UKRAINE

 

 

HISTORY

 

HERALDRY

 

People’s Republic

Sovjet Republic

Ukraine

Former and Present Territorial Divisions

Bucovina

Cernigov

Cherson

Galicia

Kiev

Krim

Podolsk

Volinsk

Zakarpattia

 

Kievan Rus’

 

At the beginning of the ninth century a Swedish adventurer, Rurik, founded a settlement at Lake Ladoga. He was the founder of the Gardarike, the later Empire of Novgorod and the ancestor of the House of Rurik that would rule in Russia until the 16th century.

The son of Rurik, Igor, settled at the middle course of the Dnjepr at the confluence of the Desna and founded the city of Kånugard or Kiev in 882. Around this settlement an empire developed which was extended by the successors of Igor until it reached from the Wolga in the north to the Dnjestr in the south. 

The first prince from the House of Rurik using a personal emblem was Svyatoslav I the Conqueror. He is said to have had banners decorated with a trident. A coin of him and a bone plaque ascribed to him however show quite clearly a bident.

 

Coin of Svyatoslav I, dated 972

 

Bone plaque ascribed to Svyatoslav I or Yaropolk

Found in Fort Sarkel (Belaja Wezi-(Wolgograd))

 

 

Rulers of Kiev

House of Rurik

Oleg

893-924

Igor I

924-945

Svyatoslav I

945-972

Yaropolk I

972-978

St. Vladimir I

978-1015

Svyatopolk I

1015-1019

Yaroslav I, the Wise

1019-1054

Izyaslav I

1054-1068

Vseslav

1068-1069

Izyaslav I

1069-1073

Svyatoslav II

1073-1076

Vsevolod I

1076-1077

Izyaslav I

1077-1078

Vsevolod I

1078-1093

Svyatopolk II

1093-1113

Vladimir II Monomakh

1113-1125

Mstislav I

1125-1132

Yaropolk II

1132-1139

Vyacheslav

1139

Vsevolod II

1139-1146

Igor II   

1146

Izyaslav II

1146-1154

Izyaslav III

1154-1155

Yurii I Dolgorukii

1155-1157

Izyaslav III

1157-1158

Mstislav II

1158-1159

Rostislav I

1159-1161

Izyaslav III

1161

Rostislav I

1161-1167

Mstislav II

1167-1169

Gleb

1169-1171

Confusion and Civil War until

Mongol Conquest 1240

House of Romanovic

1245-1365

House of Jagiello

1365-1572

House of France

1573-1586

House of Transylvania

1575-1586

House of Sweden

1586-1648

Zaporozhian Host

1650-1667

House of Romanov

1667-1917

Republic

1917-present

 

Reverse of srebrenik of Vladimir the Great (958-1015)  now in the Odessa Numismatics Museum.

Vladimir's effigy on one of his coins. He is crowned in the Byzantine style, holding a cross-mounted staff in one hand and holding a trident in the other.

 

Such personal emblems, which we shall call a trizub even when many of them have little of a trident, were also used by the successors of Svyatoslav. From the end of the 10th century until the reign of Mstislav I the emblem indeed had the form of a trident which has given rise to many hypotheses of its meaning and origin:

“A trident was the symbol of Poseidon, the sea god of Greek mythology. It has been found in different societies, such as the Bosporan Kingdom and the Pontic Kingdom, the Greek colonies on the Black Sea (see Ancient states on the northern Black Sea coast), Byzantium, Scandinavia, and Sarmatia, and has been used in various ways: as a religious and military emblem, a heraldic symbol, a state emblem, a monogram, and simply a decorative ornament. The oldest examples of the trident discovered by archeologists on Ukrainian territory date back to the 1st century AD. At that time the trident probably served as a symbol of power in one of the tribes that later became part of the Ukrainian people.” [1]

Another hypothesis for example was that this form was a monogram of the word ‘Vladimir’. [2]

After the middle of the 12th century the form of the trident was abandoned.

The trident was stamped on the gold and silver coins issued by Prince Volodymyr the Great (980–1015) and was passed as a kind of dynastic coat of arms to his sons, Sviatopolk I (1015–19) and Yaroslav the Wise (1019–54)

The trident was stamped on the gold and silver coins issued by Prince Volodymyr the Great (980–1015) and was passed as a kind of dynastic coat of arms to his sons, Sviatopolk I (1015–19) and Yaroslav the Wise (1019–54)

Vladimir Svyatoslav (970 ca)

Sviatopolk (1000 ca)

 

The trizub appeared not only on coins but also on the bricks of the Church of the Tithes in Kiev (986–96)

Iziaslav Yaroslavych (1054–78), Sviatopolk II Iziaslavych (1093–1113), and Lev Danylovych (1264–1301) used the bident as their coat of arms. The trident continued to be used by some ruling families as a dynastic coat of arms until the 15th century. It is on the tiles of the Dormition Cathedral in Volodymyr-Volynskyi (1160), and the stones of other churches, castles, and palaces. It was also used as a decorative element on ceramics, weapons, rings, medallions, seals, and manuscripts. Because of its wide use in Kyivan Rus’ the trident evolved in many directions without losing its basic structure. Some of the variations include the bident, the trident with a cross on one of the arms or at the side, and the trident with a half-moon. The trident was also used as a religious symbol in Ukrainian folklore and church heraldry.

Almost 200 medieval variations on the trident have been discovered. [3]

 

In 989 Prince Voloymyr was baptised and as a consequence his subjects also became christians. Monasteries and churches were built and apparently patron saints were adopted. This can be seen on a relief from a church dedicated to St. Demetrios of Thessalonike which was founded by Izyaslav I (Demetrius) (1054-’78). This represents St. George and St. Theodore, the patron saints of the Church of Rome and of Byzantium, each slaying a dragon, symbol of paganism.

This introduced national symbols besides the earlier personal symbols of the princes of the Kievan Rus’.  

 

The Saints George and Theodore slaying dragons

Kievan Rus’ mid 11th-early 12th century (112 Î 218 cm) [4]

 

The idea was also adopted on the seal of Mstislav the Great. This shows also a saint spearimg a dragon, but it may depend from the international (or dynastic) orientation of Mstislav if St. George or St. Theodore is represented. 

Seal of Mstislav the Great (1125-’32)

St. George killing the dragon [5]

 

A knight on horseback spearing a dragon was later adopted as the patron saint of Moscow.

 

In the first half of the 13th century the Khanate of the Golden Horde was founded on the territories of the Russian principalities and in the south of present Ukraine. The Russian Principalities were vassals of this Khanate.  Their rulers had coats of arms western style, showing lions and eagles and the prince of Galicia, crowned Lord of All Russian in 1245 even had a two-headed eagle for badge of rank.

The Golden Horde announced itself with a golden/yellow flag charged with a crescent and a tamgha or mongolian seal. It is represented on Catalan portolans of the 14th century.

 

The Khan of the Golden Horde

 on a 14th century portolan today in the Museu Maritim de Barcelona

 

In the 14th century Lithuania pushed forward to the south at the expense of the Golden Horde. In 1365-’70 Kiev was captured and in 1398 the border between Lithuania and the Golden Horde was at the Dnjepr.

Coin of Kestutis 1345-‘82

Showing his personal emblem

 

The grand princes of Lithuania had personal emblems very much in the tradition of  the trizubs of the former grand princes of Kiev and of the tamgha’s of the Khans of the Golden Horde. In a heraldised form they can be found in the Armorial of Bergshammer. [6]

 

Jogaila

1377-1392

Vytautas

1392-1430

Svitrigaila

1430-1432

Sigismund

 1432-1440

Kasimir

1440-1492

 

The golden patriarchal cross and the so-called Piles of Gedymin have been used by the grand princes of Lithuania and their successors.

 

Æ See Lithuania (Rulers)

 

The Zaporozhian Host

 

After the establishment of the personal union between Poland and Lithuania the newly captured territories were colonized by the Polish nobility. In this time the region received its name  “Ukraine” meaning “bordeland”.

The peasants of Ukraine considered themselves to be free men and for that reason offered great resistance to the Polish nobility trying to submit them. Many peasants took refuge in the south and settled below the great falls of the Dnjepr. For that reason they were called the “yeomen of below the falls” (from polish za poroge = on the other side of the cataracts and turkic kazakh = yeoman). To be able  to defend themselves against the Polish nobility pushing forward and the Khanate on the other side the Zaporozhian Cossacks were organised in bands commanded by a hetman or ataman. They succeeded for a lomg time to be free of strange domination amongst others by playing off the great powers of Livonia, Moscow and the Ottoman Empire against each other.

In 1576 the Polish king and Lithuanian Grand Duke Stephan Bathory  granted a coat of arms to the Zaporozhian Cossacks as a reward ‘for bravery in defending Christianity by combating the Ottoman empire and the Crimean khanate at sea and on land.’

 

Seal of the Zaporozhian Host, 1596

Arms: Or, a knight cossack with musket vested Gules. Legend: È KOPNA VOISKA ZAPOROZH-SKOGO

Cossack arms, 1622

 

Polish politics were directed to curtail the liberties of the Cossacks within its sphere of influence as much as possibe. Everything was done to undermine the autonomy of the Zaparoghian Cossacks of the Sich (the ‘reclamation’ in the south). These politics were so succesful that the Cossacks revolted in 1648 under their hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky. In the summer of that year cossack bands scourged  Poland and Lithuania. In October the rebels took Kiev.

 

In 1650 Khmelnitsky, profiting of a lapse in the combat, founded an independendent state called “Zaporozhian Host” (Війська Запорозького). He himself became its hetman and the government consisted of a chancelor, an intendant, a supreme judge and two adjutants. The country was divided in regiments, each subdivided in centurios.

For arms of the state the arms with the cossack was adopted.

 

The banner of the Zaporozhian Host showed a square cross and a crescent surrounded by ten six-pointed stars. The cross-and-crescent was a figure that dated back to the middle of the 14th century when it is the emblem on the flag of Poland.

[7]

Bogdan Khmelnytsky's banner that was taken at the battle of Berestechko 1651

It was later taken by the Swedes in Warsaw 1655 and is now to be seen at Armémuseum, Stockholm, Sweden.

 

On the flag the traditional Cossack symbols of the cross, crescent and stars. On the flag the letters: Б.ХГ.В.З.Е.К.МЛС. – (Богдан Хмельницький, гетьман Війська Запорозького, его королівської милості. = Bogdan Khmelnitsky Hetman Zaporozhian Host His Royal Highness).

 

The hetman, head of state, would use its own coat of arms:

 

The arms of Bogdan Zinovia Khmelnitsky, 1649.

 

 

The Russian Era 1667-1917

 

The state of the Zaporozhian Host was not to last long. On 9 February 1667 at the Treaty of Andrusovo it was divided by Poland and Moscow in three parts. The part west of the Dnjepr, without Kiev, came to Poland. The east came to Moscow and the south kept its autonomy for the time being. 

Tsar Alexander Michailovič was in the first place very happy with Kiev which, after more than four hundred years came to a Russian dynasty again an which had always been called Little Russia in Moscow. In the same year of the treaty tsar Alexander styled himself ‘Grand Prince of Little Russia’ (великого князя Алекся Михайловича, всея Великие и Малые и Белые России самодержца) and ordered a seal with the grand principality represented by a picture of Kiev. [8] The seal for Little Russia itself showed the royal two-headed eagle for the first time with a sceptre and globe in its claws.

Seal for Little Russia, 1667

Arms: Moscow.

Supporters: A two-headed eagle crowned and recrowned, a scepter in its right and a globe in its left claw Or.

In the field: Below the Bulawa (hetman’s club) on a table between two nobles, the one on the dexter keeping a cross-staf and the one on the sinister keeping a banner with a russian cross, and another ten nobles four and six, all in full official dress. [9]

Legend: БЖ МЛ М ВЛ ЃД ЦР ІВ КН АЛ МХ ВС ВЛ ІМ ІЪ РС СМ ІМ ЃД ІЗ ВС ІЗ ІС ШЧ ІД ІН ІЃ ІШБ

 

Later a coat of arms was adopted for the new territory. It is in the so-called “Titularnike” of 1672. It is the Archangel Michael on a blue field, the patron of Kiev as on the former banners of the Zaporozhian Host State. 

St. Michael was introduced in Kiev in the twelfth century when an elaborate church was built at the monastery of St Demetrius dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel which was then called St. Michael of the Golden Domes (Mykhailivs’kyi Zolotoverkhyi).

 

The arms of Kiev from the Titularnike (1672)

 

These arms came on the wings of the Russian eagle in 1721 and on the later seals on which it is royally crowned with a crown of five hoops.

 

The Zaporozhian Cossack Aftermath

In Little Russia the Cossacks could maintain a certain autonomy. This opportunity was taken by the hetman Ivan Mazepa (1687-1709) who tried in vain to reunite the Cossack territories into an independent state.

Coat of arms of Ivan Mazepa

 

After him the hetmans were appointed by the tsar.

 

Arms of the Zaporozhian Host

as ordered by hetman Kyril Razumovsky, 1750

 

Seals of the hetmans Peter Doroshenka (1668-’70), Ivan Mazepa (1687-1704),

Kyril Razumovsky (1750-‘64) and of Peter Kalnishevsky (1762/1765-’75)

 

The last hetman was deposed in 1764 and the Leftbank Ukraine Governorate was divided in 10 regiments each under a hetman. From 1765 until 1773 the capital was Glouchov which was transmitted in 1773 to Kozelets and in 1775 to Kiev.

 

The arms of Little Russia then became:

Arms of Little Russia, 1766

 

Arms: Or, a two headed eagle crowned and recrowned, in his dexter a sceptre and in his sinister an orb, on its breast a shield per fess, the chief per pale the dexter of Kiev and the sinister of Cernigov; the base tierced of Perejaslav (town), Novgorod Seversk (town) and Starodub (town); ducally crowned.

Mantle: Purpure, fringed and tasseled Or and royally crowned.

 

In the seventies of the 18th century the cossacks participated in the rebellion of the Don Cossack Pugatshev. [10]His seal showed his bust:

Seal of Pugatshev

 

When Pugatshev was defeated in 1775 Jekaterinoslav Governorate was created and any form of autonomy of the Cossacks was abolished. Their armies were employed in Siberia and against the Ottomans.

 

In 1781 Little Russia was divided into the Kiev Viceroyalty (excluding the city of Kiev itself), Novgorod-Seversky Viceroyalty and Chernigov Viceroyalty.

 

12

Kiev and Cernigov Governorate

1. Arms: Azure, St. Michael vested Argent (adopted 04.06.1782)

2. Arms: Argent, an eagle Sable, crowned and in his left claw a procession cross Or. (adopted 04.06.1782)

 

3 Perejaslav uyezd

4 Novgorod Seversk uyezd

5 Starodub uyezd

 

3. Arms: Argent, a chuch-tower, crowned Or. (adopted 04.06.1782)

4. Arms: Vert, a city-wall with a towered gate crested with a six-pointed star, on its battlements a spear on the dexter and a sable on the sinister Or. (adopted 04.06.1782)

5. Arms: Argent, and old oak-tree proper. (adopted 04.06.1782)

 

In 1796 the Governorate of Malorossiya (Малороссiйская Губернiя) was formed out of these viceroyalties under the administrative reforms of Paul I which abolished the Namestnichestvo (viceroyalty) system, which in turn had replaced the regimental administration of the Ukrainian Hetmanate in 1781.

 

 

The administrative centre was the city of Chernigov (modern Chernihiv), and its coat of arms the arms of Cernigov ducally crowned.

 

However the extensive area which the new unit covered was too great for effective administration, and in February 1802 the Governorate was split into Chernigov Governorate and Poltava Governorate.

 

On 22 Januray 1863 a rebellion began in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (present-day Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, parts of Ukraine, and western Russia) against the Russian Empire. It lasted until the last insurgents were captured in 1865. A coat of arms of the rebels was described in the ‘Gazecie Narodowa’ of 20 October 1863. It was “Jeżeli więc Rząd Narodowy obok Orła i Pogoni postawił świętego Michała Archanioła, symbol Rusi...” (...the eagle and the rider together with the Archangel Michael, the emblem of the russians.. [11] 

 

Present Ukraine comprises the former kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria and the principality of Bukovina and the Russian Governorates of Cernigov, Charkov, Cherson, Jekaterinislav, Kiev, Podolsk, Poltava, Tauria, and Volinsk. In 1954 Krim was added.

 

Cernigov Governorate

08.12.1856

Charkov Governorate

25.11.1887

Cherson Governorate

05.07.1878

Jekaterinoslav Governorate

05.07.1878

Kiev Governorate

08.12.1856

Podolsk Governorate

08.12.1856

Poltava Governorate

05.07.1878

Tauria Governorate

08.12.1856

 

Volinsk Governorate

08.12.1856

Galicia and Lodomeria

05.11.1804

Bukovina

09.12.1862

 

Українська Hapoдня Pecпублika

Ukrainian People’s Republic

23.06.1917-21.03.1921

 

Its true that Ukraine was no longer a political unity but nevertheless after the several divisions of Poland the notion grew at the beginning of the 19th century amongst the Ukrainian intellectuals of Galicia that the Ukrainians were a people with its own national identity. In spite of the obstruction of the Russian government nationalism then took firm root.

When the Russian empire collapsed in 1917 the nationalists were ready to found an independent Ukrainian state. In April a national assembly met which elected a Rada (people’s council). On 23 June this Rada proclaimed an independent republic. The Russian Soviet Republic, which had been founded in the meantime, reacted by founding a Ukrainian Soviet Republic in Charkov on 26 September of the same year. On 22 January 1918 the nationalist republic proclaimed itself a Free and Sovereign Ukrainian Republic but its government had to flee from Kiev on 8 February 1918 and walked into the arms of the Central Powers which installed them in Kiev again. On 22 January 1919 hoewever the city was recaptured by the Red Army. The nationalist government thereafter could prolong its existence by asking the help of the Polish head of state Pilsudski until 1921 when by treaty of Riga of 21 March the People’s republic was liquidated.

 

The nationalist government of 1917 had adopted the trident, called of St. Vladimir, as a provisonal universal Ukrainian emblem. It was designed by V. Krychevski. [12]By law of 22 March 1918 the People’s Republic in its turn adopted the trident as its emblem. It became the custom to represent the figure in gold on a blue background in spite of that the colors are not mentioned in the law.

There are two versions of the emblem, a larger and a lesser but these only differ from each other on minor points. On both the trident is surrouded by an ornamental bordure. On the great seal the trident is surrounded by a legend of the name of the country. The emblem was used until  the liquidation of the People’s Republic.

 

Larger Arms of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918.

Colored lesser arms of the

Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918

Lesser arms of the

Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918

Great Seal of State of the

Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918.

Lesser Seal of State of the

Ukrainian People’s Republic, 1918

 

Українська держава / Ukrainian State

29.04.1918-12.1918

 

Coat of Arms

 

Seal

 

The Ukrainian State (Українська держава, Ukrayinska Derzhava) (sometimes also named The Hetmanate (Гетьманат, Hetmanat)) existed on most of the territory of East Ukraine from 29 April 1918 until December 1918. It was installed after the Central Council of the Ukrainian People's Republic was chased away on 28 April 1918. Ukraine was turned into a provisional dictatorship of the Hetman of the Ukraine Pavlo Skoropadskyi who outlawed all socialist oriented political parties creating an anti-Bolshevik front. It collapsed in December 1918 when Skoropadskyi was deposed and the Ukrainian People's Republic was reinstalled.

 

The arms of the Ukrainian State consisted of the arms of  the Zaporozhian Host as ordered by Kyrill Razumovski on 17 September 1755, surrounded by a frame and crested by the trident of St. Vladimir.

This coat of arms was also on the seal, surrounded by the legend УКРАЇНСЬКА ДЕРЖАВА.

 

Ukrainska Socialistična Radanska Respublika

26.12.1917-1929

 

The soviet republic of december 1917 adopted a coat of arms by constitution of 10/14 March 1919 Art 34, almost two months after the Red Army had captured  Kiev. The arms copies exactly the arms of the  R.S.F.S.R.. It is onky different in the inistial in the chief and the addition of the motto in ukrainian. The arms anticipates the treaty between the Russian Federatioan and Ukraine of 28 December 1920 by which Ukraine was almost annexated. The achievement was reduced in 1929 by omitting the moto in ukrainian. [13] This was confrimed  by constitution of 1937.

In WW.II Ukraine bacame the “Reichskommisariat Ukraine” under German occupation and the geman eagle-and-swastika was seen there.

 

Football-match in the Zenit stadium, Kiev. 9 August1942

 

It seems that the ukrainian nationalists who expected the granting of autonomy of the Germans have used the tryzub again. After the defaeat of the Germans the arms of 1937 were restored.

On 6 February 1950 it was changed by omitting the initials in the chief. A red star was added as a crest and on the ribbon below the motto in ukrainian came back and the name of the state was added.

 

Arms.: Gules, a hammer and a sickle in saltire, in chief the letters У.C.P.P. and in base a rising sun radiant Or.

Garland: Ears of wheat, Or.

Motto: D.: ПРОЛЕТАРІ ВСІХ КРАЇН ЕДНАЙТЕСЯ! and S.: ПРОЛЕТАРИИ ВСЕХ СТРАН СОЕДИНАЙТЕСЬ! in golden lettering on a red ribbon.

By Constitution, 10/14th  of March 1919, Art. 34

 

 

Ukrainska Radanska Socialistična Respublika

1929-01.12.1991

 

 

Arms: Gules, a hammer and a sickle in saltire, in chief the letters У.C.P.P. and in base a rising sun radiant Or.

Garland: Ears of wheat, Or.

Motto: ПРОЛЕТАРІ  ВСІХ  КРАЇН ЕДНАЙТЕСЯ! in golden lettering on a red ribbon.

By decree, September 1929, confirmed by Constitution, 30th of January 1937 art. 143. 

 

Arms of 6 February 1950

 

Україне / Ukraine

01.12.1991 - present

 

After the collapse of the Soviet Union Ukraine proclaimed its sovereignty on 16 June 1990. By referendum of 1 December 1991 Ukraine became independent. On 19 Februari 1992 the emblem of the People’s Republic of 22 March 1918 was readopted as the arms of Ukraine by the Supreme Council. It is described in the Constitution Art. 20.

 

Стаття 20 Конституції України.

Головним елементом великого Державного Герба України є Знак Княжої Держави Володимира Великого (малий Державний Герб України)

Великий Державний Герб України встановлюється з урахуванням малого Державного Герба України та герба Війська Запорізького законом, що приймається не менш як двома третинами від конституційного складу Верховної Ради України.

 

The arms are:

Arms: Azure, the trident of Vladimir the Great Or.

 

Æ See illustration in the head of this essay.

 

 

Presidential seal and flag

Foreign Intelligence Service

 

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine is directly subordinated to the President

 

Emblem of the Parliament

 

See also: Герб України

 

Armed Forces

 

Ministry of Defense

 

The emblem of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is a crimson pillar cross edged Or, charged with an edged medallion Azure, a Tryzub Or (the diameter of the medallion 4/10 of the height of the cross).

Banner of the Minister of Defence of the Ukraine

 

The banner is a square crimson cloth of 90 Î 90 cm., with a crimson pillar cross edged Or, charged with two maces in saltire and a sword per pale, recharged with an golden edged medallion Azure, a Tryzub Or, the cross 4/5th of its size. And with a bordure of 1/10th of its size, edged and embroidered with branches of medlar, in the corners pillar crosses, all Or. The two sides of the banner are identical.

The banner was handed to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, general of the Ukrainian Army O. Shkidchenko on December 5th, 2001, at the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Ukrainain Army.

 

Tri-Service

 

Banner of the Chief of Staff,

the first deputy minister of defense of Ukraine

 

The banner consists of a square crimson cloth of 90 Î90 cm, with the emblem of the Armed Forces in the center, consisting of a crimson  pillar cross edged Or, charged with two swords in saltire, an anchor per pale and a pair of wings Or per fess, recharged with a locket of the Ukrainian arms.  The banner has golden fringes and its two sides are identical.

The banner was handed to the Chief of Staff, general-colonel P.Shuljak on December 5th, 2001 at the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Ukrainain Army.

 

Army

 

 

Navy

 

 

Air Force

 

 

Border Guard

 

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is the national successor of the Soviet Border Troops. It was first organize in 1991 as the “Ukrainian Border Troops”, which were later subordinated to the “Ukraine’s State Comittee for State Border Guarding”. The latter was renamend to its actual name in March 2003.

State Border Guard Service

 

The emblem of the Border Guard was confirmed by Presidential Decree N 594/2001 of August 7th, 2001. The emblem is an golden edged  pillar cross Vert,  charged  with a blue disc with the Ukrainian Tryzub, surrounded by a garland of oak all Or.

 

 

The flag of the Border Guard of Ukraine was adopted by Presidential Decree N 594/2001 of August 7th, 2001. The flag is a rectangular 2 Î 3 crimson cloth with the emblem of the Border Guard of Ukraine in the centre.

The height of the emblem is 2/3 of the height of the cloth, and its width is ½ the width of the cloth. The diameter of the garland is ¼ of the height of the cloth. The two sides of the flag are identical.

 

Coat of Arms

of the Ukrainian State Committee for National Border Guarding

 

The coat of arms of the State Committee for National Border Guarding was confirmed by  Presidential Decree N 594/2001 of August 7th, 2001. The arms are a circular crimson shield with a nailed rim Or, charged with the emblem of the Comittee being a pillar cross Vert, edged Or, charged with two swords in saltire and a key per pale Or, recharged with a blue disc with the golden Tryzub within a garland of oak Or. In the eye of the key is a another pillar cross Vert and on both sides of its bit is the top of an embattled tower.

Banner

of the State Committee for National Border Guarding

 

 

The banner of  the State Committee for National Border Guarding was confirmed by Presidential Decree N 594/2001 of August 7th, 2001. It is a crimson square cloth of  130 Î130 cm.

On the obverse of the banner is the emblem of the Border Guard of Ukraine. In the corners are the emblems of the State Committee for National Border Guarding within a golden garland of oak. On the reverse is a pillar cross Vert, edged Or, charged with a blue disc within a garland of oak Or, and the words: State Committee for National Border Guarding of Ukraine. In the corners are emblems of two swords in saltire charged with a key per pale, surrounded by a garland of oak and laurel Or. The free sides of the flag are fringed Or.

The flagstaff is of black painted wood. On top of the staff  is a spearhead of yellow metal on which is the emblem of the Committee.

Below the spearhead is a green bow with two pendant green golden edged ribbons. On the ribbons is the motto “The Safety of the Border is the Power of the state” in golden lettering  and an ornamental pattern of oak and viburnum foliage all Or. The ribbon with the motto ends in a blue square, charged with St. Volodymyr’s Trident, the ribbon with the ornamental foliage in a crimson square with the emblem of the Ukrainian Border Guard, both fringed Or.

Gonfalon

of the Commander of the Border Guard

 

The gonfalon of the Chairman of the State Committee for the Protection of the National Border and Commander of the Border Guard, was confirmed by Presidential Decree N 594/2001 of August 7th, 2001. It is a crimson square cloth of  90 Î 90 cm with the emblem of the State committee in the middle, surrounded by leaves of  viburnum Or on the four sides. The free sides of the gonfalone are fringed Or.

The reverse side is empty.

The flagstaff is of black painted wood. On top of the flagstaff is a spearhead of yellow metal with the emblem of the State Committee.

 

 

 

Badge

 

Sleeve Patch

Security Service

 

Emblem

 

Coat of Arms

 

Banner

 

Gonfalon

 

Police

 

Ministry of Internal Affairs

 

The emblem of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine was approved by Presidential Decree of December 19, 2000 N 1346/2000. It is an eight-pointed radiating silver star charged with the smaller arms of Ukraine. The design is of O.V.Rudenko.

 

The flag of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ukraine (obverse and reverse)

 

The banner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine was approved by Presidential Decree of December 19, 2000 N 1346/2000. It consists of a square blue cloth of 130 х130 cm. In the middle of the obverse is the emblem of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and in the four corners the monogram MBД in white lettering within a garland of oak and laurel Or.

On the  reverse of the banner is the star of the emblem of the Ministry of Internal affairs, charged with a red disc with the words MЇHЇCTEPCTBO BHУTPЇHINЇX CПPAB УKPAЇHИ in white lettering and surrounded by agarland of oak and laurel. In the four corners are the effigies of St Michael proper within a garland of oak and laurel Or.

The banner was designed by O.V.Rudenko

Gonfalon of the Minster of Internal Affairs

 

 

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© Hubert de Vries 2010.10.18

 

 



[1] Lysko, Z.: National Emblems. In: Ukraine, A concise Encyclopaedia. Volodymyr Kubijovyc ed.. Published for the Ukrainian National Ass. University of Toronto Press. 1963. pp. 31-37.

[2] Pasternak, O.: Poiasnennia Trizuba, Gerba Velikogo Kievs’kogo Kniazia Volodimira Sviatogo. Kiev, 1934.

3. Lysko, Z. op cit.

[4] From the Mikhailivs’ky Zolotoverkhyi  monastery, Kiev. National Architectural Conservation Area “Saint Sophia of Kiev”, Kiev SMAA 8616. Evans, Helen C. & William D. Wixom. Eds.: The Glory of Byzantium. Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era A.D. 843-1261. New York, 1997. N° 196.

[5] Speransov, N.N.: Zemelnije Gerbi Rossii XII-XIX vv. Coats of Arms of Russian Principa­lities, XII-XIX cent. Izdatelsvo Sovjetskaja Rossija. Moskva, 1974.   fig 7b

[6] Raneke, Jan: Bergshammar Vapenboken - En Medeltidsheraldisk Studie. Lund, 1975.

[7] A rather enigmatic quote in the Libro del Conoscimiento de todos los reynos y tierras y señorios que son por el mundo, y de las señales y armas que han cada tierra y señorio.  Book of the knowledge of all the kingdoms, lands, and lordships that are in the world. The Hakluyt Society. Second Series N° XXIX. Issued for 1912. P. 9, Plate 4.,  in connection with Poland.

[8] Sobolieva, N.A.: Simvoli Russkoi Gosudarstvennorsti. In: Voprosii Istorii 6, 1979, pp. 47-59.

[9] Köhne, B. von: Das Kaiserlich Russische Reichs-Wappen. Reiter und Doppeladler. In: Vierteljahrschrift für Heraldik etc. Herold. 1882, p. 413.

[10] Sobolieva, N.A.: Pugatchevski Petchati. In: Voprosi Istorii. 1977, T. 8, pp. 211-215. The seal was discovered by Puskin. In the sixties and the seventies of the 20th century there was some time some interest in the heraldry of rebellious peoples’ movements. See for example about the Hussites: Bertényi, Iván: Zur Problematik der Heraldik der antifeudalen Bauernbewegungen. In: Genealogica & Heraldica. Report of the 14th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences in Copen­hagen 25-29 August 1980. Copenhagen, 1982. pp. 378-391. At the growing repression in the east the publications about this tricky subject became silent.

[11] The complete quote in: Znamierowski, Alfred: Stworzony do Chwały. Warszawa, 1995. p. 81

[12] Кричевський, Василь Григорович

[13] Neubecker, Ottfried: Sowjetheraldik. In: Osteuropa. 5e Jg., Heft 6. Berlin, März 1930, p. 385.