In the Irkutsk region, there are 22 cities. Bratsk is the largest of them, both in terms of industry and the area it occupies. This is a city of regional level and the center of the administrative district of the same name. More recently, Bratsk, which is called the pearl of Siberia, has acquired its own coat of arms.
History of the city
The city dates back to 1631. From the time when, at the place where the Angara and Oka rivers merge, a group of Cossacks consisting of forty people, under the leadership of the chieftain Pantelei Penda, erected the front line of Russia - the Bratsk prison.
This fortified point ceased to be a military stronghold at the beginning of the 18th century. He turned into the settlement of Bratsk-Ostrozhnoe. Subsequently, it became a village with the name of Bratsk, and even later - the village of Bratsk.
In September 1954, the leadership of the USSR decided to build a hydroelectric power station on the Angara River. It became crucial for the future of the big city.
Due to the fact that the location of the village was planned for flooding, it was moved to another place, where it was combined with a number of workers' settlements. Then this already large settlement received its final name - the city of Bratsk.
Modernity
Modern Bratsk is located in the center of the so-called Angara Ridge. It stands on both banks of the Bratsk reservoir, which is sometimes called the sea. The city is connected by a hydroelectric dam. Around it lies the Siberian taiga, in which there are small plots of land developed by residents for summer cottages, gardens and vegetable gardens.
Bratsk is considered to be a large city in this Siberian region, it is the third largest population after the regional center - Irkutsk and the city of Angarsk. Currently, about 250 thousand inhabitants live in it.
Bratsk is divided into 3 administrative-territorial districts, which unite the villages and districts included in the city agglomeration (Central, Right-Bank, Padunsky). The city actually consists of several formations that are tens of kilometers apart. Bratsk is a cluster of micro-districts and urban-type settlements that are connected by a single transport network and the idea of common development. All major urban areas and buildings are located on the shores of the Bratsk Sea
The first coat of arms of Bratsk, what does it mean?
The first coat of arms was approved by the city executive committee on January 17, 1980. It was a standard gold heraldic shield, divided into three vertical stripes, equal in area.
The left side of the coat of arms of Bratsk is painted in red, which symbolized the young and prosperous city of socialism. The right side of the coat of arms was green, which characterized the surrounding Bratsk Sea, the taiga, which were recognized as the main wealth of the region. The middle strip of blue symbolized the water energy reserves of the Angara River. Four wavy bands passing through this strip emphasized the swiftness of the waters and the powerful nature of the water artery.
In the upper part of the heraldic shield was placed the inscription "BRATSK", executed in gold on a white field.
Also, on the coat of arms of the city of Bratsk, the red stripe had an image in the form of letters AL (in honor of the Bratsk aluminum plant), as well as a stylized image of a cellulose formula dedicated to the Bratsk pulp and paper mill.
The green strip had an image of a watchtower, which was supposed to emphasize the continuity of generations, symbolically depicting the predecessor of the city - the Bratsk-Ostrozhny fortress.
