러시아 문장(紋章)의 역사적 변천과 서사- 쌍두독수리와 성 게오르기(Св. Георгий)를 중심으로

Abstract

This paper analyzes the changes and specificity of the two-headed eagle, St. George heraldry in Russia. These two coats of arms evolved into emblems that gradually identified the Moscow state power. Among them, the seal and the coin were the main mediators of the heraldry because they were easy to move and strong to spread without distinction of rank and class. According to the logic of imperial expansion, the two-headed eagle was recognized on the Russian nation as the successor of the Byzantine and the Orthodox Church in the Russian imperial period. This emblem of the Russian empire infiltrated into Russian literature, art and everyday life. Even the Soviet Union, which denied the Russian Empire, in early days used the two-headed eagle as an indicator of the eternity and prosperity of the Soviet Union. St. George, a Christian martyr, transformed into an incarnation of strength and courage in Russian heraldry. St. George heraldry was handed down as a symbol of the Moscow monarch, the emperor of the Russian empire. The coat of arms of St. George, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil and the victory of light over darkness, was a mediator of the good Christian nation and the political power of justice in Russia. This symbolism was extended by the joining of the two-headed eagle and St. George. From this point of view, the two-headed eagle and St. George heraldry became the visual arts representing Russian nationalism and identity.