Flag and Emblem (2/2): Saint George and the Eagle

Topics: cities and country  history 
Keywords: symbol  religion  Knowledgia  Yevgeny Ukhnalyov  Ivan III 

Every country has a flag and a coat of arms. The Netherlands has a lion, France has a rooster, New Zealand has a kiwi, and the United States has a bald eagle. In Russia, it’s an eagle with two heads and three crowns, and a man on a horse who has just killed a dragon with a spear.


Eagle

East versus West or symbol of national schizophrenia, it’s not about 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

See/read:



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



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



Saint George and the Dragon

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

Besides his name, the story itself is also open to multiple interpretations: the 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 statues in Prague, Navarre, and Cluj-Napoca (Romania).


See:

See/read:



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



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



History

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.

See:

See/read:



History of the Russian coat of arms
(Geography 28, 2017, 2 m)

From the same channel:




Drawing and Singing

With respect to Рисуем всё (2016, 5 m) and Sergei Volchkov (= Сергей Волчков).



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Flag and Emblem (2/2): Saint George and the Eagle

Country
Every country has a flag and a coat of arms. The Netherlands has a lion, France has a rooster, New Zealand has a kiwi, and the United States has a bald eagle. In Russia, it’s an eagle with two heads and three crowns, and a man on a horse who has just killed a dragon with a spear.

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