The Ukrainian state symbols reflect our history, remind us of the glory of our great-grandfathers, and inspire us to new deeds and accomplishments. State symbols: The State Emblem of Ukraine, the State Flag of Ukraine and the National Anthem of Ukraine are an important attribute of a modern state, symbolizing its sovereignty.
Knowledge of the history of our statehood in its entirety and the history of our state symbols is a powerful force against manipulation of historical facts in the context of Russia's information war against Ukraine. On the occasion of the Independence Day of Ukraine, we offer to delve into the ancient history of Ukrainian state symbols.
"The People's Ukrainian Republic, having set itself the task of uniting Ukrainian lands in an independent Ukrainian state and restoring the fullness of cultural, political and national life, takes the old sign of Vladimir the Great as its coat of arms.
<...> The main thing is that this decoration is indigenous, not borrowed, and is connected with our millennial state, political and cultural history."
From Mykhajlo Hrushevsky's article "Ukrainian Coat of Arms"
The trident is an ancient Ukrainian symbol. It symbolizes the historical continuity of statehood, strength, freedom and unity of the nation.
The oldest image of the trident found by archaeologists dates back to the
Tenth century. There are up to 40 known interpretations of the trident: a trident, a tricycle candlestick, a falcon, an anchor, a rye ear, a bow and arrow, a triune sacrifice for the victory of life over death, and many others.
The trident originated from the signs, the ancestral symbols of princes, especially Prince Volodymyr the Great. According to historians, it was a sign of ownership or a dynastic coat of arms-similar to the family coats of arms of European knights.
After the fall of Kievan Rus, the symbolism of the trident gradually disappeared from use, but in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the symbol was revived in documents and Cossack seals, although without a fixed form. And in the nineteenth century, intellectuals, especially historians and ethnographers, renewed their interest in the trident as a national sign.
On January 6, 1918, a trident with a cross above the middle "tooth" in an 8-cornered frame appeared on the first banknotes issued by the Ukrainian People's Republic. The author of the 100 karbovanets banknote was graphic artist Heorhii Narbut.
On February 25, 1918, the Emblem of the Ukrainian People's Republic was approved at a meeting of the Minor Rada (a body of the Central Rada that operated between sessions). The adopted law did not contain pictures, but only a description.
Almost a month later, on March 22, the Minor Rada approved an image of the coat of arms by the famous artist Vasyl Krychevsky - the Trident of Prince Volodymyr the Great, framed by an olive wreath. The trident became a symbol of unity, revival, and freedom.
The symbolism of statehood was also reflected in the Ukrainian Insurgent Army: on elements of clothing, especially headdresses such as mazepinkas, petliuras, and belts. Various kinds of Trident were attached to them. Sometimes the uniforms had armbands with the Trident.
On February 19, 1992, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution approving the State Emblem of Ukraine, namely the golden Trident on a blue shield, which became the Small Emblem of Ukraine, one of the three official state symbols.
In Soviet times, the Trident was banned, interpreted as a "bourgeois nationalist symbol."
Today, the Trident appears on the coats of arms of military units, passports, money, and seals. It is often used on flags, patches, and amulets as a symbol of strength and defiance. During the war with Russia since 2014, it has become a sign of resistance and identity.
The trident is not just a coat of arms. It is a code of the nation's history. It has evolved from princely coins to the modern state emblem, uniting generations of Ukrainians in the fight for freedom.
It is a symbol of strength, dignity, continuity and faith in victory.