The coat of arms of Sevastopol: photo, history and description. Flag and the coat of arms of Sevastopol

Each city has its own coat of arms and a flag. Together with the anthem they form the three main symbols of the city community. Of course, there are they and the city-hero of Sevastopol. When was the first coat of arms of Sevastopol approved? What kind does he have now? And what does the city flag look like? Answer all these questions in our article.

Sevastopol: briefly about the city

Sevastopol is a city on the Black Sea coast, in the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula. A major European port, an important cultural and recreational center. He wears the proud title of the city-hero.

Deep into the city is the Sevastopol Bay, on the south side of which is located the historical center. By the way, this bay is one of the most convenient in the world for calling vessels. The total length of the coastline of Sevastopol is 150 kilometers. On the territory of the city, three of the five most full-flowing rivers of the Crimea flow. They are Belbek, Kacha and Chernaya.

The city is home to about 390 thousand people, the vast majority - Russian (81%).

Sevastopol is a tourist and resort town. There are several dozens of boarding houses and children's camps, about 80 hotels and more than two hundred guest houses. Vacationers can choose one of the many beaches, the total length of which within the city limits is almost 50 kilometers. Developed in Sevastopol and yacht tourism.

Among Sights of the city, Sapun Mountain, the panorama "The Defense of Sevastopol", the city zoo, the Monument to the Scuttled Ships and others are among the most popular. In the vicinity of modern Sevastopol, the ruins of the ancient Chersonesos were preserved. The complex of monuments of this object is today under the protection of UNESCO.

Symbols of the city: flag, emblem and hymn

The flag, coat of arms, as well as the hymn of the city - this is primarily his business card. However, they also laid the historical heritage of the city, the heroic pages of his biography.

The coat of arms is the key symbol of any settlement. This is a special symbolic image that is created on the basis of certain rules and can serve as a distinctive sign not only for the city, but also for the region, a particular kind or institution. Any coat of arms, as a rule, reflects the history of the village, its natural-geographical or economic features. There is even a special science that studies image data - heraldry.

Of course, Sevastopol has its own coat of arms and a flag. At the same time, they also have their own history and symbolic meaning.

So, the flag and the coat of arms of Sevastopol - what are they? Read about it in the following sections of the article.

The coat of arms of Sevastopol: the history of the creation of the first variant

As early as 1892, discussions began on the need to create a coat of arms for the city. Soon the Department of Geroldia developed a project that the Duma approved without hesitation. This event happened in 1893. What did the city's first coat of arms look like?

Sevastopol is an ancient port city. These two of his features were best represented in his first coat of arms (pictured below).

For the basis was taken a shield of red color, which depicted a beautiful silver griffin. And his language and eyes were vividly accented. It is important to note that the griffin originally served as a symbol of the ancient Chersonesos. Inhabitants of the ancient policy considered him to be their amulet and protector.

The first coat of arms of Sevastopol also included the coat of arms of the Tauride province, to which the city belonged administratively. He was placed in the free part of the design sheet. And right above the griffin was placed the golden royal crown, crowned with the traditional eagle of the empire. On the coat of arms, you can also see images of anchors (a hint at the peculiarities of the geographical location of the city) and red banners connected by the St. George ribbons.

This coat of arms of Sevastopol (version of 1893) once took its rightful place among the best works in the emblem of the Russian Empire. He was impeccable both from the artistic and from the heraldic point of view. In this form it existed until 1968, after which it was substantially changed.

By the way, the first coat of arms of Sevastopol today can be seen on the bridge that connects the city embankment with the Primorsky Boulevard.

But what happened to the fate of this symbol next?

Coat of arms of Sevastopol: photo and description of the modern version

As already mentioned above, under Soviet power, the main symbol of the city has been substantially modified. How does the modern coat of arms of Sevastopol look like?

The description is as follows: on the shield of the French type there are two iconic objects for the city - the "Gold Star" and the Monument to the Scuttled Ships. Both of them embody the spirit of heroic defense of the city from the conquerors. The shield itself is diagonally divided into two halves - white and blue. The choice of colors is not accidental: the first symbolizes the white-stone city of Sevastopol, and the second - the Black Sea surrounding it. Both parts connect the golden laurel branch - as a symbol of the continuous historical connection between the past, the present and the future.

The authors of this project were artists N. Krylov and S. Shakhunov. The coat of arms was approved in 1969 and is the official symbol of the city until our days. Another (unofficial) variant of the coat of arms is also distributed, which is additionally decorated with a ribbon of St. George.

Flag of Sevastopol: description and history

The flag of Sevastopol is another official city symbol. Its modern appearance was approved relatively recently - in April 2000 - by the decision of the City Council.

What does the flag look like?

It is represented by a standard rectangular cloth (2: 3) of burgundy color, in the central part of which is placed the official coat of arms of Sevastopol (described in the previous section). In width, it takes 2/5 of the total width of the flag.

New project of city flag and coat of arms

In February 2015, one of the deputies of the City Council (AV Kovshar) submitted a bill on changing the main symbols of Sevastopol - the flag and the coat of arms. In particular, it was proposed to return to the original version of the coat of arms of 1893, but with some changes. On its basis, it was planned to create a new flag.

It is curious that the sketches even passed the corresponding expertise in the Heraldic Council and were recommended for approval as official symbols for Sevastopol. However, in October of the same year, this bill was withdrawn by its immediate initiator.

Finally...

The flag and the coat of arms of any city are not just his business cards. This is something more. After all, city symbols reflect in themselves the spiritual heritage of all previous generations, do not allow the city to lose its connection with its past.

The first coat of arms of Sevastopol (the photo with its image is presented in this article) was adopted back in 1893. Today, another is being used, and discussions about the feasibility of a return to the historical version are continuing.