Image of the national emblem

The National Emblem of Belarus (Belarusian: Дзяржаўны герб Рэспублікі Беларусь, Russian: Государственный герб Республики Беларусь), which replaced the historic Pahonia arms in a 1995 referendum, features a ribbon in the colors of the national flag, a map of Belarus, wheat ears and a red star. It is sometimes referred to as the coat of arms of Belarus, although this is incorrect due to the lack of several heraldic elements. The emblem is an allusion to the one used by the Byelorussian SSR, designed by I.I. Dubasov in 1950. Emblems reminiscent of the times of the Soviet Union are also used by the nations of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and the region of Transnistria. Image File history File links LinkFA-star. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Pahonia (Belarusian: , translated as Chase) is a historical symbol of Belarus. ... May 14, 1995 Belarus Referendum required the population of Belarus to vote on four issues: About the state status of Russian language About economical integration with Russia About the introduction of new national symbols About the Presidents right to dismiss the Parliament, if the latter violates the Constitution The... The current national flag of Belarus was formally changed on June 7, 1995, following the result of a referendum voted on by the Belarusian people in the previous month. ... Red star on the Soviet flag The five-pointed red star (a pentagram without the inner pentagon) is a symbol of Communism and Socialism and represents the five fingers of the workers hand, as well as five of six inhabited continents. ... 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. ... Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. ... State motto: Belarusian: Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Minsk Official language Belarusian, Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until January 1, 1919 December 30, 1922 August 25, 1991 Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 6th in the USSR 207,600 km² negligible Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 5th in the USSR... For the region during the Second World War, see Transnistria (World War II). ...

Description

The emblem on a bulding in Minsk

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (1840 × 1232 pixel, file size: 723 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Coat of arms of Belarus. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (1840 × 1232 pixel, file size: 723 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Coat of arms of Belarus. ...

Design

In the center of the emblem sits a green outline of Belarus, superimposed over the rays of a golden sun. The sun is partially covered by a globe, with the landmass (part of Eurasia) in purple and waters in blue. Lining the left and right sides of the emblem are stalks of wheat, superimposed with flowers. Clovers adorn the left wheat stalks; flax flowers adorn the right. Wrapped around the wheat stalks is a red and green ribbon bearing the colors of the flag of Belarus; the ribbon meets at the base of the emblem, where the name Republic of Belarus (Рэспублiка Беларусь) is inscribed in gold in the Belarusian language. At the top of the emblem rests a five-pointed red star. The designer of the emblem is not known.^[1] For other uses, see Eurasia (disambiguation). ... Species See text Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trifolium Clover (Trifolium) is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family Fabaceae. ... For other uses, see Flax (disambiguation). ... The current national flag of Belarus was formally changed on June 7, 1995, following the result of a referendum voted on by the Belarusian people in the previous month. ... The Belarusian or Belorussian language (беларуская мова, BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: bjelaruskaja mova) is the language of the Belarusian people and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, Poland. ... Red star on the Soviet flag The five-pointed red star (a pentagram without the inner pentagon) is a symbol of Communism and Socialism and represents the five fingers of the workers hand, as well as five of six inhabited continents. ...

Symbolism

The elements that make up the state emblem are not tied to any "official" symbolism. It has been suggested that the emblem signifies the "historical adherence of the Belarusian people to constructive labor, their faith in the triumph of justice, and attainment of a worthy place in the world community."^[2] The design of the emblem of the Byelorussian SSR was used as the basis for the current Belarusian emblem; the primary difference between the two is that the Byelorussian SSR emblem contains certain references to Communism, such as the Communist symbol of hammer and sickle, which the modern emblem does not. Belarusians or Belarusans (Belarusian: , previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorussians) are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus and form minorities in neighboring Poland (especially former Bialystok province), Russia, Lithuania and Ukraine. ... State motto: Belarusian: Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Minsk Official language Belarusian, Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until January 1, 1919 December 30, 1922 August 25, 1991 Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 6th in the USSR 207,600 km² negligible Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 5th in the USSR... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... For other uses, see Hammer and sickle (disambiguation). ...

Legislation

Belarusian passport bearing the state emblem on the left

The current law regulating the design and use of the Belarusian emblem was passed on July 5, 2004. Article 9 of Chapter 3 of Law No. 301-3 begins by describing the official drawing of the Belarusian arms and regulates on its proper design. Officially, the arms can be drawn in full color, monochrome or using two colors. Article 10 states that the national emblem must be displayed at specified locations on a continual basis, such as the residences of the Belarusian leader, the chamber of the National Assembly and at governmental offices of national and regional levels. The emblem can also be used on documents issued by the government, including money, passports and official letterheads.^[3] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 562 pixelsFull resolution (865 × 608 pixel, file size: 168 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) First pages of a Belarusian passport scanned by me. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 562 pixelsFull resolution (865 × 608 pixel, file size: 168 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) First pages of a Belarusian passport scanned by me. ... Cover view of a passport. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A photograph of a sign in grayscale The same photograph in black and white Monochrome comes from the two Greek words mono (μωνο, meaning one), and chroma (χρωμα, meaning surface or the color of the skin). A monochromatic object has a single color. ... History of Belarusian states can be traced far to Duchy of Pólacak. ... The National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus is the bicameral parliament that governs the Eastern Europe country of Belarus. ... For other types of travel document, see Travel document. ... Letterhead is a group of sign and decorative artists that meet during the year for hand lettering rallies and to exchange lost tricks of the trade and accumulated skills. ...

The law also restricts the use of the emblem in other contexts — e.g. cities, towns or oblasts may not adopt a coat of arms or emblem using the national emblem either completely or in part. Furthermore, organizations not listed in the Law about State Symbols may only use the emblem by permission. The emblem can be used by both foreigners and citizens of Belarus, as long as the symbol is displayed with respect, although citizens may not use the state emblem on letterheads or business cards if they are not agents of the government.^[3] This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In addition to standard usages listed in the law, the emblem has been used in various other circumstances. The emblem is displayed, along with the national flag, at the beginning and the end of a video clip with the Belarusian anthem My Belarusy, regularly played on Belarusian TV. Another use of the emblem is on ballot boxes and campaign mailings used during national and local elections. The emblem also appears on Belarus's border posts.^[4] The Belarusian flag My Belarusy (Belarusian: Мы, беларусы, We Belarusians) is the unofficial title of the national anthem of Belarus and the first line of its lyrics. ... “TV” redirects here. ...

History

Pahonia

Main article: Pahonia

The Pahonia as it appeared in 1991

Until replaced in a controversial referendum in 1995, the country used the historic coat of arms, the Pahonia. Commonly translated as the Chase, the Pahonia features an armored knight on a white (silver) horse holding a silver sword in his right hand above his head. The charging knight carries a silver shield, charged with a yellow patriarchal cross, on his left arm. The Pahonia (Belarusian: , translated as Chase) is a historical symbol of Belarus. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Pahonia (Belarusian: , translated as Chase) is a historical symbol of Belarus. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Patriarchal cross The Patriarchal cross is a variant of the Christian cross, the universal religious symbol of Christendom. ...

The Pahonia was used as an official coat of arms on several occasions, with the first being used from 1366 as the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as the personal arms of Algirdas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The arms continued to be used until Belarus and Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1795, though the arms was incorporated into the Imperial coat of arms.^[5] The idea of return to the historic national symbol was pursued by Belarusian poet Maxim Bogdanovich in his poem "Pahonia". After the annexation, the Pahonia was incorporated into the Russian Imperial arms. The arms was again used in 1918 when the short-lived Belarus National Republic used the Pahonia as part of their emblem. More recently, the Pahonia was the official coat of the arms starting in 1991, when Belarus declared itself independent of the Soviet Union. Since it was dropped as the official emblem of Belarus, opposition groups such as the Belarusian People's Front have used the Pahonia as part of their own party symbols or used them as a form of protest against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.^[6] The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian: , Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Å»amojckaje, Belarusian: , Ukrainian: , Polish: , Latin: ) was an Eastern and Central European state of the 12th[1] /13th century until the 18th century. ... Columns of Gediminas Algirdas (approximate English transcription [ˈaːl(É™).gır. ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... Maxim Bogdanovich Maxim Bogdanovich (Belarusian: Максiм Багдановiч; 1891, Minsk — 1917, Yalta) was a Belorusian poet. ... National motto: None Official language Belarusian Capital Minsk, Currently in Exile Chairperson of the Rada Ivonka Survilla Independence  - Declared  - Forced into Exile Treaty of Brest-Litovsk March 25, 1918 January 5, 1919 The Belarusian National Republic (Belarusian: Белару́ская Н&#1072... Belarusian Peoples Front Revival or BPF (Belarusian: Беларускі Народны Фронт Адраджэньне, БНФ, BieÅ‚aruski Narodny Front AdradžeÅ„nie) is a political party created in Belarus during the perestroika times. ... Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko or Alyaksandar Ryhoravich Lukashenka (Belarusian: , Russian: ) (born August 30, 1954 at Kopys, Vitebsk voblast) has been the President of Belarus since 1994. ...

Byelorussian SSR

1919 emblem

1937 emblem

1950 emblem

From 1920 until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Byelorussian SSR used an emblem instead of a coat of arms. The first emblem used by Soviet Byelorussia was adopted in 1919 and is similar to the contemporary insignia of the Russian and Ukrainian republics. The central part of the emblem is a stylized red shield, showing a golden sun rising from the base. Above the sun is a crossed golden hammer and sickle, symbolizing unity between workers and peasants. Above the hammer and sickle, the letters Б.С.С.Р are shown in black, denoting the name of the republic. БССР (BSSR) is an abbreviation for the full name of the republic; "Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка", the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic. The shield is framed by ears of wheat meeting at the its base and featuring a red ribbon inscribed in black with the state motto of the Soviet Union, "Workers of the World, Unite!" The text is written in the Belarusian language.^[7] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... State motto: Belarusian: Пралетарыі ўсіх краін, яднайцеся! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Minsk Official language Belarusian, Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until January 1, 1919 December 30, 1922 August 25, 1991 Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 6th in the USSR 207,600 km² negligible Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 5th in the USSR... For other uses, see Hammer and sickle (disambiguation). ...

In 1937, this emblem was replaced by a new one, removing the shield and including more text. The right side of the emblem features oak leaves and the left features wheat ears with clovers placed on top. In the center of the emblem, a sun is rising behind a profile of Earth. A hammer, sickle and red star appears over the sun. Around the ears of wheat and leaves of oak is a red ribbon, featuring the phrase "Workers of the World, Unite!" written (from left to right) in Belarusian, Yiddish, Polish and Russian. The initials Б.С.С.Р are shown at its base denoting the name of the republic. Ten years before in 1927, the arms was the same except for the wording on the bottom ribbon. Instead of the letters reading БССР, the letters read "С.С.Р.Б," which stood for the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belarus.^[8] 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 (from Latin oak tree), and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ...

This emblem was in turn replaced by a new one in 1950. The central feature of this symbol is a crossed hammer and sickle, a universal Communist symbol symbolizing the unity of workers and peasants. Below this symbol, a sun is shown rising behind a globe. The insignia is framed by ears of wheat, each ear ending in flowers; clover on the left and flax on the right. A red ribbon is wrapped around the ears of wheat, reminiscent of the red flag used by the Communist movement. The base of the emblem shows the letters БССР. The ribbon features the phrase Workers of the World, Unite! The left side inscribed in Belarusian, the right side in Russian. The red star of Communism is featured above the hammer and sickle. The 1950 version was designed by I.I. Dubasov, a People's Artist of the USSR.^[8] For other uses, see Hammer and sickle (disambiguation). ... Species See text Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trifolium Clover (Trifolium) is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the pea family Fabaceae. ... For other uses, see Flax (disambiguation). ... Historically, and most generally, the red flag is an international symbol for the blood of angry workers. ... The Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union, with the slogan emblazoned on the ribbons The political slogan Workers of the world, unite!, (German: Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt euch!) one of the most famous rallying cries of socialism, comes from Karl Marxs and Friedrich Engelss The Communist... Maria Yermolova, first Peoples Artist of the Republic (1920). ...

1995 referendum

Main article: 1995 Belarus Referendum

On May 14, 1995, a referendum was conducted in all regions of Belarus. Out of a four questions, one was the following: "Do you support the introduction of the new national symbols?" With a voter turnout of 64.7%, the new state symbols were approved by a ratio of 3:1 (75.1% to 24.9%). The way the referendum was carried out was heavily criticized by the opposition, including the exact wording of the question about the national insignia.^[9] Since more than a third of all voters did not participate in this referendum, only 48.6% of the total electorate positively approved of the new emblem. This number has been cited by some, criticizing that a majority of the electorate has not approved the new insignia.^[10] Supporters of the Pahonia also criticise that the Pahonia and the former white-red-white flag were compared with Nazi symbols in the run-up to the vote.^[11] The comparison was made due to the white, red, white flag and Pahonia being used on the patches and symbols of the Belarusian Central Rada, the Belarusian government under the control of Nazi Germany. Alexander Lukashenko claimed the selection of the Soviet-inspired symbols as a victory, especially to his Great Patriotic War veteran base, by saying '"we have returned to you the flag of the country for which you fought. We have returned to you both memory and a sense of human pride.^[12] May 14, 1995 Belarus Referendum required the population of Belarus to vote on four issues: About the state status of Russian language About economical integration with Russia About the introduction of new national symbols About the Presidents right to dismiss the Parliament, if the latter violates the Constitution The... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... National symbols are symbols of any entity considering itself and manifesting itself to the world as a national community (independent states, but also nations and countries in a state of colonialor other dependence, (con)federal integration, even an ethno-cultural community considered a nationality despite the absence of any political... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

References

Screenshot of the Flags of the World website Official flag Flags of the World (or FOTW) is the Internets largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 217th day of the year (218th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Coat of arms of Lithuania
• Belarusian heraldry
• List of Belarusian Coats of Arms

Vytis. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The following list is the various emblems and coat of arms used by the country of Belarus. ...

External links

• President of the Republic of Belarus Official description of the National Emblem of Belarus
• (Russian) 2004 Law on the National Symbols of Belarus
• (Russian) 1995 Law on the National Emblem of the Republic of Belarus
• (Russian) Brief history of Belarusian symbols
• (Russian) Heraldicum - Emblems of the Republic of Belarus