Coat of arms of Smolensk

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-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: "On the background of a golden five-pointed star there is an argent escutcheon with a sable cannon with an or gun carriage and a bird Gamayun. The shield is crowned by the cap of Monomakh. On the sides of the shield there are two straight gules banners connected by the St George's ribbon. On the banners - the monogram of Emperor Alexander I, decorated with the imperial crown and the chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Under the shield there are the ribbons of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st class, intertwined with an argent (white) ribbon with the motto "GLORIFIED BY STRENGTH"."

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 XV century.Among the documents in the file on the nobility of the Przysiecki family, who in the 17th century owned estates in the Smolensk Voivodeship, there is a document issued on 19 March 1668 by the Smolensk standard-bearer Y. A. Khrapovitsky. The seal is inscribed in Polish with the words "Seal of the Smolensk Voivodeship" and depicts a crowned shield bearing a stylised, close to the common nobility crown Iberian style escutcheon of the bend on the right. The escutcheton is surrounded by decorative leaves (palm branches). In accordance with the hypothesis put forth by S. V. Dumin, the coat of arms depicted on this seal may be associated with the coat of arms of the Smolensk Voivodeship, which features a rod. This could have undergone a transformation, evolving from a rod to a bend, or conversely, the bend could have been erroneously interpreted as a rod.

Hypotheses of origin
The modern coat of arms of Smolensk, which depicts the mythical bird of paradise Gamayun sitting on a cannon, is reliably known from the second half of the 17th century, when Smolensk became part of the Russian Tsardom (1654). It is important to note, however, that the name Gamayun is not mentioned in all sources of heraldry. Instead, it is often simply referred to as the bird of paradise. In the earliest representations of the bird, it is depicted as legless and sometimes also wingless.

There is no data on the origin of the bird of paradise depicted on a cannon on the Smolensk coat of arms. It can be assumed that the cannon symbolises the border position of Smolensk, the frequent sieges in the 14th-17th centuries and the strong armament of the city fortress. The bird on the cannon could be interpreted as a warning of the approaching enemy. The word Gamayun is a distortion of the name of the eastern mythical Huma (Homa) Bird, which, according to numerous legends and beliefs, was able to foretell the chosen person of dominion. This is quite an apt symbolism for the coat of arms. Since 1992, the Huma Bird has been depicted on the coat of arms of Uzbekistan.

Some Russian Empire heraldists attempted to elucidate the leglessness of the bird depicted on the Smolensk coat of arms through the lens of the historical confrontation between the Russian Tsardom and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth over Smolensk. According to A. B. Lakier, Smolensk could have been perceived by these states as a "coveted and unattainable object," akin to a mythical bird of paradise. The leglessness was perceived by him as "shooting" of the gamayun, which was nevertheless obtained by Russian arms. According to P. P. Winkler, the Gamayun is a symbol of Poland, whose legs were shot off by a Russian cannon.

According to modern ideas about the origin of the mythical image of the bird Gamayun, its leglessness arose as a result of the prevailing misconception in the XVI-XVIII centuries about the leglessness of representatives of the biological family of birds of paradise living in New Guinea. They were described in Russian books as follows: "with a majesty greater than a sparrow, a tail of seven spans, legs and wings [they] do not have."

Н. A. Soboleva draws attention to the similarity of the paradise bird Gamayun on the early Smolensk coat of arms with the images of paradise birds in European emblem books, including in the Symbola et Emblemata commissioned by Peter the Great in 1705. The images are accompanied by such mottos as Semper Sublimis, Terrae commercia nescit, Altiora petit, Nil terrestre. The image of a cannon is also quite typical. On one of the emblems there is even a bird - an eagle; this image was used as the coat of arms of Voronezh in the 1730 . In addition, N. N. Speransov claimed in 1974 that the cannon with the bird of paradise was displayed on the banners of Smolensk regiments at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, without citing any sources. In contrast, G. B. Karamzin also provided an unsubstantiated account in 1961, stating that the Smolensk regiments at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 had red banners with white crosses.

The resemblance between the coat of arms and a cannon, and the coat of arms of Fyodor of Smolensk with a bird and half of a lion, is noteworthy. V. K. Lukomsky, V. S. Drachuk and G. V. Razhnyov proposed that the latter coat of arms may have been distorted due to religious considerations: allegedly the Catholic Church "for many years called cannons an instrument of the devil and officially cursed them",   and the image of the bird Gamayun was inappropriate as it originated from the image of the "Muslim" mythical Huma bird. There is a hypothesis about the origin of the princely coats of arms from personal princely seals of the Western type, the choice of which was accidental and had nothing to do with local tradition. As for the Smolensk coat of arms, S.N. Troinitsky and V.B. Shklovsky assumed its origin from a deformed ancient gem (carved stone) depicting a winged phallus used as a princely seal, which could be misinterpreted as a cannon with a bird sitting on it. This hypothesis was challenged by V.K. Lukomsky and O.Y. Neverov.

In a collection of business papers of the XVIII-XIX centuries, presented by I.V. Pomialovsky at the end of the XIX century to the Society of Lovers of Ancient Writing and published in 1892, there are panegyrics, supposedly translated into Russian in 1682 from the Polish book The Golden Nest. According to them, when Prince Gleb Svyatoslavich received permission from the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas to reign in Smolensk (1392), he "takes a crown on his house kleinot, shows his great birth, under the crown of the gamayun on the gromada [cannon], perched, the magnanimity of their favours of the Smolensk princes having expressed, as the gromada zuk [rumble, noise] its sound everywhere undresses so also the princedom of Smolensk everywhere glorifies, .... the seal of the princes of Smolensk". G. V. Razhnyov placed considerable trust in this report and considered the date of creation of the Smolensk coat of arms to be 1392. However, a number of researchers, starting with S. N. Troinitsky, did not attach significant importance to these verses. Some doubted the very fact of the presence of cannons in Smolensk at the end of the XIV century, but it seems that this was a reasonable assumption. The assumption of S. N. Troinitsky is that the cannon on the coat of arms of Smolensk could be a specific Smolensk cannon with the name "Gamayun." At that time, cannons were often named in honour of real and mythical animals. For example, the 6-pound Gamayun cast by Martyan Osipov on 29 July (8 August) 1690, which is currently located by the building of the Kremlin Arsenal, depicts a bird, which resembles bird Gamayun from the early images of the Smolensk coat of arms. In this context, Y. L. Vorotnikov observed that, thereby, we have a somewhat genuine image of the Smolensk coat of arms.

In Russian Tsardom
Nevertheless, the earliest authentic mention of the Smolensk emblem is the seal of the Principality of Smolensk (titular), with the signature "bird gam[ayun]", attached to the letter of Prince Fyodor Kurakin to Prince Nikita Ivanovich Odoyevsky and his companions from Smolensk from 28 June (8 July) 1664. This letter concerns the sending to them of two robbers – Don Cossacks. Subsequently, the coat of arms of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which was used between 1666 and 1678, incorporates the Smolensk coat of arms. The cannon on it is depicted without a gun carriage.

In the Russian Empire
Between 1724 and 1727, F. M. Santi, a fellow of the Master Herold, was engaged in the process of standardising the symbols of Russian cities and regions in accordance with the prevailing European heraldic standards. He distributed a questionnaire to the towns, requesting that they provide descriptions of local features and coats of arms, if any. On 26 September 1725, the Smolensk provincial chancellery replied, enclosing a drawing signed "Seal of the Tsar's Majesty of the Principality of Smolensk" and depicting a cannon with a legless bird of paradise perched upon it, accompanied by the inscription "Bird of Gamayun". Prior to his removal from office and subsequent exile, Santi was able to collate a series of drawings and descriptions of 30 emblems, including the Smolensk emblem: "The field of argent or white has a cannon on a black machine, shackled with gold, ... over that cannon is flying the bird of paradise." In 1730, the Smolensk emblem, executed by Santi, was included in the officially approved Emblem Armorial, intended for the manufacture of banners of regiments, which were assigned to certain cities and named in their honour. Description of the Smolensk coat of arms: "The cannon is black, the machine is yellow, on the cannon is a yellow bird without legs, the field is white - as made by Santii". The cannon, which had previously been oriented to the left (to the right of the viewer), was turned by Santii in the opposite direction in accordance with heraldic rules. The coat of arms was an oval shield encircled by curls and surmounted by a princely crown, thereby signifying that Smolensk was the capital of a Grand Duchy.

In the USSR
Given that the Smolensk coat of arms lacked both monarchical and religious symbols, there were no impediments to its utilisation during the Soviet era. The shield was frequently depicted in red. It is notable that several original free images were made, for example, on the front curtain of the Smolensk Drama Theatre by artist M. M. Tarayev in 1983, where the bird resembles Pegasus; or on the dish Coat of Arms of Smolensk by V. A. Gorodnichev of the Dulyovo porcelain works in 1989, where the composition is turned towards the viewer, and Gamayun is depicted with a woman's face and breasts and half-open wings.

Establishment of the current coat of arms
In the post-Soviet Russia, the question of the revival of city coats of arms emerged. In accordance with the Smolensk City Council's decision of 27 April 2001, "On the Coat of Arms of the Hero City of Smolensk", since, according to the recommendations of the State Heraldry under the President of the Russian Federation, the city coats of arms approved before 1917 remained in force, the city's coat of arms was not restored to its former form, but rather a historical coat of arms was created, taking into account the rules of heraldry and the city's new merits to Russia. The author of the monograph Coat of Arms of Smolensk (1993), G. V. Razhnyov, was responsible for the compilation of the coat of arms.

According to the explanatory note to the coat of arms, in accordance with the 1857 decree on the design of the city coat of arms, Smolensk, as a fortress city whose defenders showed heroism in battles, had the right to place on the escutcheon two red banners decorated with the monograms of those whose rule distinguished the fortress. In 1609-1611 the defence of Smolensk was led by Mikhail Shein, and in 1812 Russia was ruled by Alexander I. Both monograms are situated within the chain of the Order of St. Andrew. As an honorable exception to the rule, the former capital of the Grand Duchy and the city where Vladimir Monomakh himself ruled is granted the privilege of displaying the cap of Monomakh on the escutcheon of the coat of arms, which is crowned with the cap. The coat of arms is displayed on a golden five-pointed star, which is a distinctive and exclusive privilege reserved for the hero cities. In accordance with the established conventions of Russian heraldry, under the escutcheon are the city's honours, represented by a ribbon of the Order of the Patriotic War I degree and a ribbon of the Order of Lenin.

A novel element in the coat of arms of the city is the motto, which, in heraldry, is traditionally regarded as a symbol of honour, the high position of the coat of arms owner, solemnity and, as Y. V. Arsenyev posits, "an adventitious sign of luxury." The text of the motto is a quotation from M.I. Kutuzov's address to the inhabitants of Smolensk in 1812. Another source indicates that the term "glorified" (восславлен) is derived from A. S. Pushkin "as more euphonious than 'renowned'"(прославлен). In selecting a motto, G. V. Razhnyov aimed to ensure that it met the following criteria:

"To be extremely brief, but expressive, concise and multivalent in content, reinforcing the symbolism of the coat of arms, giving it even greater grandeur, pathos and poetry. It is these requirements and meet the sublime and poetic words of the motto: "GLORIFIED BY STRENGTH". The motto is also perfect from the pictorial point of view, as its two words by the number of letters are absolutely symmetrical, having nine letters each, which gives the coat of arms additional decorativeness. On the one hand, the word "fortress" reminds of the fortress of morale of Smolensk soldiers, which they have repeatedly demonstrated in battles (the army of Mercury of Smolensk, Smolensk regiments in the Battle of Grunwald, the Battle of Poltava, Suvorov's Alpine campaign, in 1812 and other battles). On the other hand, Smolensk has been famous as a fortress city since ancient times. The Smolensk Fortress Wall, built by the whole of Russia, has become an unofficial symbol of Smolensk, its unofficial shrine, a source of pride for all Smolensk residents."

The monogram "Sh," which denotes Mikhail Shein, is depicted on one of the two banners on the original drawing of the coat of arms prepared by G. V. Razhnyov. This monogram was mentioned, probably erroneously, in the explanatory note to the coat of arms of 2001. Subsequently, the second monogram of Alexander I replaced it on the coat of arms. The image in the 2001 decision, the official description from the same year, the certificate of inclusion of the coat of arms in the Matricula of the Russian Heraldic Collegium, and the coat of arms submitted for examination to the Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation all provide evidence of the coat of arms in question. It seems probable that the monogram of Shein was replaced, as on the banners in question, only monograms of emperors should be displayed: XXVII. Consequently, between 1610 and 1612, there was no tsar in Russia.

Additionally, there is a critical perspective on the contemporary large coat of arms of Smolensk. E. V. Pchelov observes that the combination of monarchical symbols (historical coat of arms, Monomakh's cap, banners with monograms of Alexander I) and Soviet symbols (the Gold Star of the Hero-City, ribbons of Soviet orders) is a prevalent motif in modern Russian heraldry. However, this combination gives rise to a "creepy 'centaur'", a metaphorical representation of the incongruity between the two symbol sets.

On other symbols
Until a certain point in Russian heraldry, city coats of arms were not distinct from those of territorial units with their centre in the city. Consequently, the symbol of Smolensk was simultaneously that of the titular Smolensk principality, and since 1780 – that of the Smolensk Viceroyalty (Smolensk Governorate). In 1856, a separate coat of arms was adopted for Smolensk Governorate.

On 10 (21) October 1780, the coats of arms of the towns of the Smolensk viceroyalty were officially adopted. In accordance with the prevailing conventions of the period, the Smolensk coat of arms was positioned in the upper section, with an individual element displayed in the lower section. The exceptions to this rule were the coats of arms of the ancient towns of Vyazma and Dorogobuzh.

In 1857, Emperor Alexander II approved the original system of decorations for city coats of arms, developed by B. K. Koehne, the head of the Coat of Arms Branch of the Department of Heraldry. In accordance with this scheme, new coats of arms were designed for the towns of Smolensk Governorate. The coat of arms of the province was no longer to occupy the entire upper part of the shield, but rather to be placed in its free part. All the towns received the same type of decorations for their coats of arms: an argent tower crown with three prongs as a symbol of a district town and two golden spikelets as a symbol of the predominance of agriculture in the province, connected by the Alexander (red moiré) ribbon, which was reminiscent of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, which was also used to honour civilian service to the Fatherland. The designs for the coats of arms were approved on 30 January 1859, but for various reasons were not published at the time or sent to the relevant locations, remaining unknown. The documents are currently held in the Russian State Historical Archive.

Following the fall of the Russian monarchy, the Smolensk emblem continued to be used as the titular coat of arms of the Principality of Smolensk, initially on the great (full) coat of arms of the Russian Empire. In the project of the Full coat of arms of the All-Russian Empire of Paul I in 1800, the following description is provided: "This coat of arms contains in a silver field black on green ground standing cannon, lying on the carriage, on which stands the Bird of Paradise". The titular coats of arms were officially approved by Emperor Alexander II on 11 (23) April 1857. The description of the Smolensk coat of arms is as follows: "In a silver field, a black cannon; the carriage and wheels in a golden frame; on the fuse, a bird of paradise".