Coat of arms of Almaty
Many cities of Kazakhstan have their own coats of arms, united by their correct geometric shape - a circle, as well as national Kazakh symbols used in images. The coat of arms of Almaty, the former capital of the state, is also made in the form of a circle, and the snow leopard has become its central image.
Faithful and his coat of arms
The city received its first name, Verny, in 1885, as well as the status of a regional center. It was the center of the Semirechensk region and used its coat of arms as an official symbol..
The architect Pavel Lurie became the author of the first coat of arms in the history of the city. The sketch he developed was very colorful, you can see it in the photo, and multifaceted. Among the elements of the coat of arms of Almaty, the following important details stand out:
- a shield divided into three parts, each with its own elements;
- a wreath of apple branches and fruits intertwined with a scarlet ribbon;
- apple topping the composition.
The field of the shield is divided into three unequal parts, in the upper, largest one, Lurie placed a snow-white fortress with open gates, since the city of Verny was at first a fortification. In the lower half of the coat of arms, divided in half, there was a crescent on the right, a golden cross on the left.
Traveling through the pages of history
The city of Verny received its next coat of arms in 1908, the same heraldic symbol was again used for the Semirechensk region. Its composition became much simpler, the image of an overturned crescent was placed on a scarlet shield. And the head of the shield was decorated with eagles, symbols of the Russian Empire.
In Soviet times, it is clear that the eagles disappeared, the coat of arms looked like an ordinary badge. Used purely symbolically, as city souvenirs. But another, also a symbolic coat of arms of the city appeared, and the settlement itself was already called Alma-Ata at that time. And in this coat of arms one could again see an apple, since the name of the city is translated very tasty - «apple father».
Modern heraldic symbol
In 1993, in Alma-Ata, a competition was held for the best sketch of the coat of arms, the winner was the artist Sh.Niyazbekov. The form of the coat of arms proposed by him is a circle, the background of the central part is blue, corresponding to the state flag.
On the edge of the coat of arms are depicted elements of the shanyrak, the so-called uyk nests. The next circle contains national Kazakh ornamental motives and an inscription - «Almaty» (city name changed slightly).
The central character of the coat of arms of Almaty is the snow leopard, one of the most beautiful animals living in the country. The predator holds in its teeth a bouquet consisting of flowering branches of an apple tree, reminiscent of the name of the southern capital. In the background is a beautiful mountain landscape.
