The coat of arms of Smolensk is the official heraldic symbol of the city of Smolensk, Smolensk region, Russia. A bird Gamayun on a sable cannon with an or gun carriage is depicted on an argent escutcheon. The coat of arms is embellished with a number of honourable decorations that depict the history of the city.
During the 15th to the 17th centuries, when Smolensk was contested between the Tsardom of Russia and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and subsequently the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the city's coats of arms were composed of a different set of elements. The first coat of arms of the city was approved in 1611, when Smolensk was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It depicted Archangel Michael trampling the serpent.
The origin of the modern coat of arms is uncertain. It was first documented in 1664 and has been consistently employed as a town, land and title coat of arms since that time. The coat of arms underwent a heraldic revision in 1727 by F. M. Santi, in 1780 by A. A. Volkov, in 1857 by B. K. Köhne (draft), and in 2001 by G. V. Razhnyov (current version).
The Smolensk coat of arms was used in the coat of arms of Smolensk Governorate, the coats of arms of most of its cities, and the coats of arms of Smolensk noble families. The emblem is currently present on the flag of Smolensk, the coat of arms of the Smolensk region, and on the coats of arms and flags of numerous municipalities that are geographically or historically linked to Smolensk or its citizens.
Description Description of the coat of arms of the Hero City Smolensk:
The certificate attesting to the entry of the coat of arms into the Matricula of the Russian Heraldic Collegium specifies that the colour of the cannon is diamond and that the motto is written in diamond letters on an argent ribbon.
This variant represents the full version of the coat of arms. In addition, there are two other versions: an abridged version, which is missing part of the details, and a small version, which is one shield. The standard for the coat of arms is its textual description (blazon), rather than a drawing, which, in strict compliance with the arrangement of armorial elements and figures, allows for the creation of artistic interpretations of the coat of arms that are equal in terms of the law.
Symbolism The cannon on the coat of arms of Smolensk is understood to symbolise the city's long and distinguished military history, its location near the border and the strength of its military defences.
The bird of paradise, Gamayun, is interpreted as a symbol of happiness and aspiration for it. It represents wealth, prosperity, and greatness; peace and rebirth after wars; aspiration to the highest ideals; "precious experience and culture of the people, allowing to look fearlessly into the future, to foresee it"; and warns of danger. Its symbolism is "both protection and rebirth," "allegory of the unity of the human mind, forces of nature, and elements." In certain heraldic sources, Gamayun is erroneously conflated with the phoenix, which is depicted as rising from the flames, symbolising eternal rebirth and renewal.
The argent (white) colour of the shield is traditionally associated with the western Russian lands. Furthermore, white is regarded as the highest colour in Christianity, representing military valour, peace, purity of aspirations, good neighbourliness and happiness.
The Monomakh's Cap serves to indicate that Smolensk was the capital of a Grand Principality and also to remind us of the reign of Vladimir Monomakh in the city. The scarlet banners, decorated with the monograms of Alexander I and the imperial crown, commemorate the valour of the city's inhabitants during the Patriotic War of 1812. The St. George ribbon serves to indicate that Smolensk is a fortress city that distinguished itself in battles. The golden five-pointed star indicates that Smolensk has been designated a Hero City. The ribbons of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st class attest to the city's honours.
The motto refers both to the moral strength of the Smolensk warriors and to the fortress wall of Smolensk. The curls of the ribbon on which the motto is inscribed symbolise loyalty to tradition.
Early Smolensk symbols In order to understand the historical evolution of the coat of arms of Smolensk, it is essential to examine the pivotal moments in the city's history that have shaped its symbolism. The first mention of the city dates back to 862. From 1127 onwards, it served as the capital of the Smolensk principality. In 1404, the process of integrating Smolensk into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was concluded. In 1514, it was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In 1611, Smolensk was annexed by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under their rule until 1654, when it finally became part of the Russian Tsardom. During the Russian Empire, the city served as the administrative centre of Smolensk Governorate. In Soviet times and in modern Russia, it is the administrative centre of the Smolensk Oblast.
Ancient seals
There is a certain connection between the princely seals and the city's coats of arms. The seals of the princes of Smolensk frequently depicted saints corresponding to their Christian names. For example, Vyacheslav Yaroslavich's (1054–1057) seal depicted Saint Mercurius. Rostislav Mstislavich's (1127–1167) depicted Saint Michael and Saint Theodore (in accordance with his father's name). Vladimir Rurikovich's (1214–1219) depicted Saints Demetrius of Thessaloniki and Basil of Caesarea (in accordance with his father's name). Mstislav Davidovich's (1219–1230) depicted Saint Theodore. Rostislav Mstislavich's seal (1230–1232) depicted Saints Boris and Gleb, Gleb Rostislavich's (1270–1277) - Saint Gleb, and Alexander Glebovich's (1297–1313) - Saint Alexander.
Additionally, a seal bearing the image of a beast (lion) to the left and the inscription "Grand Duke Fedor's seal" on the reverse is also known. A. B. Lakier posits that the shape of the lion with spread claws and its position of the tail, bent to the back, indicate a foreign origin for this emblem. Lakier attributed the seal to Mstislav Davidovich, who was baptised Fyodor (1219–1230). It is now believed to be the seal of Theodore Rostislavich (1279–1297).
Coats of Arms of Theodore Smolensky In the lists of Ulrich of Richenthal's Chronicle of the Council of Constance there are two coats of arms of "Duke Fedor of Smolensk in Red Rus" ("der Hertzog Fedur von Schmolentzgi in Roten Rüssen"), who arrived at the Council of Constance in 1414–1418 as part of a delegation headed by Kiev Metropolitan Gregory Tsamblak. It is commonly accepted that he was the son of Prince Yuri Svyatoslavich of Smolensk, who fled with his father to Moscow following the annexation of Smolensk to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1404. He served in Novgorod between 1406 and 1412. Subsequently, he "departed to Nemtsi," from which he could reach the cathedral. This version is corroborated by an inscription in the Augsburg edition of the Chronicle of 1536.
In the second manuscript edition of the Chronicle (the so-called "Constance Manuscript of the Chronicle") of 1464, both coats of arms are presented in a side-by-side format. The first coat of arms is a divided escutcheon, displaying a blue marching lion on or, and an or marching lion on blue. In the initial printed edition of the chronicle in 1483, only this coat of arms remains, accompanied by a clear signature above it: "von dem Durchleuchtigen Fürsten / Herzog Fodur von Schmolenzgen in Roten Reussen". This coat of arms is relatively underrepresented in Russian-language heraldic literature. Prince Fyodor Yurievich is also associated with the seal discovered in Torzhok, which depicts a beast on the left.The second coat of arms depicted in the Chronicle is a four-part shield. In the first and fourth quarters, an or greek cross on a red background is displayed. In the second and third quarters, an azure field is occupied by an argent eagle perched on the severed hind half of a yellow lion. The inscription above the second coat of arms is not entirely legible: "der Hertzog von Wissen Rüssen". The same coat of arms was printed as the coat of arms of the Smolensk land in the Polish Armorial by Mark Ambrosius in 1570 (at a time when Smolensk was already part of the Russian Tsardom). In modern literature, the assertion is made that the crosses on this coat of arms are white in colour, without citing the primary source. V. S. Drachuk proposes that the white crosses on the red field represent the religious Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of which Fyodor Smolensky may have become a member while residing abroad.
Early coats of arms A coat of arms of the Smolensk land, which shows a bear walking, is in both the 1430s Armorial Lyncenich, kept in Brussels, and the Codex Bergshammar armorial of the 15th century.In Bartosz Paprocki's armorial (1584), it is stated that the city of Smolensk, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as a number of other cities, usually used Pahonia on the flag with the coat of arms of the principality.A. Shalanda. Зямельныя гербы Вялікага княства Літоўскага, Рускага і Жамойцкага ў ХІV-ХVІІІ ст. // Герольд Litherland, No. 2, 2001. (in Belarusian) However, S. V. Dumin considered these data to be of questionable reliability. Pogonia is also depicted in proximity to Smolensk on a map of Russia and Siberia, created in Europe on the basis of Gerardus Mercator's map of 1554 and held in the Russian National Library.
In his manuscript (1464–1480), Jan Dlugosz provides a description of the coat of arms of Smolensk Land as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: on the argent feild, there is a red flag with three ends in column, the flagpole and the final in the form of a cross are golden. In the manuscript of the second half of the 16th century, from the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal in Paris, Dlugosz's description is accompanied by an illustration.In the 1584 , the coat of arms of the titular Smolensk Voivodeship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (at that time Smolensk was under the rule of the Russian Tsardom) is described. The shield displays a red flag (banner) with a handle, and on the banner is a grey shield with a golden rod (staff, beam) lying aslant, resembling in shape an ordinary rod. It is probable that this coat of arms is a development of the previous one. Its meaning and origin remain unknown. S. V. Dumin noted that although "a 'grey' field is not common in traditional heraldry, however, in provincial heraldry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth this colour is sometimes found in descriptions (particularly of family coats of arms)". He proposed that the field of the shield itself and the field of the shield placed on the flag could have been argent, but in this case the placement of the or staff on the argent field would contravene the rules of heraldry, so the "grey" colour could possibly have been black. The coat of arms of the Smolensk Voivodeship, decorated with a crown, is on display in the Senatorial and Embassy Halls of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. In the Embassy Hall, the coat of arms is displayed with other colours: a red shield with an argent flag, on which there is a red shield with an or beam.