Coat of Arms of Yoshkar-Ola: description, history, photo

The article describes how the coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola looks like, the history of its appearance and photo is given.

The main symbols of the coat of arms

Heraldry of many cities in Russia over time and historical events undergone many changes. But in fact all the modern symbols used in the arms of this or that city have a direct historical continuity from their predecessors. The coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola is no exception.

First appeared in 1781 and with time changed a lot, the modern look of the heraldry of the city acquired only in June 2011. But the main symbols of the city of Yoshkar-Ola, which have passed through several centuries, are:

• Elk;
• Tower crown;
• Mari ornament;
• Azure background.

Description of appearance

However, the modern coat of arms of the city of Yoshkar-Ola is strikingly different from the original. In the central part of the shield of a saturated azure color there is an image of a powerful adult moose of silver color. Brightly colored golden spots are prominent on the body of the animal, well-developed horns and hoofs. The shield crowns a five-crowned crown of gold color, into which the national ornament of scarlet-colored Marians is delicately interwoven.

History: what the first coat of arms looked like

However, elk was not always the main figure of the emblem of the capital of Mari El, although he was constantly there. Yoshkar-Ola, formerly known as Tsarevokokshaisk, acquired its first heraldry in 1781 by the decree of Catherine II.

The combat shield was divided into two parts. Above, a dragon of black color with a red feather was depicted on a white background, a golden crown on its head. From time to time this lizard has been considered a symbol of Kazan. The lower half of the coat of arms was occupied by a young elk on a blue background. The top confirmed the entry of Tsarevo Kokshaisk into the composition of Kazan, and the bottom spoke of the rich nature and fauna that gives the inhabitants food.

Period of the USSR

The coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola lasted for a long time, until the coming of Soviet power. This period was marked for the city by a change of name, and later heraldry. The emblem was officially changed in 1968 thanks to the efforts of a researcher of the local history museum N.V. Ivanova.

In the upper part of the shield on a white background appeared a gold inscription "Yoshkar-Ola". Ornament, which won the national pride of the inhabitants of Mari El, began to be located horizontally under the name. Below the shield was divided by flowers vertically in half: left - blue, and right - red. The color scheme reminds of the belonging of the Mari republic to the RSFSR. In the upper part of the color background in the center is a snowflake, the center of which is a gear, symbolizing the metalworking industry. Moreover, the snowflake is considered to be a direct symbol of the machine-building plant in the republic, and of course, the severity of the winter climate in the province. In the lower part of the shield is already the familiar figure of the noble and stately moose.

Last changes

Since October 28, 2005, the silver moose cow stands on the coat of arms of Yoshkar-Ola, photo of which is in the article. The azure background takes over. The shield crowns a five-crowned golden crown with a national ornament on the bottom. The authors of this emblem are the honored artist Mari El I.V. Efimov and his son, post-graduate student of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences P.I. Efimov.

Having deprived the moose of horns, the heraldists thereby emphasized the historical continuity from the original source. The fact is that at the very first coat of arms, adopted by Catherine II, the animal was more like a teenage litter, who had not had time to acquire horns. Well, and since June 22, 2011, the moose again returns to the heraldic shield of Yoshkar-Ola and remains the main one on it to this day. This animal was chosen as the emblem of the city for nothing, as it symbolizes strength, prosperity and nobility, and at the same time points to the natural wealth of the city and the whole region.