Historical and Geographical Meanings of the Black-Soll Cities Coats of Arms: Signs of Traditionalism and Paradoxicality

Abstract

The purpose is to identify the historical and geographical meanings of coats of arms of black-soil cities in order to assess their traditional and paradoxical nature as part of cultural heritage and as a resource for increasing cognitive and tourist interest. Materials and methods. During the expeditionary travels in the season of 2021, a need was identified for a cameral study of the images and blazon of coats of arms of 52 cities of the Central Black Soil regions of Russia (Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk and Tambov). Heraldic sources, the results of the heraldic work of F. Santi and B. Köhne, systematic descriptions of coats of arms by A.B. Lakier and P.P. von Winkler, and modern editions by M.Yu. Medvedev became materials for the search for meanings. Using the historical and geographical approach, a comparison of coats of arms from different times is made according to the prevailing approaches. Results and discussion. The idea of coats of arms as identifying marks, a concise and informative business card, contributing to the recognisability of a city, encounters contradictions of different genesis, leading to the manifestation of heraldic paradoxicality. Coats of arms as a marker of a city, an important and official symbol of the city, are often perplexing, leading away from an understanding of the city's key specialisation. The roots of modern coats of arms can be traced back, for the most part, to the 18th century. Subsequently, the coats of arms were revised. The study has classified coats of arms chronologically and substantively, assessed the recognisability of the city based on the coat of arms, and cited the most striking paradoxes enshrined in the heraldic image. Conclusions. Knowledge about coats of arms significantly expands the cognitive and research possibilities of geographical science and can be used as a resource for urban development, including tourism.