April 23, 1857, 167 years ago In Russia, as in many European countries, state heraldic emblems appeared in the Middle Ages. In 1497, the double-headed eagle first appeared as a state emblem on the seal of Ivan III, together with the image of Saint George, who had once been the patron of the princes of Kiev. If on Ivan III's seal both emblems were presented as equals, each occupying its side, from the next century, the double-headed eagle becomes the main emblem of the Russian coat of arms. As the tsarist power strengthened , new attributes were added to the eagle and the rider. In the 17th century, the eagle held in its talons the scepter and orb – the regalia of royal and imperial power, accepted in all monarchic states. The coat of arms of Russia changed under many tsars. This occurred under Ivan the Terrible, Mikhail Fedorovich, Peter I, Paul I, Alexander I, and Nicholas I. Each of these monarchs made some changes to the state emblem. However, a serious heraldic reform was carried out during the reign of Alexander II in 1855-1857. By his command, a Heraldry Department was created in the Heraldry Department of the Senate, headed by Baron B. Kene. He developed an entire system of Russian state coats of arms (Great, Medium, and Small), orienting their artistic execution towards the recognized standards of European monarchical heraldry. Under Kene's leadership, the design of the eagle and Saint George was also changed, and the state coat of arms was brought into accordance with international heraldry rules. On April 23, 1857, Alexander II approved the "Detailed Descriptions of the State Coat of Arms, the State Seal, and the Coats of Arms of the Members of the Imperial House", which described the Great, Medium, and Small state coats of arms, meant to symbolize the unity and might of Russia. In May 1857, the Senate published a decree with the description of the new coats of arms and their usage norms, which remained unchanged until 1917. By the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars "On the Abolition of Estates and Civil Ranks" (1917), Russian distinctive signs, orders, flag, and coat of arms were abolished. The double-headed eagle returned to the country's coat of arms only in 1993, when by a presidential decree the new state coat of arms – the double-headed eagle, whose design was based on the coat of arms of the Russian Empire, was introduced.