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Aq Bars (or Ak Bars) (Cyrillic: Ак Барс) is the emblem of Tatarstan. It is an ancient Bulgar symbol translated as "White Leopard" or "Snow Leopard", and has been in use since 1991 as the official symbol of Tatarstan.
Historically, this symbol was used in Volga Bulgaria and the Khanate of Kazan (Qazan) – predecessors of Tatarstan – as a state symbol. The snow leopard symbol comes from the totems of one of the Bulgar tribes – the Barsil. According to legend, the Barsils founded Bilär in Volga Bulgaria.
The creator of the current emblem is the artist Rif Zägri ulı Fäxretdinev.
Historical coats of arms
The Russian coat of arms of Volga Bulgaria: a green shield with a silver walking lamb, holding a red gonfalone, divided by a silver[1] cross, with a golden staff.[2][3]
The Russian coat of Arms of Volga Bulgaria
A Russian seal, featuring the coat of arms of the Bulgarian king
The emblem of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
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See also
- Ak Bars Kazan - this coat of arms is the hockey team's secondary logo, used extensively on their jerseys
- Zilant
References
- ^ Геральдикум: Титульные гербы
- ^ Госсимволика: Большой герб Российской империи (1882 г.)
- ^ "Всероссийский Монархический Центр – Большой Государственный Герб Российской Империи". Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2013-09-12.
- ^ The status of Crimea and of the city of Sevastopol is since March 2014 under dispute between Russia and Ukraine; Ukraine and the majority of the international community consider Crimea to be an autonomous republic of Ukraine and Sevastopol to be one of Ukraine's cities with special status, while Russia, on the other hand, considers Crimea to be a federal subject of Russia and Sevastopol to be one of Russia's three federal cities.