Bryansk is one of the oldest Russiancities, founded in 985 year. There are many events in his history that testified to his important role in confronting enemy invasions-who does not know about the struggle of the Bryansk partisans against the fascists during the Great Patriotic War?
Among many directions of stateactivities, which, according to Peter I, demanded a reduction to European standards, there was a heraldry. Many Russian cities and provinces received their official symbols based on images on the banners of the regiments that were stationed in them. I got my own symbol and Bryansk, a city that until that time did not have a certain coat of arms. These banners were made in the Armory Chamber on a uniform pattern and according to the rules derived from the instructions published in Europe.
The Heraldic Commission was used in the work andthe famous "Titular" in 1672, owned by Peter's father - Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and containing all the Russian city emblems and seals known at that time. The developed symbols were consolidated into a single "Znamenny Gerbovnik". In the publication of this guidebook, developed in 1729, under the leadership of B.K. Minich had a coat of arms of Bryansk, which for the first time contained a plot, which was used all the subsequent time. He was briefly described: a golden mortar in a red field, on either side of it - "on a pile of bombs". The coat of arms was "painted" on the banner of the Bryansk landmilitskogo (that is, kept at the expense of local authorities) the regiment.
Those who know about the famous Bryansk Arsenal,long supplying the Russian army with guns, it is with him associated with the appearance on the coat of arms of the city of heavy mortars and cores to it. But historians say that when the Arsenal was built (1783), the coat of arms of Bryansk with the "artillery motif" existed for about half a century.
In the opinion of local historians and historians of heraldry,the developers of the Bryansk emblem led by Minich took into account the decree of Peter the Great of 1722 on the formation in the event of war with the Turks of three divisions of Russian siege artillery, consisting of particularly powerful and heavy guns, including mortars that fired mortar fire. One of these batteries was placed in Bryansk according to the tsar's order.
During the administrative reforms of the Catherinetime Bryansk was included in the Orel vicegerency and received the official coat of arms, which was supremely approved among the heraldic emblems of other provincial towns of the province in 1781. Coat of arms of Bryansk, like most of the already existing urban characters in the description has been named the "old" and different from the image on the banner of the Bryansk regiment shield shape and a sharp and clear picture.
Symbols of colors used in the arms, a long timeis denoted by the canons of classical heraldry. Gold mortars mean wealth, justice and magnanimity. The red color of the field (called the herald-master of the scarlet) is the color of courage, courage and fearlessness. The lower part of the shield is colored green, symbolizing hope, joy and abundance. Blackened kernels - in their color symbolize prudence, humility and sorrow.
The historical coat of arms of the city of Bryansk was used before1917 and was not formally withdrawn during the entire Soviet period. It did not contain, like in the arms of other ancient Russian cities, no monarchical or religious symbols, so the golden mortar appeared on numerous souvenirs brought by tourists from Bryansk. At the same time, the old coat of arms was lightly supplemented by various Soviet attributes and symbols: Soviet orders and medal ribbons, sickle and hammer, etc.
Perhaps such a disrespectful attitude towardsancient and well-deserved symbols affected when, after the onset of new times in 1998, an attempt was made to restore the historical coat of arms and the flag of Bryansk, it was accompanied by such illiterate description and graphic embodiment of them that was called the head of the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation G.V. Vilinbakhov "distortion of the historical appearance" of the ancient urban attributes.
In a letter accompanying the refusal to register the "new old" coat of arms, the presidential council for heraldry indicates that unacceptable deviations from the historical coat of arms have been admitted:
After the refusal to register the city's coat of arms inBryansk, a working group was set up to draft a new symbol, taking into account the remarks made by professional heraldists. Attempts continued to supplement the historical coat of arms with new elements, indicating the changes that have taken place in the state and in the status of the city. The process of hermaking in Bryansk continues.
