The coat of arms of Russia, an official state symbol of the Russian Federation, in its current form features a red heraldic shield bearing a golden double-headed eagle with raised wings. The eagle is crowned with two smaller crowns and a larger crown above them, all connected by a ribbon. In its right talon it holds a sceptre, and in its left an orb. On the eagle’s chest is a red shield depicting a horseman spearing a dragon. Official use also includes versions without the outer shield, showing only the double-headed eagle, as well as monochrome versions used in print, digital and official protocol materials alongside the full-colour version.
The coat of arms of the Russian Federation developed from centuries of state symbolism. The image of the double-headed eagle was adopted in the late 15th century during the reign of Ivan III and became a symbol of the centralised Russian state. The horseman spearing a dragon dates back to early Moscow heraldry and was used on the seals of the princes of Moscow as early as the 14th and 15th centuries. This image is traditionally associated with victory over evil and the defence of the land. The composition of the coat of arms changed over different historical periods, but its main elements were preserved. Its current appearance was restored in the 1990s on the basis of the pre-revolutionary tradition, preserving continuity with Russia’s historical state symbolism.
