Day of the State Emblem of Ukraine: history, interesting facts and meaning of the symbol (2024)

Today, Ukrainians celebrate the Day of the National Emblem. The Ukrainian trident is a symbol of strength, independence and thirst for freedom! Its history goes back to ancient times, and respect for it is firmly rooted in the minds of our people. Learn more about the history of the holiday and interesting facts about the State Emblem of Ukraine

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Every year on February 19, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the State Coat of Arms, because it was on this day in 1992 that the Verkhovna Rada approved the Small Coat of Arms of Ukraine - the trident.

On the occasion of the holiday, we will recall the history and meaning of the Ukrainian symbol, as well as tell interesting facts about it.

The history of the Ukrainian trident

Archaeologists found the first images of the trident on cultural monuments dating back to the first century AD. For our ancestors, it was a kind of talisman.

Later, the trident became known as the ancestral sign of the Rurik family.

There are historical facts that Prince Igor's ambassadors, during the signing of treaties, put a seal with this very symbol.

During the time of Volodymyr Svyatoslavovych, coins were minted with his portrait on one side, and a trident on the other.

The trident was constantly used in the everyday life of Ukrainians, in particular, in Carpathian villages it was a tradition to paint it on walls or gates during the religious holiday of Epiphany. Thus, in the signs of the cross and trident, Christian and pagan symbols were combined.

For the first time, the trident officially became the State Emblem of the Ukrainian People's Republic on March 22, 1918 - exactly two months after the declaration of independence by the IV Universal of the Central Rada.

The coat of arms of modern Ukraine, which is known to us today, was based on a sign from the coins of Volodymyr the Great.

What does trident mean?

During the last 100 years, more than 50 scientists in different parts of the world are trying to guess the origin and meaning of the trident. Their opinions are quite different. There are many hypotheses regarding the interpretation of the trident, the most common ones are that it is the tip of the scepter of the Byzantine or Scythian king, a crown, a dove of the Holy Spirit, a banner, an anchor, a Norman bow, a Norman helmet, a Norman axe, the end of a Norman spear, etc.

The significance of the trident among the Ukrainian population is threefold: it is also a symbol of state power, i.e., the state coat of arms; national sign and religious symbol.

Interesting facts about the State Coat of Arms of Ukraine

● There are more than forty versions that explain the origin of the trident. The most popular of them says that this ancient sign is a mystical symbol of the three-dimensionality of the world.

● After the approval of the trident as the coat of arms of the Ukrainian People's Republic, it was said that the word "will" was encoded in it. Also, many people see in the trident the initial letters of the names of Volodymyr, Olga and Yaroslav - princes who glorified the Ukrainian state.

● When approving the State Coat of Arms of Ukraine, many options were considered, but they decided to stop at the trident in order to demonstrate how ancient the history of the Ukrainian state is.

● The largest state coat of arms in Ukraine is depicted on the facade of the "Parus" hotel in Dnipro. It was created in May 2014 by fans of the Dnipro football club.

The trident is a symbol of modern Ukraine

The events of the winter of 2013-2014 became a special time for the revival of the state symbols of Ukraine. On the Maidan during the Revolution of Dignity, the trident was painted on shields and helmets.

Also, after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, there was a real boom in national symbols in Ukraine. The trident began to be depicted on clothes, accessories, dishes, jewelry, etc. The most popular were t-shirts and hoodies with the trident sign.

Ukrainians believe in the power of their national symbol and value and respect it.

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