Coat of arms of Lithuania

The coat of arms of the Republic of Lithuania is named Vytis ( " the Followers " ), transmitted as " the white knight ", and is one of the oldest European coat of arms.

The current crest is laid down in Article 15 of the Lithuanian Constitution, which was adopted in 1992 by a referendum. The Coat of Arms description is:

Description

Adopted in September 1991, modern shield in red shows a strongly worded silver knights with golden spurs on a white ( silver ) prancing horse. In his right hand he wears on his head holding a silver sword with a golden hilt, in the left a blue shield with a golden cross of Lorraine. The closure of the silver sheath of the sword is golden, saddle and bridle of the horse are blue with gold decoration.

History

The Vytis was by the Lithuanian princes Narimantas (son of Gediminas ) used at the beginning of the 14th century, as the chronicle of Schemaitien reported.

The attacking knight is the first time officially established in 1366 on the Seal of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas. The symbol of the attacking knight was passed on Algirdas ' son Władysław II Jagiello ( Jogaila Lithuanian ) and to the following generations. The Double Cross took Jogaila as an alleged cross of St Ladislaus at his baptism in 1386 at. It was in the sequel to the family symbol of the Jagiellonian and is also part of the national coat of arms of Hungary and Slovakia.

Even in the 14th century, the Vytis was also depicted in a heraldic shield, first documented in the seal Jogailas 1386 (or 1387 ) and the seal of Vytautas ' 1401.

Back in the 15th century, the Knights Templar was the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the central Principality of Vilnius in this form. Older versions show the rider with a lance and riding to the left, but in the second half of the 15th century at the latest sword and shield of the knight and the orientation to the ( heraldic ) right as well as the colors and the shape of the shield in the left hand of the Knight binding.

The term Vytis is first documented in the 16th century, but probably older than that.

The attacking knight was probably originally a representation of the Lithuanian ruler, over the centuries, however, the interpretation spread as a knight, the attacker distributes from his home country. Especially in the 19th and early 20th century, this interpretation was popular.

A historical explanation for this interpretation is an account of the battle of Tannenberg of 1410, in which the Polish-Lithuanian forces stopped the expansion of the Teutonic Order to the east. According to this report fought thirty of the forty Lithuanian regiments under the banner of Vytis.

With minor stylistic changes, the coat of arms remained until 1795, the Lithuanian state symbol. In the formation of Poland-Lithuania the Vytis was united with the Polish eagle in the coat of arms.

Over time, the Vytis became increasingly popular and a part of the coat of arms of many provinces and cities in Lithuania. The East Gate of the city walls of Vilnius ( " Gate of the Dawn " ) attached Vytis, which has been preserved until today, symbolized the position of the city as the capital of Lithuania.

When Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1795, the Vytis was integrated into the Russian Large Coat of Arms. It was used in a modified form for the city of Vilnius and the associated government further.

First half of the 20th century

After the independence of Lithuania Vytis the official state symbol was again. Many artists produced designs for the coat of arms. The most popular version of Antanas Žmuidzinavičius showed the long, three-part saddle cloth from the coat of arms of Poland-Lithuania. However, an official state emblem did not exist.

1929, a commission was convened under the leadership of the Lithuanian signatory Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, which should develop from historical models of the 16th century a state symbol. The proposal of the Commission, who renounced the rest to the prince's crown in the crest, but was never officially adopted.

After the occupation by the Soviet Union in 1940 the Vytis was banned, the use of the symbol was criminalized and could be punished under Josef Stalin by imprisonment or deportation. At the Soviet bloc there were only two publicly visible images of the Vytis, namely the " Gate of Dawn " in Vilnius and on the tiled image of the Fürstenzugs in Dresden under the words " Fri August D.Gerechte " and the annual figures " 1763-1827 ". The Lithuanian SSR was awarded a coat of arms, as in other Soviet coat of arms, which was valid until 1990.

1988-2007

Only in 1988 the Vytis was enacted back on 11 March and again in 1990 the official national symbol of the country. The design was based on the design of the Lithuanian sculptor Juozas Zikaras from 1925 that had this designed for the Lithuanian litas coins. This was a clear sign of attachment to the independent Lithuania the years 1918-1940.

On 10 April 1990, the Republic of Lithuania was the state emblem again officially put into operation and set its use by the Supreme Soviet, on 4 September 1991, the design according to recommendations of a heraldist Commission has been modified, with the colors of the Vytis from the historical models became binding again.

In 2004, the Seimas of a national flag, showing the national coat of arms on a red background, as it has already been used from 1918 to 1940. This flag does not replace the Lithuanian tricolor, but hoisted by government institutions at special occasions and anniversaries. Recently, a large version of the coat of arms was proposed that a banner with a verse from the Lithuanian national anthem ( " Vienybė težydi " - " may the unit blossom " ) shows.

2007 plans are to anchor Vytis in red Phon as state flag and recognize the yellow-green- red flag as the national flag. Thus the traditions of Poland - Lithuania would continue, with views of the Eastern European economic, cultural and political cooperation with Poland ( in the EU), Belarus and Ukraine as a possible common sign.

The Red flag with Vytis 1918 was therefore not declared as national flag after the declaration of independence, as they wanted to have as few associations with Bolsheviks and their revolution in 1917. In the historical and modern context, the red color would symbolize the blood, the fight for the freedom of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the liberation movements during the uprisings of 1830-1833 and 1860-1863 in the former territory of Poland - Lithuania and the liberation movements during the Soviet occupation stands and would therefore be provided for in the coat of arms.

Juozas Zikaras ' design (1925 )

Origin of the word Vytis

The origin of the word Vytis is not fully understood. For the first time it is demonstrated in 1846 at the Lithuanian historian Simona Daukantas, so the knights and horsemen called.

Some linguists believe that Daukantas the word as a translation of the Polish word Pogoń created by from the Lithuanian verb vyti ( " track " ) in analogy to similar formations vytis the noun formed (see pykti ( " anger " ) and pyktis ( " anger " ), cryptic ( ' tend ' ) and kryptis ( " direction " ) ). 1884 is first documented as a description of the escutcheon in the newspaper Aušra the word.

Similar Coat of Arms

Under the Belarusian name Pahonia ( Пагоня ) of Vytis is also a historical symbol of Belarus. In the years 1991-1995 it was the Belarusian national coat of arms. Here carries the rider on the sign a patriarchal cross.

Various families of the Polish szlachta used the Vytis, which is known under the name Pogoń in Poland, in their coat of arms. The current coat of arms of the districts of Vilnius and Panevėžys also show variations of Vytis. Some Lithuanian cities use the Vytis in divided crest, eg Liudinavas.

An especially frequent crest motif in Eastern Europe is St. George slaying riding a horse, the dragon and national saint of Lithuania. Some see this symbol a Christianized version of Vytis.

Coat of Arms of the Podlaskie region in Poland

Coat of arms of the district of Vilnius

Coat of Arms of Belarus (1991-1995)

Coat of arms of the former Polish football association Pogoń Lwów

Coat of Arms of Georgia with the Saint George