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Survey in Minsk: Belarusians consider Pahonia their coat of arms

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Survey in Minsk: Belarusians consider Pahonia their coat of arms

Capital dwellers argue for the return of the national symbols.

A survey in the city streets conducted by journalists of Nasha Niva proves this.

The majority of Minsk interviewees consider a white-red-white flag and Pahonia coat of arms national. They were banned after a referendum held on May 14, 1995.

The history of Pahonia is more than 600 years old. The image of an armed horseman was a popular symbol in Eastern Europe. The document with a seal depicting a knight on horseback with a sword emerged in 1366. Since the end of the XIV century the charging knight on horseback with a sword had begun to feature in an heraldic shield — on seals of Grand Duke Jogaila and Vytautas.

Belarusian-Lithuanian chronicles of the first half of the XVI century attribute creation of a coat of arms to legendary Grand Duke Narymont Romanovich of the XIII century.

The Pahonia coat of arms remained the state symbol of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795. The Pahonia then became incorporated into the state emblem of Russia. By 1900, the Pahonia was the main or constituent part of 22 coats of arms of cities of the Russian Empire, three provinces and one region.

In 1918 the Pahonia and white-red-white flag became state symbols of the Belarusian Democratic Republic. During Soviet times they were forbidden, but remained symbols of resistance. So they do now.

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