The story of Russian crest

Nowadays we don’t pay a lot of attention on heraldry instead it we are interested in brands  and  logos, but the thing is that visual part of today worlds can’t introduce the real meaning of what it is showed, however heraldry can make impression of the power and influence of the country, by the way arms could be changed with the changing of country’s ability.

In 1800, Emperor Paul I, became Grand Master of the Order of Malta set out to reflect the new influence of the Russian Empire in heraldry and instructed to proceed to the development of so-called full coat of arms of the Empire. Updated arms with «The Maltese motives,» the king was approved December 16, 1800.

After the «upgrade» of the composition emblem quite different. State eagle was placed in the center on a shield with three imperial crowns on a gold field, with gold scepter and orb in its claws. On the breast of the eagle in the shield depicted St. George and around the central emblem — eight crowned shield with Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Kazan, Astrakhan, Siberia, Taurian crest and coat of arms of the Duchy of Holstein — coat of arms of his father Paul, Emperor Peter III. It was first incorporated in the Russian coat of arms emblem territory, not part of the Russian Empire. Other space is a great main shield divided thirty-three fields in which order to follow His Majesty\’s titles. Thirty-fourth coat was listed Sovereign Order of St.. John of Jerusalem. Large shield resting on the Maltese cross, surmounted by a golden crown. 

The arms had all the attributes adopted in Western heraldry: the shadow of the state, flags, etc. Supporters However, the «full coat» has remained on paper. A few months later Paul I was murdered in a palace coup, and Alexander I decided to limit the status of the emperor, abandoning dignity Maltiyskokgo Master of the Order. Of course, the «Maltese» in the new coat of arms lost their logic base and empire, without regret, returned to the old, «incomplete», the coat of arms. Well, heraldic experiments of Paul I, we can now evaluate scrolling through the «Manifesto of the full coat of arms of the Russian Empire», a unique document that completely describes frustrated emblem of Russia.