러시아의 쌍두독수리 상징: 문화의 혼종성에서 국가의 정체성으로

Abstract

The nature of mankind dates back to ancient times. Among them, the bird has been one of the ancient totems of mankind as a being that connects gods and humans, heaven and earth. In particular, the eagle is used today as a crest symbolizing the history, tradition, and ideology of each country. The double-headed eagle of the Russian coat of arms was brought from the Byzantine and has undergone several transformations before settling into today’s form. The double-headed eagle of the coat of arms solidifies Russia’s identity as the successor of Byzantium and at the same time makes it clear its status as a great power.BR This paper aims to clarify the establishment and importance of Russia’s cultural and national identity by examining influx process of the double-headed eagle from Byzantium to Russia, the process of its transformation, and the process of meaning extension as a coat of arms according to the times. In studies so far, the Russian coat of arms has been treated only as a Byzantine succession on a superficia level, while the symbolic meaning of an eagle symbol in the universal culture of mankind, the process of reinterpretation as it is introduced into each culture, and its meaning as a legitimate child of Christian civilization and faith around the world has been overlooked. This paper examined that the double-headed eagle not only played an important role in establishing Russia’s identity, but also was a symbol of strong pride of the suzerain of Christianity. It reveals not only Russia’s national and cultural identity, but also acts as declaration which announce the legitimacy of Russia as a BRChristian country and the central axis of the world, connected with the theory of BR“Moscow as the third Rome”.