How is the double-headed eagle from the Russian coat of arms different from the others?
The royal bird
The double-headed eagle "arrived" in Russia from Byzantium – together with Sophia Paleologue, the bride of Ivan III, who came from the last ruling dynasty. The heraldic bird took its place on the seal of Ivan III in 1497 and, over time, acquired the attributes of royal power – a scepter, orb and crowns.
After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, it was replaced by a sickle and hammer on the coat of arms. And the double-headed eagle returned only after the collapse of the USSR in 1993 – the new coat of arms of Russia was created based on the historical one by Evgeny Ukhnalyov, chief artist of the Hermitage.
The two heads of the eagle, facing East and West, symbolize power. The three crowns – two on the heads and one above the bird itself – the sovereignty of the country and its parts. The scepter and orb are symbols of state unity. The horseman striking the snake is a symbol of victory over evil and protection of native lands.
Other eagles
Today, in addition to Russia, two-headed eagles are on the coats of arms of several countries. In Serbia, this symbol of the state appeared in the 14th century during the time of the Serbian Kingdom. In 2004, the country returned to its historical coat of arms – a silver two-headed eagle with golden beaks and legs, with a red shield on the chest, on which four flints are depicted.
The bird symbolizes the power of the country and recalls the Nemanjic dynasty, the founders of the united Serbian state. The shield is divided into four parts by the so-called Serbian cross: the flint in each segment is a symbol of the strength of the Christian faith, which is like a bright fire.
A golden double-headed eagle in a crown and a shield on the chest, on which a leopard lion is depicted, can be seen on the coat of arms of Montenegro. This bird, symbolizing state and church power, was borrowed from the coat of arms of the first Montenegrin rulers – the Petrović-Nogoš. A lion with a raised paw on an azure-green field is a symbol of courage and episcopal power, as well as the historical ties of Montenegro with Venice.
In the eagle's paws is a scepter and orb, as a reminder of ties with Byzantium on one hand and with the Romanov dynasty on the other. For example, the Montenegrin king Nikola I Petrović was a field marshal of the Russian imperial army.
A black double-headed eagle with spread wings is present on the coat of arms of Albania. Once such a bird was depicted on the coat of arms of the Kastrioti dynasty. It is no coincidence that the helmet of Skanderbeg, one of its representatives, the leader of the uprising for independence in the 15th century, is depicted above the eagle. For Albanians, the eagle is not just a heraldic bird, but also a symbol of the ‘Land of Eagles’, as they nickname their homeland.