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Video: Catherine II and the Kazan serpent: How the mythical dragon Zilat got on the coat of arms of the Russian city
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Many coats of arms of cities or countries depict mythical creatures. Dragons and dragon-like creatures are often found among the popular "personas". So on the Kazan coat of arms a similar snake flaunts under the name Zilant. And he became a symbol of the city not with the light hand of artists, but at the behest of the monarch.
History and legends
According to legend, when the first settlers appeared in these places, they chose a large hill. The place was comfortable, fertile, and nearby was the Kazanka River, full of fish. I must say that it was on this place that the Kazan Kremlin was subsequently erected.
But initially, people had great difficulty in developing new lands: snakes were found on the hill. Moreover, according to legend, not simple, but huge, as thick as a log. To get rid of dangerous neighbors, people cheated: in the spring they collected straw and laid it out near the hill. The snakes crawled out of their holes, sensing the spring warmth, and climbed into the straw. The straw was also set on fire. All the snakes died.
But the serpent king survived. He had wings and even, according to some reports, two heads. The serpent flapped its wings and flew to the other side of the river. There he settled on a hill that was later named Zilantov. There the snake lived, sometimes it flew to its hill, drank water and frightened people. They say that he did not forgive the death of his relatives and for a long time took revenge on the settlers. not only frightened, but also grabbed and killed.
But there was one batyr who volunteered to fight the snake. They fought long and hard, and the batyr died at the end of the battle. Then the snake, which was struck by the batyr's spear, also died.
Despite such hostile relationships, the Zilant snake has long been considered the patron saint of Kazan. Most likely, these are echoes of the ancient worship of winged serpents and dragons. By the way, there are other versions of the legend, according to which the snake did not die, but hides in the dungeons or sleeps, guarding Kazan and its environs in a dream.
Dragons were revered not only in the East, but also in Europe, although it was quite a long time ago. Dragons and winged snakes were ancient symbols of wisdom, fertility and natural power. So it comes as no surprise that the serpent has become the recognized patron saint of the city.
What did the snake look like?
Historians believe that after the conquest of Kazan, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered to transfer the image of the serpent Zilant to the state seal. Then this image received the first state registration.
Only according to the description, it was not a dragon or a serpent, but a basilisk - with a rooster's legs, in a crown, with wings and a snake's tail. A flying serpent and a dragon, and even more so a basilisk, are completely different creatures. Why did Zilant look so strange? Most likely, this is because the coat of arms was originally drawn by foreign specialists. So the snake turned out to look like a European basilisk, and not like an oriental dragon.
But officially Zilant got on the coat of arms of Kazan much later, already during the reign of Catherine II.
Catherine II in Kazan
In 1767, Catherine II set out on a long journey along the Volga to survey her possessions and see her subjects. The queen visited several cities, including Kazan. She liked the city very much, and the empress received a truly royal welcome. The Empress got to know the city and the people, as well as the history of the city and legends. Apparently, she also learned about the snake Zilant at the same time.
In 1781, the Kazan governorship with the center in Kazan was approved by the decree of the tsarina. Therefore, the official city coat of arms of Kazan was approved in the same year by the highest decree. In the notes to the decree, it was said that the old coat of arms was approved, that is, they did not invent a new one, but took an ancient image, already known for a long time. And on all the coats of arms of the cities that were part of the Kazan governorship, there was also an image of an ancient winged serpent.
Zilant and modernity
The snake can be seen not only in the capital of Tatarstan. For example, he is comfortably located on the coat of arms of the city of Kashira. And the figure of Zilant is crowned with a long spire on the tower of the Kazan railway station in Moscow. Winged dragon figures can be seen in modern Kazan in many places. The image of Zilant is found there even more often than the symbol of Tatarstan - the White Leopard. Especially after 2004, when the old Kazan coat of arms was officially restored.
According to rumors, a similar snake was even seen, back in the 19th century, an ancient written testimony of one monk has survived. True, only one thing. But once, while examining the Zilantova Mountain, the researchers found an ancient, half-buried cave. Isn't it the burrow of a real snake?
According to some legends, the Zilant snake still lives in the mysterious Kaban Lake, near Kazan. And, according to one version, it protects the treasures of the famous queen Syuyumbike. And on the other - the treasures of the Tatar khan. But that, as they say, is a completely different story.
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