Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The official state symbol of the Russian Federation is the double-headed eagle, a heraldic emblem with deep historical roots spanning centuries.
The eagle appears gold on a red field, crowned with three crowns (representing the sovereignty of the federation and its constituent republics). In its right talon, it holds a scepter (state authority); in its left, an orb (unity of the state). On its breast rests a red shield depicting Saint George slaying a dragon—a symbol of Moscow since the 14th century.
The double-headed eagle entered Russian heraldry in 1472 when Ivan III married Sophia Palaiologina, niece of the last Byzantine emperor, adopting the Byzantine imperial symbol. It represented the "Third Rome" concept—Moscow as successor to Rome and Constantinople. The emblem survived the Romanov dynasty, was replaced by the hammer and sickle under the USSR, and was restored in 1993 after the Soviet collapse.
Today, the coat of arms appears on Russian passports, government buildings, military insignia, and the presidential standard. It embodies continuity between medieval Muscovy, imperial Russia, and the contemporary federation.