Official Badge
The official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region is one of the symbols of state power, reflecting the socio-historical and state-legal status of the Leningrad Region, and is the main symbol of the position and status of the Governor. It is an image of the coat of arms of the Leningrad region in the form of a figured heraldic shield and a chain of a special kind that makes up one whole with it, made of precious metals with colored enamel. Entrusted to the Governor during the ceremony of taking office (inauguration) by honorary citizens of the Leningrad Region.
The official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region and some original elements of the symbolism of the official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region belong to the official symbolism of the Leningrad Region. Their use is carried out under the supervision of the Heraldic Commission under the Governor of the Leningrad Region.
Official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region:
is worn by the Governor in the performance of his/her duties in especially solemn cases (the ceremony of awarding state awards of the Leningrad Region, the most important festive ceremonies, mourning ceremonies and other);
at the discretion of the Governor, is used as a sign element or basis of other identification and representative symbols of the Governor, including those reproduced on the standard of the Governor, included in the official and personal coat of arms of the Governor*, when making official gifts, souvenirs handed by the Governor;
is reproduced on memorial badges “Inauguration of the Governor of the Leningrad Region”;
at the discretion of the Governor may be temporarily exhibited as a particularly valuable asset of the Leningrad Region.
The official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region is the property of the Leningrad Region and is in permanent storage in the Government of the Leningrad Region and is transferred for the period of use at the direction of the Governor.
The main element of the official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region is a medallion of complex shape in the form of the coat of arms of the Leningrad Region in the original styling, reproduced on the figured heraldic shield. On the reverse side of the medallion there is a relief inscription “Governor of Leningrad Region”. At the top of the medallion, there is a decorative element in the form of miniature stylized spruce paws with a ring for attachment to the chain.
The chain consists of 12 large links, which have the outlines of a figured heraldic shield, 12 smaller links, as well as two chains closing the chain along its upper and lower edges, and connecting links that hold the large and smaller links directly, similar to the links that make up the chains.
Of the 12 large links, six have the form of a relief golden ornamented scroll-cartouche, bearing in the center an oval medallion with a symbolic composition, enclosed in an oak chaplet. The other six large links have the appearance of a colored (with enamel) coat of arms with territorial symbols. In this case, the six links in the form of a scroll-cartouche bear the following symbolic compositions: “Candlestick with two candles in shine”, “Ancient ship on the waves”, “Fierce beast”, “Tsar-sculptor carving the tzaritza from the rock”, “Sword and shield against the background of the flame”, “Sun rising from the forest”.
Six links in the form of a coat of arms are reproduced in the part of the coat of arms:
the coat of arms of St. Petersburg Province, approved in 1878 (in the scarlet field a golden imperial scepter on a silver, indirectly cross-laid, anchor and a crampon (anchor with three ends);
the coat of arms of the principality of Izhora according to the version of 1730 (in the azure field there are two silver, on top of the wall battlement belts);
the coat of arms of the principality of Izhora according to the Petrovsky time version (in an azure field on green land there is a fortress wall with a through arch and loopholes, due to which there are three towers, the middle one is higher; above each of the towers there is a flag with two strings (scarlet flag – between two silver ones);
the Nevsky Coat of Arms according to the 1730 version (in the scarlet field on the green earth there is an azure column, over which a golden key is laid with the ear down and a silver sword with a golden hilt, connected by a purple ribbon);
the emblem of the south of historical Karelia (in the scarlet field there are two opposing hands in silver armor, bringing silver swords with golden hilt and accompanied by the emblem with three golden crowns);
the emblem “Ladoga” according to the version of 1730 (in the azure field, there is visible from the inside gateway with scarlet walls, golden gates and bars, silver waves).
Smaller links look like the figures of the coat of arms of the Leningrad Region – crossed silver anchor and golden key, located against the blue column under the crown in the form of silver tower merlons.
12 large links are interspersed with 12 smaller links, with six links in the form of a scroll-cartouche and six links in the form of a coat of arms are arranged alternately.
When another Governor of the Leningrad Region is elected, his/her initials, last name and year of election are put on the reverse (reverse side) of one of the large links; in case of re-election, the existing inscription is updated with a new date.
When defining the symbols of the obverse, the large links are listed in order of their distance from the main element, with a preference for the right side (from the point of view of the person wearing the official badge) relative to the left. When inscribed on the reverse, the reverse order is observed.
The symbolism of the elements of the official badge of the Governor of the Leningrad Region receives the following official interpretation:
the shape of the heraldic shield used in the decoration of the Governor’s official badge correlates with the opened book and thus symbolically indicates the Charter and legislation of the Leningrad Region as the basis of the rights and powers of the Leningrad Region and its Governor;
miniature spruce branches characterize the region’s natural features and symbolize its “evergreen” power;
scrolls-cartouches symbolize the pages of the history of the lands that now make up the territory of the Leningrad Region;
oak wreath echoes a similar element used in the design of the Russian territorial symbols of the second half of 19th – early 20th centuries;
candlestick with two candles – conditional and objective interpretation of the oldest sign of Rurik dynasty (“bident”), in this case reflecting the legend about the calling of Rurik by the Slavs and the location of the oldest capital of Russia – Staraya Ladoga, the supposed capital of Rurik, on the territory of the Leningrad Region; this interpretation is based on the analogy of the three-candlestick in the Novgorod coat of arms with the “trident” of the Rurik dynasty, adopted at the time of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir. At the same time, the two candles symbolize the closest historical connection between the two constituent entities of the Russian Federation – the Leningrad Region and St. Petersburg – and their significance for Russia;
the ancient ship symbolizes “the path from the Varangians to the Greeks”, the location of the lands of the Leningrad Region on the historical routes of communication between peoples and cultures;
“fierce beast” (fantastically rethought lion) – a symbol of the ancient Novgorod Republic;
the tzar-sculptor who carves the tzaritza from the rock is the personal emblem of Peter the Great, based on the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea, placed here as a symbol of Peter’s transformations that led to the allocation of lands belonging to the Leningrad Region to a separate region, and forever transforming these lands;
the sword and shield against the background of the flame symbolize the heroism shown by the Russians on the territory of the Leningrad Region during the war years;
the rising sun over the forest symbolizes the bright future of the Leningrad Region. The tops of the fir trees characterize the natural features of the region and indicate that the sun rises in the east (and does not sink into the Baltic waves).
The coats of arms used in the design of the official badge of the Governor reflect the historical fates of the territories that became part of the Leningrad Region. The version of the Karelian emblem was specially developed on the basis of historical local symbols (Karelian, Vyborg and Priozersky) as a heraldic symbol of the Karelian Isthmus.
Other used emblems reproduce historical local symbols. The provincial St. Petersburg coat of arms indicates the succession of the Leningrad Region of the historical province. At the same time, the Nevsky coat of arms corresponds to the central territories of the Leningrad Region, the version of the Izhora coat of arms predominantly central and southern, the Karelian coat of arms to the north, the Ladoga coat of arms to the eastern territories.
The symbolism of smaller units reproduces, in a conditionally plastic form, the symbolism of the coat of arms of the Leningrad Region and at the same time echoes the symbolism of the historical Nevsky coat of arms, as well as the historical symbol of legality – the “pillar of law”. At the same time, the combination of the anchor (the traditional symbol of hope) and the key (the symbol of achievement) allegorically indicates the fulfillment of the best hopes of the residents of the Leningrad Region.
One of the links in the form of a scroll-cartouche, the most distant from the main element of the official sign of the Governor of the Leningrad region, has a functional role of a fastener.
Regulations on the official badge of the Governor approved by Decree of the Governor of the Leningrad Region dated September 24, 2003 No. 161-pg (161-пг).
