MUSEUM OF PEOPLE'S FRIENDSHIP

CARPET WITH THE IMAGE OF THE COAT OF ARMS OF GRODNO

The modern coat of arms of the Belarusian city of Grodno was approved on June 15, 1988 by the Executive Committee of the Grodno City Council of People's Deputies. In the blue field of the shield, a deer is depicted galloping over a silver wattle fence; a golden cross is attached to the deer's head between the horns.

History and symbolism of the coat of arms

It is believed that the coat of arms was granted to the city in 1540 by the Queen of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuania Bona Sforza, but the first seals depicting the coat of arms of Grodno date back to 1565. They depict a galloping deer with a golden cross between the antlers, the deer of St. Hubert.

Saint Hubert is a Catholic saint, Bishop of Liege. Hubert lived for some time at the court of the Frankish king Theodoric III, then at the court of Pepin, the patron saint of hunters. Being himself a passionate hunter and, moreover, a brave man, Hubert often disappeared in the forest. One day, while hunting, a terrible storm happened, and Hubert fought off his comrades, lost in the forest. There was no longer any hope of salvation, and Hubert turned to God in prayer when he saw a deer with a shining cross between its horns, proudly standing among the trees. Following this deer, the hunter got out of the thicket. The astonished hunter was not distinguished by good behavior, but this sign struck him so much that he completely changed his life, since then becoming an exemplary Christian - he gave away all his property to the poor, and, moreover, made a spiritual career.

After his death in 727, Hubert was elevated to the rank of saints. In the West, Saint Hubert has been revered since ancient times as the patron saint of hunting and animals, especially dogs. On this basis, in the state of Belgium, hunting dogs are allowed in the churches named after St. Hubert, which is strictly prohibited by the canons of the Christian Church.

This saint is honored on November 3.

In Grodno, Saint Hubert was revered by the townspeople as an example of moral self-improvement and as the patron saint of hunters, for hunting in ancient Grodno was almost the main activity for a long time. Near the city there were rich hunting grounds (which later became royal - it was near Grodno that the king of Poland, Stephen Bathory, caught a cold and died while hunting) of the Belovezhskaya and Grodno Forest. Hunting was carried out mainly for large meat animals, which abounded at that time in the vicinity of Grodno (bison, tours, deer, wild boars).

The fence through which the deer gallops was later added to the coat of arms and symbolizes the love of freedom of the inhabitants of Grodno.

After the city was annexed to the Russian Empire in 1795, the old coat of arms was abolished. In 1802, the coat of arms of the Grodno province was approved: on the upper part of the shield there was a horseman with an eight-pointed cross on the shield, and in the lower part - the image of a bison on a red background. On April 6, 1845, the rider was removed from the coat of arms. In 1878 the image of the bison was changed, the emperor's crown, ribbons and oak leaves were given to the coat of arms.

On June 15, 1988, by decision No. 285 of the Executive Committee of the Grodno City Council of People's Deputies, the modern coat of arms of Grodno was approved. Authors: Vitaly Andreevich Frolov and Sergey Vasilievich Ilyin.

This exhibit was donated to the Museum by the Mayor of Grodno, Goy Mechislav Bronislavovich in October 2017.