Coat of Arms of Estonia. The current coat of arms of Estonia is a golden shield which includes three slim, blue leopards (or lions passant guardant) in the middle, with oak branches along the side of the shield.

The coat of arms of Estonia has existed long before they were official recognized after the War of Independence 1918 - 1920, when the Republic of Estonia was internationally recognized.

The heraldic leopards of Estonia's coat of arms are the oldest of the many symbols that nation possess. The symbol has been in use since the 13th century, where they served as the big coat of arms for the capital city at the time, Tallinn. The origin of the slim blue lions can be traced back to the King of Denmark at the time, Valdemar the Second. As Denmark was the ruling power of Northern Estonia at the time, it imposed the coat of arms upon the state. As time went on, and several different ruling governments of Estonia went by, the coat of arms remained.

The Riigikogu (the state assembly) of the independent Republic of Estonia officially adopted the coat of arms on June 19, 1925.

However, the coat of arms were officially banned from Estonia following the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union in 1940. Soviet Union officials persecuted and jailed anyone using the coat of arms, or the national colors of Estonia. The ban of the colors marked a beginning of another struggle for independence which was finally achieved on August 7, 1990 and regulated by the Law on State Coat of Arms of April 6, 1993.

References

• Estonian Institute National symbols of Estonia. Retrieved October 30, 2005.

Estonian culture | National coats of arms

Герб на Естония | Wappen Estlands | Escudo de Estonia | Eesti vapp | סמל אסטוניה | 에스토니아의 문장 | Estijos herbas | Godło Estonii | Estlands statsvapen