Coat of Arms of Russian Federation. Adopted on December 20, 2000 by the Federal Constitutional Law

The Russian Coat of Arms comes from the old Russian Empire, and it was restored after the fall of the Soviet Union. Even if it has undergone several modifications since the reign of Ivan III (1462-1505), the current Coat of Arms is directly derived from the various precedent versions. The general chromatic layout corresponds to the early XVth century standard. The shape of the eagle can be traced back to the times of Peter the Great (Peter I). Image File history File links Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Russian_Federation. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Russian_Federation. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... Anthem: God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first)  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq... 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... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ... Peter the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov (Russian: Пётр I Алексеевич Pyotr I Alekséyevich) (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, jointly ruling before 1696 with his weak and sickly...

Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, 1882

The two major symbolic elements of Russian state symbols (the two-headed eagle and St. George slaying the dragon) predate Peter the Great. The Great State Seal of Ivan III, Duke of Moscow, featured a horse rider slaying a (or struggling with) a dragon. The figure was not officially identified as Saint George until 1730, when it was described as such in an Imperial decree. The older form (a mounted dragon slayer known as Saint George the Victory-bearer, "Победоносец") was always associated with the Grand Duchy of Moscovy, later becoming the official arms of the city of Moscow. The earliest graphic representation of a rider with a spear (1390) figures in a seal of the prince of Moscow, Vasiliy Dmitriyevich. The serpent or dragon was added under Ivan III. Saint George henceforth became the patron of Moscow (and, by extension, of Russia). Today, the official description does not refer to the rider on the central shield as representing Saint George, mainly in order to maintain the secular character of the modern Russian state. Image File history File links Image taken from http://www. ... Image File history File links Image taken from http://www. ... Anthem: God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first)  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq... Seal on envelope A seal is an impression printed on, embossed upon, or affixed to a document (or any other object) in order to authenticate it, in lieu of or in addition to a signature. ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2007)    - Density 10,469,000   9684. ... Saint-George is a municipality with 695 inhabitants (as of 2003) in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. ... For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ... Saint Basils Cathedral and Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin at Red Square. ... Modern emblem of Moscow The Coat of Arms of Moscow depicts a horseman with a spear in his hand slaying a dragon. ... Vasiliy I Dmitriyevich (Василий I Дмитриевич in Russian) (1371 – February, 1425), Grand Prince of Moscow since 1389, oldest son of Dmitri Donskoi and Grand Princess Eudoxia - daughter of the Grand Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich of Nizhny Novgorod. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

The double-headed eagle was adopted by Ivan III after his marriage with the Byzantine princess Sophia Paleologue, whose uncle Constantine was the last Byzantine Emperor. The double-headed eagle was the official state symbol of the late Byzantine Empire, spanning both East and West. It, amongst other aspects, symbolized the unity of Church and State. After the Fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, Ivan III and his heirs considered Moscovy (Moscow) to be the last stronghold of the true, orthodox, Christian faith, and in effect, the last Roman Empire (hence the expression "Third Rome" for Moscow and - by extension - for the whole of Imperial Russia). From 1497 on the double-headed eagle proclaimed a Russian sovereignty equal to that of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. The first remained evidence of the double-headed eagle officialised as an emblem of Russia is on the great prince's seal, stamped in 1497 on a Charter of share and allotment of independent princes' possessions. At the same time the image of gilded double-headed eagle on red background appeared on the walls of the Palace of Facets in the Kremlin. Two-headed eagle emblem of the Byzantine Empire. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Zoe Palaiologina (Greek Ζωή Παλαιολόγου, Russian Софья Фоминична Палеолог, around 1455 - April 7, 1503), Grand Duchess of Moscow, was a niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI and second wife of Ivan III of Russia. ... Constantine XI Paleologus (sometimes numbered Constantine XII or Constantine XIII), also known as Constantine Drageses, (February 8, 1404 - May 29, 1453) was the last reigning emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 1449 to his death. ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Constantine XI†, Loukas Notaras, Giovanni Giustiniani†[1] Mehmed II Strength 5,000 Greek militia soldiers plus 2,000 Italian mercenaries [2] 80,000[1] - 150,000[1] Casualties Most of Greek defenders, some mercenaries[3], approximately 4,000 civilians[4] unverified The Fall of... Coat of arms of the last imperial dynasty of the Eastern Roman Empire. ... The Holy Roman Empire should not be mistaken for the Roman Empire (31 B.C.–A.D. 476). ... The Palace of the Facets (Грановитая Палата) is part of what is now known as the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. ... Moscow Kremlin in the 19th century. ...

Central element of the Great Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, 1882

Under the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Feodorovich, the image of the coat of arms changed. In 1625 the double-headed eagle was adorned with three crowns for the first time. Through time, the latter have alternatively been interpreted at the conquered kingdoms of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia, or as the unity of Grand Russia (Russia), Little Russia (today's Ukraine) and White Russia (Belarus). Today, the imperial crowns stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia both as a whole and in its subdivisions (republics and regions). The orb and sceptre are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power and autocracy. It has been decided to retain them in the modern Coat of Arms of Russia despite the fact that the Russian Federation is not a monarchy, which led to objections by the Communists. However, after having lost both the blue band of the Order of St. Andrew supporting the three crowns and the corresponding Chain surrounding Moscow's shield, the modern Coat of Arms of Russia was (re-)instated by decree in 1993, and the corresponding law act was paraphed by President Vladimir Putin on December 20, 2000. Image File history File links Russian Empire Emblem Taken from http://geraldika. ... Image File history File links Russian Empire Emblem Taken from http://geraldika. ... Anthem: God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Saint Petersburg Language(s) Russian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721-1725 Peter the Great (first)  - 1894-1917 Nicholas II (last) History  - Established 22 October, 1721  - February Revolution 2 March, 1917 Area  - 1897 22,400,000 km2 8,648,688 sq... The House of Romanov (Рома́нов, pronounced ) was the second and last imperial dynasty of Russia, which ruled the country for five generations from 1613 to 1761. ... Mikhail at the Ipatiev Monastery by Grigory Ugryumov Mikhail Feodorovich Romanov (In Russian Михаи́л Фёдорович Рома́нов) (July 12, 1596 – July 13, 1645) was the first Russian tsar of the house of Romanov, being the son of Feodor Nikitich Romanov, afterwards the Patriarch Filaret, and Xenia (of disputed family), afterwards the great nun Martha. ... Kazan (Russian: ; Tatar: Qazan, Казан) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russias largest cities. ... Astrakhan coat of arms features the Khans crown and a sabre Astrakhan (Russian: ; Tatar: Ästerxan), a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. ... Siberian Federal District (darker red) and the broadest definition of Siberia (red) arctic northeast Siberia Udachnaya pipe Siberia (Russian: , Sibir; Tatar: ) is a vast region of Russia constituting almost all of Northern Asia and comprising a large part of the Euro-Asian Steppe. ... Danish globus cruciger. ... Collar and Breast Star of the Order of St. ... A shield is a protective device, meant to intercept attacks. ... Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is the incumbent President of Russia. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Flag of Russia

Flag of the Russian Federation. ...

External links

• (Russian) Federal Constitutional Law about the State Coat of Arms of Russian Federation
• (Russian) Official Coat of Arms Rendition in GIF format