Nizhnevartovsk is a city in Western Siberia on the banks of the Ob River. It is the second largest population within the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra. In this article we will briefly tell you about the history, interesting features and the main symbols of Nizhnevartovsk - the coat of arms and flag.
Oil capital of Siberia
The city is located fifteen kilometers from Lake Samotlor, from under which oil has been pumping oil actively for half a century. It owes its existence to black gold, and the locals are well aware of this. Therefore, one of the main figures on the coat of arms of Nizhnevartovsk is a pipe with three droplets of oil flowing from it. But more on that later …
The history of the city dates back to 1909, when a marina with several wooden huts appeared on the banks of the Ob. The first inhabitants of the village were exclusively engaged in logging. Everything would have continued if the exploration team hadn’t discovered the largest oil field here in the 60s. In May 1965, the first fountain scored, and "conquerors of Siberia" from all over the Soviet Union began to gather in Nizhnevartovsk.
The working village developed rapidly and built up very rapidly. Today it is a fairly large and comfortable modern city, despite the extreme climatic and natural-geographical conditions.
One of the unofficial symbols of Nizhnevartovsk is the so-called “hexagonal” (local residents also call them “bumps”). These are sixteen-story panel houses of one of the Moscow series. They can be seen in numerous photographs, postcards and other souvenir products associated with this Siberian city.
Well, now let's talk about the official symbols of the city of Nizhnevartovsk - the coat of arms and flag. When were they approved and what is depicted on them?
Official symbols of the city: coat of arms, flag, emblem
The official city symbols include the emblem and flag. The emblem is, rather, an additional attribute of urban identity, and not all cities have it.
The coat of arms of Nizhnevartovsk was approved in June 1999 by decision of the City Council. The author of the project was artist Sergei Grigoriev. The flag of the city was adopted and established a little later - in October 2004.
Nizhnevartovsk also has an emblem. It was adopted in 2016 and is dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the city. The logo was chosen from twelve projects. It depicts a monument to the conquerors of Samotlor - the main monument of the city.
Coat of arms of Nizhnevartovsk: photo and description
The main symbol of the "oil capital of Siberia" is a shield of a traditional form, divided into three parts. In the upper golden field we see a pipe in cross section, from which oil flows. A green spruce is depicted in the left silver field, and a pair of silver fish in the right blue field.
What is the meaning of the coat of arms of Nizhnevartovsk? It is quite obvious. Oil symbolizes the mineral wealth of the local subsoil, fish - the rich ichthyofauna of the local water bodies (primarily the Ob River), spruce - the Siberian taiga and its "treasures". A narrow golden pillar rising from the base of the coat of arms to its top is another symbol of the well-being and prosperity of this region.
It is important to note that the city is indeed surrounded on all sides by forests, consisting mainly of evergreen spruce. In the vicinity of Nizhnevartovsk there are many lakes and swamps, in which many different species of fish live. Therefore, the symbolism of the city coat of arms is absolutely justified.
