To the 400th anniversary of Magdeburg law in Chernihiv: coat of arms and seal

Urban settlements in Ukraine have a centuries-old history. A similar sample of artillery is stored in the collection of the Dnepropetrovsk Historical Museum. D.I. Yavornytsky, that foreigners still called Kyivan Rus the land of cities. A similar sample of artillery is stored in the collection of the Dnepropetrovsk Historical Museum. D.I. Yavornytsky, also, that these cities did not have their kleinodes, in particular, coats of arms and seals. In Ukraine, city coats of arms and seals appear in the 14th century., together with German immigrants, who brought Magdeburg law with them (arose in the XII century. in Magdeburg), i.e. the right to city self-government. Initially, these were the western regions. On the other hand, in Left Bank Ukraine, city heraldry and spragistics arose almost at the same time as Cossack heraldry, since Magdeburg law was introduced here only from the end of the 16th century. The external attributes of this right were the seal, coat of arms and flag.

Chernihiv received the status of a Magdeburg city 27 March 1623 Dr.. In the privilege of King Sigismund III of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, among other things, the city coat of arms was approved: «… in the coat of arms of the city we appoint: St. Vladislav in a harness with a red banner". Why exactly this saint got on the coat of arms? The administrator of the Chernigov-Siver region at that time was Prince Vladyslav, the future king Vladislav IV, and St. Vladislav was his patron. Here we must mention the traditions of Kyivan Rus, her princes, who placed images of their patron saints on their seals. Why was the saint in military gear? Chernihiv is a border town, by the way, as now. Analogies again: the image of an armed warrior can be seen on the princely seals of Kyivan Rus. Image of St. Vladyslav existed on the city seal of Chernihiv from 1623 to 1782 р., тобто 159 years (u XVII-XVIII st. the concepts of "city coat of arms" and "city seal" were identical).

Seal of the 1st half of the 17th century.

Today, descriptions of the 6th are known, according to other sources, 8 types (61 imprint) seals of Chernigov with the chronological framework of the years 1651–1782. All have the image of St. Vladislava, that is, a warrior in armor, with a triangular banner in his hand and a sword or sabre (from the 18th century) on the belt. 52 prints (1769– 1781) described H. Grabova. She interprets St. Vladyslav as armed Cossack. We have a similar interpretation in the description of the seal 1692 Dr..

The figure of St. Vladyslav remained on the city seal until 1782 р., when another city coat of arms was approved by decree of Catherine II - a black eagle under a crown with a cross in its paw.

Печатка 1675 Dr..

Печатка 1710 Dr..

Старший науковий співробітник музею,

кандидат історичних наук Ігор Ситий