Coat of arms of Montenegro
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{{Infobox coat of arms
| name = Coat of arms of Montenegro
| image = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
| image_width = 200
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| lesser = CoaMontenegrored.gif
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| lesser_caption = The Government of Montenegro usually use Coat of Arms on red background
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| year_adopted = [[12 July]], [[2004]]
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The '''Coat of arms of Montenegro''' ([[Serbian language|Serbian]]/[[Montenegrin language|Montenegrin]]: Грб Црне Горе, ''Grb Crne Gore'') was officially adopted by the law of [[Assembly of Montenegro|Parliament]] on [[13 July]] [[2004]]. It is now the central motif of the [[Flag of Montenegro]], as well as the coat of arms of the [[Army of Montenegro]].<!-- Description in the infobox -->
Also it was constitutionally sanctioned by the [[Constitution of Montenegro|Constitution]] proclaimed on [[2 October]] [[2007]].
== General ==
It represents the [[two-headed eagle]] in flight, of the [[House of Petrović-Njegoš]], a symbol of [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and ultimately [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] origin. It symbolizes the unity of Church and state, that is: either the unity, or the close connections between the Church and the state. The motif was used by the medieval rulers of [[Zeta (state)|Zeta]] - the [[House of Crnojević]], as well as various other [[Dynasties#Europe|European dynasties]]. The layout of the Montenegrin coat is inspired by that of the [[Russian Empire]], with which the ruling family of Montenegro had close dynastic and political ties in the 19th century when the coat was first adopted in its present form.
The ''lion passant'' in the centre is a sign of episcopal authority and represents the Biblical theme of the [[Resurrection]], or [[Christ]] Ruler of All (''Christos Pantokrator'', the [[Lion of Judah]]). It bears some similarity to the motif present in the arms of [[Venice]], which had considerable influence in the history of Montenegro. After [[Montenegro]] regained its independence and was liberated from the failing [[Serbia]]n state, it gradually became a [[theocracy]] in order to preserve unity before numerous [[Ottoman Empire|Turkish]] invasions of the country. For this reason, the authority of the church was reflected in various insignia of the age. After the establishment of the [[secular]] dynastic succession in 1851, the lion was placed beneath the eagle, while the initials of the ruler stood on the shield: notably, that of [[Danilo I, Prince of Montenegro]], [[Danilo II, Prince of Montenegro]] and King [[Nicholas I of Montenegro]]. Curiously, Danilo I was still a [[prince-bishop]] while the standard bearing his initials was used. The modern coat of arms placed the lion d'or back on the shield, erasing that monarchic symbol. Today, Montenegro is a secular, democratic republic, so the fact that the [[Crown (headgear)|crown]] of the Petrovic-Njegos dynasty was also represented created some controversy at the time of its adoption.
However, this solution proved extremely popular and the coat of arms can be seen not only in schools, government offices, etc., but in many private houses, places of business, and private universities and is a common display of national pride.
==Description of the Coat-of-arms==
The coat of arms of Montenegro is in shape of a golden crowned double-headed eagle with it wings in flight, with a scepter in its right and an orb in its left claw on a red base. On the eagle's chest is a shield with a golden lion passant. The lion is on a green field (base) with a blue background. The crown above the eagle's heads and the scepter are golden topped with a cross. The orb is blue with golden sheaths and cross.
==Use of the state symbols==
The coat of arms and the flag are used in the shape and contents determined by law. The use of the coat of arms and the flag is free in the artistic creativity and the educational work, in manners not disturbing the public morale, reputation and dignity of Montenegro. In the coat of arms and the flag, it is not permitted to correct, add or change anything. Exceptionally, and if it is determined with special regulations, the coat of arms and the flag could be used as component part of other emblems or signs of the state bodies and other institutions. The coat of arms and the flag can not be used as merchant or service seal, sample or model, nor as any other sign marking the merchandise and services. The coat of arms and the flag can not be used if they are defective or otherwise inappropriate for use due to the unsuitable appearance.
A defective or unsuitable for use coat of arms or such flag are revoked from use.
When displayed in Montenegro together with one or more coats of arms of other states or international organizations, the coat of arms takes the place of honor.
The place of honor is considered the central place in a circle, the top of the semicircle, the first place in a row, column or group of coats of arms, the place on the right, as seen from the front, from the coat of arms of another state or international organization. On scripts it takes place on the top center or upper left angle.
===The coat of arms is used:===
1) In the state seal;
2) In the seals of other state bodies and local self-management bodies;
3) In the official halls of the state bodies and the local self-management bodies and on official inscriptions on the buildings in which these are located;
4) In rooms of educational institutions in which the educational process is performed and on inscriptions on buildings in which these institutions are located;
5) On buildings of the representations of Montenegro abroad;
6) On official acts used by the representatives of the state bodies;
7) On charters, diplomas and recognitions granted by Montenegro;
8) On diplomas and attestations on finished education;
9) On identity cards of members of the Parliament, members of the Government, judges, inspectors and other officials.
===The coat of arms may be used:===
1) During political, scientific, cultural, artistic, sporting and other manifestations in which Montenegro is represented;
2) On official acknowledgments, greeting cards, invitations and other acts of the President of Montenegro, the Chairman of the Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the High Court, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme State Attorney and the Human Rights Ombudsman;
3) On official uniforms;
4) In artistic creations and in educational work;
5) In other cases defined by the law.
== History ==
=== Medieval ===
The oldest symbol of Montenegro is a [[bicephalic eagle]], the coat of arms of the [[Byzantine Empire]]. With the crumbling of the Eastern Roman Empire at the face of the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] threat, numerous [[Eastern Orthodox]] realms adopted the eagle, being a symbol of Orthodoxy, [[Russia]] being the first. The eagle was the coat of arms of the [[Serbian Despotate]]. In 1421 Serbian Despot [[Stefan Lazarević]] inherited Zeta from [[Balša III]], after which the double-headed eagle was introduced to Zeta, the predecessor of the first Montenegrin state.
After the fall of the capital of [[Zeta (state)|Zeta]] [[Žabljak Crnojevića]] and the move of the Montenegrin capital from [[Obod]] to the foot of [[Mount Lovćen]], where [[Cetinje]] was constructed, the first Montenegrin legendary ruler [[Ivan Crnojević]] implemented the [[bicephalic eagle]] as his personal sovereign coat of arms, first recorded in 1481. Lord Ivan adopted the symbol as a continuation of the [[Serbian Empire]], continuing the tradition of the [[House of Nemanjić]]. Used on Ivan-bey's seals, it also became a component part of his [[Cetinje Monastery]] capitol, founded in 1484. Around the double-headed eagle, a circular [[laurel]] [[chaplet]] was sided. The motif of the [[Crnojević]] eagle could also be seen in the works of the first Slavic Cyrillic printing press, founded in 1493 in Cetinje, like [[Oktoih|Oktoih the First Voice]] and the [[Book of Psalms|Book of Psalms with Possession]]. That double-headed eagle had a heart-shaped laurel chain around it, with [[angel]]s on the left and right as its Guardians. On it were the insignia of the printing press' founder, [[Đurađ Crnojević]]. A slightly different version appears in Oktoih the Fifth Voice from 1494. The laurel chain was shaped in the form of a Shield, the first emergence of a standard coat of arms, with two birds holding it in their mouths at the top and two angels guarding it below. A sovereign's [[Crown]] was added at the top. There are some controversies regarding the color of the eagle, but most agree that it was white, and it was always on a red background, shield. It was in contrast to the Byzantine banner that used the Golden Eagle on a Red Banner. Red background was taken from the Byzantine Empire, much like numerous other Eastern Orthodox lordships.
After the Ottoman conquest of Montenegro at the end of the 15th century, the Ottomans kept the coat-of-arms. In an effort to domesticate the reign they created an autonomous [[Sanjak of Montenegro]] under administration of Scander-bey [[Staniša Crnojević]], the oldest son of Ivan who was converted to [[Islam]]. From 1513 to 1530 the Ottoman administration kept the white double-headed eagle on red background.
=== Theocratic ===
The ages of Ottoman rule and lack of a secularized state amongst the Montenegrins. When the [[House of Petrović-Njegoš]] asserted the seat of the [[Cetinje Metropolitanate]] and became theocratic rulers, vastly altered coats of arms appeared. They were based on the old traditional Crnojevic double-headed eagle, that included numerous symbols like the lion, the snake, the archbishoprical staff and others, finally stabilized as a Coat of Arms from the mid-18th century. Then's Montenegro based its ideals on heritage of the medieval Serbian realm, so the heraldic practice continued. The bicephalic eagle is first recorded in 1715 during the office of the first Prince-Bishop, [[Metropolitan Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš|Danilo Petrović-Njegoš]], during the presentation of Montenegro to the Russian Tzar. The angels are placed far above the double-headed eagle. In 1747 Prince-Bishop [[Sava II Petrović-Njegoš|Sava]] built a monastery in [[Maine]] near [[Budva]] as a secondary seat of the Metropolitanate, on its well the standard double-headed eagle is depicted, but its body is no longer bird-like, but will henceforth be shaped like two halves of eagles. The two heads no longer have individual crowns, but a single large one at the top. A new introduction is also a snake in the eagle's paws.
Another version was used by the Petrovics on their seals, a seal in a letter to the [[Kotor]] governor from [[23 April]] [[1749]] depicted a double-headed eagle with a Cross above it, rather than a crown. This change represented the excessively religious character of the Christian fight against the Moslem [[Ottoman Empire]]. It also represented the role of the [[Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral|Montenegrin Metropolitanate]] in the fight for preservation of freedom. The bowls in the eagle's paws were asserted as back standard practice from the Medieval Ages. Another change that will be kept is that the eagle's wings are spread, depicting the movement to liberate and expand from Ottoman reign. The biblical lion beneath also appeared for the first time, the symbol used by all entities of the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]]. The Petrovic coat-of-arms can be found on the grave of the Serb Patriarch [[Arsenije Čarnojević]] in [[Krušedol]], [[Vojvodina]]. Subsequently in the 18th century the coat-of-arms of the House of Petrovic-Njegos is finally established, much thanks to [[Vasilije III Petrović-Njegoš|Prince-Bishop Basil]]. He introduced to the eagle the first elements of a real ruler's insignia: <!-- mitra, krst i šar -->.
The self-proclaimed Russian Emperor of Montenegro [[Šćepan Mali|Stephen the Little]] (1767-1773) had used his own Coat of Arms. It was a double-headed eagle with a crown, a scimitar, his initials and in its center four Four Fire steels of the [[Serbian cross]], that attained the Byzantium motto [[Basileus Basileon Basileuon Basileusin]].
After [[Petar I Petrović-Njegoš]] was embroiled Metropolitan by the [[Sremski Karlovci]] Patriarch in 1784 he introduced seals without any insignia. With the 1796 unification of [[Old Montenegro|Montenegro]] with [[The Highlands]] the coat of arms further develops, based on deeper heraldic research. A ring around the eagle emerges, with short "Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, Zeta, Skadar and the Littoral". A third version of the seal just includes "Metropolitan of All Montenegro" and was used by the General Montenegrin Assembly. In 1834 and 1837 under [[Petar II Petrović-Njegoš]] a new seal appeared, "Seal of the Righteous Senate of Montenegro and The Highlands", with the standard double-headed eagle, the cross above and lion beneath and an inscription as a circular ring. This Senate was the legislative body of then Montenegro. The final version of the Senate coat of arms was established in 1840 and used in the first Montenegrin passports. The cross was replaced by a crown, a symbol of assertion of secular power by Njegos, a scypthat in his right and a šar in his left paw. A walking lion was seated below. The last version of the theocratic coat of arms appears on the 1841 Medal of Honor with more heraldic details worked. The model for it was the seal of the Russian Emperor [[Peter the Great]]. It stabilizes as the general national coat-of-arms mass-used in Montenegro.
=== Monarchy ===
In 1852 [[Knjaz Danilo|Prince Danil I Petrovic-Njegos]] had secularized the realm, converting it to a formal State. No greater heraldic change was introduced, except that it was made official that the bicephalic eagle was white and an Imperial crown was thrust upon it, the crown of [[Dušan|Tzar Dusan]]. The passports and seals of the "Righteous Senate Montenegrin" reveal a more compact version was implemented, with the lion moved onto a shield on the eagle's chest. Red was established as a permanent background. Parallel with establishment of a formal State, Danilo had created derivations of the Coat of Arms, one for himself, and another for his dynasty. His initials were instead of the lion at the eagle's chest, and the dynastic was a one-headed eagle in national colors (Red, Blue and White).
{{cquote|The Prince also in the future thereof keeps his State Coat of Arms - a twoheaded white eagle, which the Principality Montenegrin from the Emperors Serbian had inherited.|20px|20px|[[Knjaz Danilo|Prince Danilo I Petrovic-Njegos]]|article 21 of the 1856 contract of border delimitation with the [[Ottoman Empire]]}}
Under Prince [[Nicholas I of Montenegro|Nicholas Petrovic]] Montenegro got a stabilized Flag in 1876, which was a Serb tricolor with the big Montenegrin Coat of Arms in its center. Under these insignia was Montenegro [[Congress of Berlin|recognized]] in 1878 as an independent country. In 1905 Prince Nikola granted to the nation a Constitution, which thereof proclaimed for the first time a final official Coat of Arms of the Princedom of Montenegro.
{{cquote|The Coat of Arms of the Princedom of Montenegro is a twoheaded white eagle with an Imperial Crown above the eagle's heads, an Imperial sceptre in his right, and a <!-- šar --> in his left paw. On his chest was a lion on a red shield.|20px|20px|article 39|Constitution of the Princedom of Montenegro]}}
The new Coat of Arms had a larger version, with a regal sheet around it bound around a Princely crown, which had represented the state as a Princedom. Subsequently first laws on the Coat of Arms were enacted, which regulated the usage of the national Coat of Arms and reserved it solely to the State. In 1910 the Princedom was upgraded into [[Kingdom of Montenegro|a Kingdom]], the sole difference to the Coat of Arms being in the fact that the Princely Crown on the very top of the sheet was replaced with a Royal one in the late 1910s. King Nicholas also introduced a Coat of Arms of the Princely (subsequently Royal) Dome, based upon mild changes to the State Coat of Arms. Montenegro joined the Kingdom of Serbia in 1918 into a Yugoslavian Kingdom; the Coat of Arms of the ruling dynasty, the [[House of Karađorđević]], was amended to have the bicephalic eagle's wings spread, as a mark of unification of the two dynasties through King Alexander I. The Coat of Arms was restored during the Fascist [[Axis forces]]' puppet-state [[Independent State of Montenegro]] from 1941 to 1944.
<center><gallery>
Image:GrbKnezCG.png|Coat of arms of the [[Princedom of Montenegro]] (1905-1915)
Image:GrbKraljevineCG.png|Coat of arms of the [[Kingdom of Montenegro]] (1915-1918)
</gallery></center>
=== Socialisic Montenegro ===
When the Partisans took over the country, they made drastic heraldic innovations, with completely new Coats of Arms, or rather, [[Emblem]]s. On [[December 31]] [[1946]]<ref>[http://flagspot.net/flags/yu_fy-cg.html FOTW Montenegro]</ref> a new Coat of Arms was adopted for the Federal Unit of Montenegro, a part of the six-republic [[Democratic Federal Yugoslavia]]. The Emblem depicted the Chapel of Njegos on top of Mount [[Lovćen]], the national symbol of Montenegro, raising high with the seas behind. On top was a Communist [[Red Star]], half filled half blank. It was, typically for Socialist states, surrounded with a golden laurel wreath with ribbon and the national Red-Blue-White tricolor was below it, on which laid a Cyrillic inscription of the unit's official name.
In 1947 the constituation of the [[Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia]] was finished, so the newly proclaimed [[People's Republic of Montenegro]] had changed its Coat of Arms as a symbolic mark of the event. The Emblem was stylized for beauty, the inscription removed as per being ugly and the national tricolors banded to the laurel. The key symbol of the emblem was also changed in order to give a greater impression. The Red Star on top was more filled with red compared to the blank in order to depict a step closer to Marxist idealism.
In 1963 FPRY was restructured into the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]], and the [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro]]'s emblem was insignificantly changed into mark the true transcendence to liberal Socialism (the Star was less filled). It was changed for the last time with the draft of the final of SFRY's Constitutions in 1974, when the Star was filled almost fully and the Emblem was rendered due to new technological achievements completely, with slight aesthetic changes, in an attempt to make it prettier.
<center><gallery>
Image:srcg1.jpg|Coat of arms of the Federal Unit of Montenegro (1946-1947)
Image:srcg2.jpg|Coat of arms of the [[People's Republic of Montenegro]] (1947-1963)
Image:srcg3.jpg|Coat of arms of the [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro]] (1963-1974)
Image:SR Montenegro coa.png|Coat of arms of [[Socialist Republic of Montenegro]] (1974-1993)
</gallery></center>
=== Democracy ===
[[Image:Coat of Arms of Montenegro (1992-2004).png|thumb|right|Coat of Arms of Montenegro (1993-2004)]]
In 1993, the Montenegrin parliament had changed the Coat of Arms, returning to historical heritage. The old Montenegrin state's Coat of Arms was restored. In 2004 the pro-Serbian ideology of the country changed to a sovereignist and pro-independence one, and so did the Coat of Arms, at the proposal of the extremely pro-sovereignist [[Socialdemocratic Party of Montenegro]]. A completely new one was created. The color of the bicephalic eagle was changed from White to Golden, to represent the symbol of [[Zelenaši|the Greens]] who raised the [[Christmas rebellion]] in 1919 against union with Serbia and continued to resist, while the shield of the lion was changed to that of the Monarchical Dome of Montenegro.
==See also==
* [[List of coats of arms of Montenegro]]
== External links ==
* {{sr icon}} [http://www.vlada.cg.yu/vijesti.php?akcija=rubrika&rubrika=190| Government of Montenegro, National Symbols Act]
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Coat of arms of Europe}}
[[Category:National coats of arms|Montenegro]]
[[Category:Montenegrin coats of arms| ]]
[[Category:National symbols of Montenegro]]
[[be-x-old:Герб Чарнагорыі]]
[[bs:Grb Crne Gore]]
[[bg:Герб на Черна гора]]
[[da:Montenegros nationalvåben]]
[[de:Wappen Montenegros]]
[[et:Montenegro vapp]]
[[el:Εθνόσημο του Μαυροβουνίου]]
[[es:Escudo de Montenegro]]
[[fr:Armoiries du Monténégro]]
[[hr:Grb Crne Gore]]
[[he:סמל מונטנגרו]]
[[hu:Montenegró címere]]
[[nl:Wapen van Montenegro]]
[[no:Montenegros riksvåpen]]
[[pl:Herb Czarnogóry]]
[[pt:Brasão de armas de Montenegro]]
[[ru:Герб Черногории]]
[[sr:Грб Црне Горе]]
[[fi:Montenegron vaakuna]]
[[sv:Montenegros statsvapen]]