 15 (N.S.), 1848—1926) was a Russian artist who specialized in mythological and historical subjects. ... Portrait of Pavel Tretyakov (1883) The State Tretyakov Gallery is the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. ...

20th century

A modern statue at the Manege Square.

After the Russian Revolution, the heraldic symbols of Imperial Russia were banned. On September 22, 1924, the Moscow Soviet adopted a new emblem of Moscow which featured a red star, sickle and hammer, and the Revolution Monument in Moscow. The Soviet emblem failed to gain popularity, however, and was used but seldom. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the heraldic representation of Moscow reverted to the version used between 1883 and 1918, with some minor modifications. The Manege Square in 2002. ... Russian Revolution can refer to the following events in the history of Russia: The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a series of strikes and anti-government violence against Tsar Nicholas II The Russian Revolution of 1917, which included: February Revolution, which resulted in the abdication of Nicholas II of Russia... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Hammer and sickle on the Soviet flag, together with the Red Star The hammer and sickle is a symbol used to represent Communism and Communist political parties. ...

As the Russian Orthodox Church doesn't allow the sculptural representations of saints, no statues of Saint George and the Dragon were erected in Moscow prior to the Revolution. After the emblem was restored on November 23, 1993, a cluster of statues on the subject were unveiled in Poklonnaya Gora, Tsvetnoi Boulevard, Manege Square, and other places in Moscow. Most of these were sculpted by Zurab Tsereteli, who also had other versions of the subject installed in such cities as New York. The Russian Orthodox Church (also known as the Orthodox Catholic Church of Russia) (Русская Православная церковь) is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ... November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 38 days remaining. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Night view of the hill from Kutuzov Avenue. ... The Manege Square in 2002. ... Zurab Tsereteli (left) with Eunice Kennedy Shriver Tseretelis 96-meter-tall statue of Peter the Great on the Moskva Riverbank is one of the tallest in the world. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ...

Online references

• (Russian) Coat of arms of Moscow: History and pictures
• (Russian) Coat of arms of Moscow: History and pictures