Coat of arms of Abkhazia
The coat of arms was approved in 1992 at the State Assembly of the republic. The coat of arms of Abkhazia has the form of a shield, divided into two parts - silver and green. The outline of the state symbol is golden. The main Abkhaz symbol uses an octagonal star.
History of the coat of arms
The history of this coat of arms dates back to the Abkhazian principality. In 1921, the independence of Abkhazia was proclaimed. However, a few months later, the Abkhaz SSR and the Georgian SSR were united into one republic on a federal basis..
In the 1924-31s. the coat of arms of the SSR Abkhazia included the image of a hammer and sickle against the background of the Abkhaz landscape. There was a five-pointed star in the ascending rays. In 1931 Abkhazia was incorporated into the Georgian ASSR. These changes were reflected in the appearance of the coat of arms: elements of its image included grape vines, a mountain range with a top covered with snow, a five-pointed star, ears of wheat. Inscription «Workers of all countries, unite» was in three languages: Abkhaz, Georgian and Russian.
Minor changes in the coat of arms took place in 1978. Since 1992, the coat of arms has a modern look. In 1994, Abkhazia refused the word «autonomous». The Constitution of Abkhazia of the same year proclaims the republic's complete independence from Georgia. Nevertheless, the modern Georgian authorities recognize that the official emblem and flag of Abkhazia is the state emblem and flag of Georgia..
The meaning of some symbols of the Abkhaz coat of arms
In the center of the coat of arms we see the figure of a horseman who flies on a magic horse. The rider directed his arrow towards the stars. The hero - Sasrykva - is the main character of the ancient Abkhaz epic. He saves people who were caught in a blizzard from the cold and warms them. To do this, he knocks down a star from the sky. The mythical horse is Bzou. He is the rider's faithful assistant. The horse has extraordinary strength and is able to move in the sky, on the ground and even under it. There are several golden stars in the Abkhaz coat of arms. The largest star is the sun sign, signifying the sign of rebirth. Two small stars represent the unity and communication of the cultures of the West and the East. The green color of the coat of arms means youth. The white color of the coat of arms is the spirituality inherent in the people of Abkhazia..
There are few coats of arms in the world that would be created on the basis of the legendary folk epic.
