Flag and Coat of Arms (2/2): Saint George and the Eagle

Keywords: Ivan III Knowledgia religion symbol Yevgeny Ukhnalyov

When a country has its flag, it is not yet complete. A country also needs a coat of arms. This often features an animal: the Netherlands has the lion, France a rooster, New Zealand a kiwi (some tiny bird), the United States have an ordinary eagle. In Russia, it’s an eagle with two heads and three crowns, and a man on horseback who has just speared a dragon.

Two-headed eagle

East versus West or symbol of national schizophrenia, the Russian coat of arms has nothing to do with any of that. The two-headed eagle (also seen in Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro) was used in the Byzantine Empire (and even earlier) and expresses unity rather than contradiction or division. Plus, one head looking forward and one looking backward (or one up and one down) would never look as impressive. Today, the двуглавый орёл can be found in the logo of the Почта России (Russian Post), on coins (see Russian ruble), and at the entrance of the Winter Palace.

See

Почему поменяли орла на российских деньгах? (Михаил Советский, 2019, 12 mins)
Как одна монетка Золотой Орды может полностью изменить наш взгляд на историю России? (История. Интересно!, 2019, 10 mins)
Почему изменился орёл на российских деньгах? (Познавательное ТВ, 2019, 5 mins)
Двуглавый орел: история символа государственности (МИР 24, 2018, 3 mins)
Двуглавый орёл. Долгий путь (RuSovTv, 2018, 2 mins)

Check/read:

Why is the double-headed eagle Russia’s national symbol? (Russia Beyond, 2018)
Double-headed eagle / Двуглавый орёл (Wikipedia)
Russian heraldry (Qaz wiki)
Two-Headed Eagle (Hubert Herald)
Coat of arms of Russia / Coat of arms of Russia / Герб России (Wikipedia)
When the double-headed eagle became Russia’s coat of arms again (Парламентская газета)
Coat of arms of the Russian Empire (Wikipedia)

Why is the eagle so used on the Coats of Arms?
(Knowledgia, 2018, 2 mins)

What is the Meaning of the Two Headed Eagle?
(nickmariostories, 2017, 2 mins)

Saint George and the Dragon

On the shield (from the coat of arms of Moscow) is George of Cappadocia, killing (or, better maybe, who just killed) the dragon (or zilant). In England (where he has his own day on April 23 and is the mascot of Scouts), they call him Saint George. In Catalonia, he is known as Sant Jordi (Johan Cruijff’s son is named after him), and in Russia, his name is Святой Георгий. But he was (assumed that he really existed) from Cappadocia, which is in modern-day Turkey.

Besides this character known by several names, the story lends itself the story lends itself to different: good conquering evil, faith triumphing over heresy, or (closer to home) Slaying the Dragon Within us. You’ll find Saint George in tattoos, in a song by Toto, in art (by Raphael, Albrecht Dürer, and Salvador Dalí), and as a statue in Prague, Navarre, and Cluj-Napoca (Romania).

Watch:

Who was St George and why is he the patron saint of England? (Artnewsive, 2020, 2 mins)
Saint George and the Dragon – Into the Maw of Danger (Extra Credits, 2020, 7 mins)
Saint George and The Dragon | Story of Saints (Christian Kids TV, 2019, 8 mins)
George and the Dragon (Children Cinema, 2017, 2 mins)

Saint George killing the Dragon
(TransylvaniaNow, 2020, 2 mins)

Saint George and the Dragon – Dragon Myths
(Aspect History, 2018, 6 mins)

From Byzantium to Imperial Russia

Ivan III (of Moscow and of Russia, also known as the Great, or even the great and severe gatherer of the Russian lands) married Sophia Palaiologina (a niece of the last Byzantine emperor) and brought the two-headed eagle from Byzantium back home.

It later became the symbol of Imperial Russia (1721-1917). In various forms, it remained a key emblem until the hammer and sickle took over. The current version, restyled by Yevgeny Ukhnalyov (= Евгений Ухналёв, 1931-2015), has been official since 1993.

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