Today, almost every city has its own emblem, usually reflecting the specifics of a particular locality or some kind of symbol relating to the city.
Coat of arms of the city of Grodno
In 1988, on June 15, at a meeting of the executive committee, in the Grodno city Council of People's Deputies, the modern image of the city coat of arms was approved.
It has an image of a deer jumping over silver wattle against a blue background. The head of the animal between the horn is decorated with a golden cross.
Symbols and history of the coat of arms of Grodno
Grodno became one of the first cities on the territory of Belarus to receive Magdeburg law, which became complete by 1444, due to the privileges granted by the Grand Duke of Lithuania Casimir IV Jagiellonchik.
Historians claim that for the first time the city received a coat of arms in 1540. This year it was presented to the city by the Queen of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuania Bon Sforza. At the same time, one of the first seals to feature the coat of arms of Grodno has a date of 1565. They show the image of a galloping deer with a golden cross on its head. This animal is associated with the deer of St. Hubert.
Saint Hubert was a Catholic saint, Bishop of Liege, patron saint of hunters. At first he lived at the royal court of Theodoric the Third, then at the court of Pepin.
In his youth, he greatly respected hunting and often spent a long time in forest lands, while he possessed desperate courage. Once, while hunting, he fell into a terrible storm. Having lagged behind other hunters, he got lost in the thicket of the forest.
Having lost all hope of salvation, he began to pray earnestly, when he suddenly noticed a deer in the middle of the trees, whose cross between the horns shone.
Hubert followed this amazing animal. Soon he managed to get out of the thicket. He was very amazed and after this event completely changed his worldview. If before that he was not distinguished by virtuous behavior, then in the future he began to lead the life of a virtuous Christian, distributing all the property to the needy, and then generally went into spiritual life.
After his death in 727, Hubert was elevated to the rank of saint. Since ancient times in the West, St. Hubert has been revered as the patron saint of hunting and wildlife, especially dogs.
This is the reason that in Belgium a temple dedicated to this saint is allowed to enter with a hunting dog, which is strictly prohibited according to Catholic canons.
The third of November is considered the day of this saint.
The specifics of the city of Grodno
The citizens of Grodno revered Saint Hubert as the patron saint of hunters and considered him an example in moral self-improvement.
It was hunting for this ancient city that was almost the main activity.
Around the city were Belovezhskaya Pushcha and Grodno Forest with the richest hunting grounds. Subsequently, they received royal status. In particular, near this city during the hunt, the Polish king Stefan Batory caught a cold and died.
In the vicinity of Grodno, large meat animals were hunted: bison, tours, deer, wild boars.
The fence, which the deer overcomes with a cross on his head, was added to the coat of arms of Grodno a little later, as a symbol of freedom of the inhabitants of the city.
Coat of arms changes in different periods
When in 1795 the city of Grodno entered the Russian Empire, the old coat of arms had to be abandoned. By 1802, the Grodno province received a new approved coat of arms of Grodno, where at the top of the shield was an image of a horseman, whose shield, in turn, was decorated with a cross with eight ends. (The so-called “pursuit” was subsequently used as the state emblem of the Byelorussian SSR until 1995.) A bison was painted on the emblem below, the background behind which was red.
04/06/1845 the rider was removed from the coat of arms. In 1878, the appearance of the image of the bison was changed. The coat of arms of Grodno at that time was decorated with the imperial crown, ribbon and oak leaves.
