Blazons of Ivanovo Oblast Towns

Coat of arms of Ivanovo Oblast was adopted on December 25, 1997. The official heraldic description of the arms: "A shield is cut into two parts (red and blue), with three narrow wavy silver belts in the bottom. In a right heraldic field a gold shuttle with a silver core, in a left part - silver torch. A shield is crowned by an iron crown. Shield-holders: on the right - gold lion, at the left - gold eagle. A pedestal is a wreath of green stalks and leaves with dark blue flowers of flax and cotton, interweaved by red-blue band with a silver strip".

Ivanovo Oblast has very poor heraldic traditions. The most of Russian arms has appeared from the end of 17th century up to the end of 19th century. In this period the Ivanovo Oblast or province, as the independent administrative unit, did not exist. Oblast was created from the parts of Vladimir and Kostroma provinces only in 1918.

After the decree of czar Alexander II about foundation of city Ivanovo-Voznesensk in 1871, the attempts were undertaken to create the arms of this large industrial center. In 1873 the Vladimir governor sent to the Heraldic Department of Senate the project of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk coat of arms. This arms was made by the people, ignorant in heraldry. It included non-heraldic units, such as a wheel, a retort, etc. The Heraldic Department declined the project, therefore the city has not received the arms before the revolution.

In 1918 Ivanovo-Voznesensk province (also known as "Red Province") was created with the center in Ivanovo-Voznesensk ("Red Manchester"). The famous artist I.N. Nefedov in 1918 has created the projects of the coats of arms of Ivanovo-Voznesensk and province. As a basis of these projects the image of the young woman - spinner was taken. However, because of the civil war beginning, the process of confirmation was not lead up to the end, and city again has remained without the arms.

The next step in development of Ivanovo heraldry was made in 1970, when the arms of city Ivanovo was adopted. This coat of arms, created by the artist V.P. Kubashevsky from Leningrad, was accepted and officially authorized by city Executive Committee on the occasion of the centenary of the city. In a basis of this arms the emblems of a shuttle and torch were found. It has become first officially authorized arms of Ivanovo. The new city coat of arms (sitting spinner) was authorized in 1996 by Ivanovo Municipal Duma (author of this arms - architect V.V. Almaev).

In autumn of 1997 the creative group for oblast arms development were organized. Its staff: historians V.P. Terentiev and A.A. Kornikov (professor of Ivanovo State University); the artists S.A. Prikazchikov and A.I. Zhestarev. As a result of complex and laborious work, improvements of numerous variants, agreements and coordinations with the experts, the project of the arms was developed and authorized.

The colours of shield fields (dark red and azure) is transferred from the arms of Vladimir and Kostroma provinces, from which parts in 1918 Ivanovo-Voznesensk province was derivated. A shuttle and a torch are the main emblems represented on old city arms. The shuttle very precisely symbolizes the main branch of oblast industry - textile. The silver torch is a generally accepted in heraldry emblem, symbolizing knowledge, derivation, tendency to progress. Also it is a symbol of great revolutionary traditions of our oblast.

Three narrow wavy silver belts, intersecting both fields of a shield, symbolize the great river Volga, proceeding on Ivanovo Oblast territory. Simultaneously these emblems designate cloths of a fabric, created on a plenty of textile factories of oblast. A main shield is crowned with an ancient Vladimir iron crown. In the heraldic language this crown designates, on the one hand, that the territory at one time was included into structure of a Great principality of Vladimir (XII-XIVth century). On the other hand, the crown symbolizes the rights and independence of Ivanovo Oblast as a subject of Russian Federation.

The figures of lion and eagle in heraldry are named as shield-holders and emphasize a high rank of the arms. The gold lion is borrowed from the well-known Vladimir arms, gold eagle - from Kostroma coat of arms. Shield-holders, as well as crown, give the completed shape to the coat of arms and emphasize, that this is the coat of arms of Russian Federation sibject with all defined rights of an autonomy. The main composition of the arms leans on a wreath of flax and cotton. Flax and cotton are the main raw materials used by Ivanovo textile industry. The two-colour band with a silver strip repeats primary colors and metals of shield fields: dark-red, azure and silver.