The majestic double-headed eagle has been associated with Russia for centuries, serving as an important national symbol that conveys power and strength. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: Russia’s national bird is the double-headed eagle.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the history and significance of the double-headed eagle as Russia’s national bird. We’ll look at its origins, its meaning and symbolism, its use over the years from the Russian empire to the Soviet Union to modern Russia, and why it continues to be an enduring emblem of the Russian nation.
Origins and Early History of the Double-Headed Eagle
Earliest Depictions in Ancient Cultures
The double-headed eagle is an ancient symbol that has been used by various cultures across Europe and Asia for over 4,000 years. Some of the earliest depictions have been found in ancient Hittite and Sumerian art dating back to around 2000 BC.
In these early civilizations, the double-headed eagle was seen as a symbol of divine power and authority. Over time, it became associated with empire and kingship.
One theory suggests that the symbol originated from a splitting of an eagle’s body at the wings depicting a dual sovereignty. Another links it to the widespread ancient belief that eagles had the ability to look both back into the past and forward into the future simultaneously.
Whatever its exact origins, the motif gained popularity and has continued to be used up to the present day.
Adoption by Byzantine Empire
The double-headed eagle rose to great prominence when it was adopted in the 11th century by the Byzantine Empire as its official state symbol. As the continuation of the Roman Empire in the east, Byzantium linked the symbol to the traditions of both Imperial Rome and Christian Constantinople.
It came to represent the unity between the secular and religious authority of the emperor, or the joint administration of the empire by two equal emperors.
The Byzantines would help spread the use of the double-headed eagle motif to Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. However, even after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the double-headed eagle continued to be used by successor states claiming to be the next heir to the Byzantine legacy.
Brought to Russia
The first adaptation of the double-headed eagle in Russia can be traced back to the 10th century with the ruler Grand Prince Ivan III. But it rose to greater prominence under Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century.
As Russia grew into a mighty empire stretching from Eastern Europe to the Pacific, the double-headed eagle came to represent Russia’s self-proclaimed stature as the successor state to the fallen Byzantine Empire as the “Third Rome”.
It was seen as a symbol of divine approval and absolute power of the Tsar.
Despite some interruptions in its use due to political changes over the centuries, the double-headed eagle was reinstated time and again. Even after the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Soviet government adapted the symbol by adding the communist hammer and sickle.
Today the double-headed eagle remains an iconic symbol of Russia found on the country’s coat of arms.
Meaning and Symbolism
Representation of Power and Strength
The double-headed eagle has long been a symbol of power and strength in Russian culture. Its origins trace back to the Byzantine Empire, which used the double-headed eagle as a state symbol. When Ivan III married the niece of the last Byzantine emperor in 1472, he adopted the double-headed eagle as Russia’s coat of arms.
Since then, it has come to represent Russia’s ambitions as a mighty empire and dominant power.
The two heads of the eagle are said to symbolize Asia and Europe, representing Russia’s geographic position spanning both continents. The eagle’s spread wings show Russia’s vast territories and dominance. Its claws grasp imperial orb and scepter, symbolizing sovereign rule over land and people.
The eagle’s vigor and aggressive pose depict Russia’s formidable military power and strength.
The coat of arms endured through centuries of Romanov rule, Soviet era, and remains Russia’s official state symbol today. The double-headed eagle continues to exemplify Russia’s national identity as a strong, defiant, and fiercely independent power on the global stage.
Link to Religion and Spirituality
In Russian Orthodox Christianity, the double-headed eagle bears religious symbolism and has deep spiritual meaning. Its two heads represent the secular and religious authority united under one ruler. The eagle’s body symbolizes the church, while its wings represent the spiritual ascent towards God.
The eagle is a sacred figure in Bible scripture. Ezekiel’s vision describes God’s throne flanked by four two-headed eagles (Ezekiel 1:10). In adopting Byzantium’s emblem, Russia took on the mantle of a Christian empire under divine rule and providence.
The Russian Tsar was considered God’s chosen representative on Earth.
For Russian Orthodoxy, the crowned double-headed eagle represents the spiritual kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ, the heavenly Tsar. It exemplifies God’s omnipotence and the hopes for divine justice. The eagle remains a spiritual symbol reflecting Russia’s faith, shared history, and Orthodox identity.
Association with Unity and Sovereignty
The double-headed eagle has long stood as a visual emblem of the unified Russian state. During Ivan III’s reign, it symbolized gathering disparate lands under Moscow’s centralized rule. The two heads were seen to better control diverse territories from Europe to Siberia.
The eagle represented Russia’s emergence as a sovereign nation-state. Ivan the Great was the first to officially adopt the title of Tsar – derived from Caesar. The double-headed eagle showed Russia as the “Third Rome” and a great power on par with the fallen Byzantine and Roman empires.
In the 20th century, the Soviet Union readopted the double-headed eagle as the national emblem, minus imperial trappings. The two heads now stood for Russia proper and the 14 Soviet republics unified under communism.
Today, the emblem retains its connotations of sovereignty for the Russian Federation within its current national borders.
The eagle remains a potent patriotic symbol that stirs a sense of national dignity and unity. Most Russians perceive the iconic double-headed eagle as representing the continuing strength, cohesion, and independence of their homeland through the ages.
Use Over the Years in Russia
Russian Empire
The double-headed eagle has been used as a symbol of Russian state power for centuries, dating back to the 15th century when Ivan III adopted it as the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. According to some accounts, Ivan III chose the double-headed eagle after his marriage to Sophia Palaiologina, whose family sigil was the double-headed eagle used in the Byzantine Empire.
Over the following centuries of the Russian Empire, the double-headed eagle came to be inextricably associated with the Russian state. It adorned imperial regalia, appeared on government buildings, flags, seals and currency as a symbol of unity, sovereignty and authority.
Soviet Union Era
After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the double-headed eagle was removed as the state symbol since it was associated with the imperial past. Instead, communist symbols like the hammer and sickle became prevalent.
However, the Russian double-headed eagle continued to appear sporadically, like on a Palace of Soviets project in the 1930s that was never completed.
Interestingly, while absent from Soviet iconography within the country, the double-headed eagle appeared on buildings of Soviet diplomatic missions in the West in the Stalinist era of the mid-1930s, perhaps to invoke Russian sovereignty abroad.
Modern Russian Federation
With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the double-headed eagle returned as the official state symbol of the new Russian Federation under President Boris Yeltsin. Today it appears on government buildings, official documents, the State Seal, armed forces insignia and more as a symbolic embodiment of Russia.
According to a 2018 survey, the double-headed eagle and the St George ribbon were tied as the top two national symbols most associated with Russia, with 75% of respondents selecting them. Clearly both the imperial past and the Soviet era continue to shape Russian identity today.
Why the Double Eagle Remains Russia’s Enduring National Symbol
Historic Significance
The double-headed eagle has been used as a symbol of power and authority in Russia for over 500 years. It was first adopted in the 15th century under Ivan III after his marriage to Sophia Palaiologina of Byzantium, whose family emblem was the double-headed eagle.
This symbol linked Russia to the heritage of the Eastern Roman Empire and signified Russia’s claim as the successor state to the fallen Constantinople. The double-headed eagle continued to be used by subsequent Tsars as a representation of a unified Russian state and was incorporated into Russia’s coat of arms until the revolution of 1917 when it was replaced by Soviet symbolism.
However, in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union, the double-headed eagle was restored as the coat of arms of the new Russian Federation under Boris Yeltsin, once again solidifying its enduring connection to Russian national identity.
Cultural Importance for National Identity
The double-headed eagle holds deep cultural resonance and meaning for Russians as a core part of their national identity. It represents the dual nature of governance over both East and West. The two heads stand for Asia and Europe, uniting the vast geographic breadth of Russia across two continents.
The eagle also symbolizes wisdom, power and authority within Russian culture. According to legend, the eagle was able to see both the past and the future, linking Russia’s historic traditions and glory to its aspiration for the future.
Additionally, the eagle is a sacred animal in Orthodox Christianity, the dominant religion in Russia. The double-headed eagle’s use in Orthodox iconography and decoration reinforces its symbolic importance for Russian culture and spirituality.
Even today, the eagle remains highly visible in Russian art, architecture, coins and heraldry as an enduring reminder of Russia’s unique cultural heritage.
Projection of Strength on Global Stage
In addition to its cultural significance, the double-headed eagle allows Russia to project an image of power and strength on the global stage. By reviving this historic symbol, Russia signaled its resurgence as a dominant, unified force after the fragmentation of the Soviet era.
The twin heads of the eagle look both East and West, underlining Russia’s geopolitical influence across Eurasia. The spread wings represent protection over Russian lands, while the displays of armor and weapons signify military might and readiness.
As such, the eagle serves as a strategic symbol of national strength and authority for Russia in the 21st century world order. It appears across Russian government institutions such as the armed forces, national emblem, Central Bank, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscoring Russia’s sovereignty and independence on the international level.
The double-headed eagle reminds the world that Russia remains a formidable power preserving its traditions while looking ambitiously to the future.
Conclusion
For over 700 years, the double-headed eagle has stood as Russia’s most recognizable national symbol. It conveys power, unity, spirituality, and the long sweep of Russian history all in one imposing image.
Despite regime changes over the centuries, the double eagle has endured as an emblem uniquely associated with the Russian nation.
