Flag and the coat of arms of Karelia

The Republic of Karelia is a part of the Russian Federation and is located in the north-western part of the country. What is depicted on the flag and the coat of arms of Karelia? What is the significance of these heraldic symbols?

Flag of the Republic

Hymn, flag, emblem of Karelia are official symbols of the Republic. The flag and coat of arms were approved in 1993, although they were formed long before that. The flag of the Republic consists of three broad horizontal bands. The first band is red, then the blue one, and then the green one.

Red color means courage, strength of Karelians, as well as the main color used in folk embroidery. Green together with the blue symbolizes Karelian nature. Blue is water in lakes and at the same time a sign of purity and greatness. Green means faith and hope, and is also a symbol of the dense forests of the republic.

The modern flag of Karelia is a compromise variant between the flag of the Karelian-Finnish SSR of 1940 and 1953. The early version of the flag was completely red, with a sickle and a hammer in the upper corner. The late version consisted of three actual colors, only the upper red band was twice the size of the blue and green.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union on the choice of the flag of Karelia, discussions were held. One option was the flag of 1920, with a red-black cross on a green background, which was a symbol of the republic during the Finnish occupation.

The choice was based on the modern version of the flag, which does not give advantages to any ethnos of Karelia, but it remains connected with the history of the region.

The coat of arms of Karelia: history

The first Karelian coat of arms appeared in 1562. He portrayed the long struggle between Russia and Sweden for the possession of the territories of Karelia. On its semicircular shield, a crown was depicted, under which two hands point the sword and sword at each other.

The new coat of arms of Karelia was approved in 1920 as a symbol of the Ukhta Independent Republic. A bear with a Karelian cleaver in its paws was depicted on the shield of a red-green color. There were torn chains at the feet of the bear. The coat of arms of Karelia did not last long (until 1922).

Until 1937 the coat of arms and the flag of the republic were absent, and after that the period of Soviet heraldry began. In these years there is a coat of arms of Karelia with a sickle and a hammer in the center of the composition. Above the shield is a red star, and on its sides are ears.

From 1937 to 1991, the coat of arms periodically changed. The star in his head then appeared, then disappeared. The inscriptions on the stamp shield changed. In 1940, the changes were most radical. The composition was made in brown, not red. Under the sickle and hammer on the shield the Karelian landscape was represented. Bundles of ears on the sides braided ribbon with national red and white embroidery.

The modern coat of arms of the Republic of Karelia was approved in 1993. Its author is Yuri Nivin.

Description and symbols

The coat of arms is rounded to the bottom and bordered by a golden stripe. The composition of the shield consists of three horizontal stripes, the colors of which correspond with the colors of the flag. In the middle is a black bear, standing on its hind legs. The bear is turned sideways, its red tongue is pushed out of its mouth.

Bear has long been a symbol of the Finns and Karelians and one of the main folklore characters of these peoples. A similar figure of the "forest beast" was on the coat of arms of the Ukhta republic in 1920.

Above the shield of arms is an eight-pointed star of gold color. She has many meanings. The main ones are the indication of the way and eternity, abundance and hope. The eight-pointed star is an amulet, so it is often found in motifs of embroidery of northern peoples.

On both sides the shield is supported by stylized images of pine and spruce branches - symbols of Karelian forests, as well as greatness and wealth, since they are executed in gold.