Coat of arms of Riga

The scarlet stone gate with two towers in a silver field, under a raised grid of the gate, is the golden head of a lion . Above the gate are crossed black keys, above which is a golden cross and a golden crown. The shield is held by two gold with scarlet tongues reversed lion on a gray base.

The small coat of arms is different from the large lack of supporters.

On the city seal in the period from 1225-1226 to 1330-1340, the city wall with an open gate and two towers, between which a cross was depicted, was used as a symbol, and on both sides of it was a key. The cross is interpreted as a symbol of the city’s belonging to the authority of the Riga bishop ; the keys, as the symbol of the Apostle Peter , signify the patronage of this saint. Gates are a common element of European urban heraldry and are usually regarded as a symbol of urban autonomy.

In 1347, a new stamp was made - a cross was replaced with a cross of the order, the placement of keys was changed, and a new element was added - a lion. The change in the shape of the cross probably signified the transfer of power over the city from the episcopate to the Livonian Order . Leo can be considered as a symbol of courage and increased independence of citizens.

Around 1554, the coat of arms began to be depicted with supporters - two lions. In 1656, as a merit for the defense of the city during the Swedish-Russian war, the city ​​received the right to place the Swedish crown in its emblem.

After the transition to Russian jurisdiction, the decree of Empress Catherine II approved the new coat of arms of the city, in which the Swedish crown was replaced by the Russian imperial, and half the Russian double-headed eagle acted as supporters.

When Latvia became an independent state, the heraldic committee established in 1923 under the leadership of Friedrich Groswald (1850-1924) and later Margers Skuenieks (1886-1941) began to work on the restoration of the historical coat of arms of Riga. After discussions, the coat of arms of 1347 and the image of the coat of arms placed in the document of 1660 “Privilegium nobilitatis senatus Rigensis” were taken as a basis.

In 1923, the coat of arms made by artist Karl Brentzen (1879-1951) was adopted for use. In 1925, with minor changes made by Professor Richard Zarins (1869–1939), the current version of the coat of arms was approved by the President of the State Janis Cakste ^[1] .

In the first years after Latvia was incorporated into the USSR, the coat of arms of Riga was not used. On February 15, 1967, the Soviet authorities approved the new city emblem, without supporters and with a golden star instead of a cross and a crown.

In 1988, the coat of arms was restored in the 1925 version.

• Riga flag

• The coat of arms of Riga // Riga: Encyclopedia = Enciklopija "Riga" / Ch. ed. P. P. Eran. - Riga: Main edition of encyclopedias , 1989. - p. 249-250. - 880 s. - 60 000 copies - ISBN 5-89960-002-0 .

• The emblem of the city of Riga // Portal Heraldika.ru.
• History of symbols // Portal of the Riga municipality.