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Yugoslavia

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Savezna Republika Jugoslavija

by zeljko heimer 13-FEB-1996

See also:

Former Yugoslav Republics:

Heraldry of Yugoslavia

Very rough historical outline: first, there was the Byzantine empire, whose arms are discussed[*]elsewhere. A number of slav tribes had settled in the Balkans in the 7th century, and slowly moved out of the direct domination of the Byzantines. Thus emerged Valachia (to become Rumania), Serbia, Croatia. In fact, Slovenia and Croatia were never really in the sphere of influence of the Byzantine empire, as their alphabet (Roman) and their religion (Catholic) suggest. Later, some regions gained partial or full autonomy: Esclavonia, Bosnia, Dalmatia, etc. When the Turks started invading Europe in the 14th century, these small fiefs and kingdoms lost their independance one after the other. With the end of the Ottoman Empire starting in the early 19th century, they re- emerged one after the other, except Slovenia and Croatia still under Austrian rule. After 1918, Yugoslavia was created as a kingdom, uniting all Southern Slavs for the first time. It became "sort of communist" after 1945. We all know the current state of affairs.
As far as heraldry is concerned, it seems that the lands which were in the sphere of influence of Hungary, Austria or Venice developed an indigenous heraldry in the Middle Ages (Slovenia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Bosnia). After the Turkish empire receded, the same territories became part of the Austrian Empire, and their heraldry appears in the volumes of Siebmacher.
As a kindgom (1918-1945), ruled I think by the Serbian royal family, Jugoslavia had its arms. Namely: Gules, a double-headed eagle Argent, beaked, membered and tongued Or, bearing an escutcheon: tierced per pairle inversed, Serbia, Croatia, and Azure, a crescent Argent below three stars Or per fesse.
francois velde 30-JUN-1995

Yugoslavian Coat of Arms

Today the peace talks in Dayton, Ohio started. On the news therefrom I've seen a coat of arms on the airplane in which president Milosevic of Serbia came. The coat was:

Twoheaded eagle Argent, escutcheon quartered, 1 and 4 Gules cross Argent and 4 Cs Argent in each quarter, 2 and 3 Gules lion passant Or.

I don't know what is the status of this coat. Maybe it is a new coat of arms of Yugoslavia. I'm inclined to identify the lion (or was it some other animal, the clip was quite short), with the Montenegrin lion of Petrovic's dynasty. On the other hand, it is possible that it is a coat of arms of president of Serbia. If so, I don't know how to interpret the lion.

As much as I know, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia don't have any coat of arms. Until 1991 the coat of arms of SFR Yugoslavia was used (6 torches), but it was soon abandoned, as one could expect. Each of the six torches represented one of the republics in Yu. After the two remained there was no need of such a coat. Until then I never saw anything that could look like a coat of arms of the state. On paper money, which remained the same in design as money of former state, the coat was replaced with the sign of the National Bank of Yugoslavia. On some stamps the coat of Serbia could be seen, but none of Yugoslavia. I don't know what do they have on the passports, since all I've seen were old passports from before the war.

If this is the new coat of Yugoslavia, one can expect we are going to see it on the flags (blue, white, red), at least on the flags of official institutions. zeljko heimer 02-NOV-1995

I would guess that this is quarterly SERBIA and MONTENEGRO. A variation of the cross and furisons (fire-strikers) coat is flown by St. Sava's here in New York, and also resembles some of the arms of Latin Constantinople. (St. Sava is the patron of Serbian Orthodox Church.) will linden 02-NOV-1995