Šiauliai (county)

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ŠIAULIAI COUNTY

Origin/meaning

he arms were granted on January 26, 2004.

The early origin of Šiauliai county is 1775, when the administrative center of Telšiai repartition (the adminsitrative unit of Samogitia, analogous to pavietas of other provinces) was moved to Šiauliai city.

According to the tradition of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Šiauliai repartition used the seal with National Arms in the upper part and actuary's personal arms in the lower part.

After the administrative reform of 1790, the Samogitian bear was used instead of National Arms. In 1792 the National Arms went back to the upper part of seal, and the Samogitian bear went to the lower part.

After 1795 the seal with Russian eagle in the upper part and the Lithuanian knight in the lower part was used. In 1805 the seal had the Russian eagle in the upper part and both the Lithuanian knight and the Samogitian bear in the lower part. This variant was used at least till the uprising of 1831, but probably even till 1845.

The seal of 1805

According to the Russification initiative, the new arms were proposed: the sheaf of grain crossed with the sickle. The general-governor of Vilnius province Fedor Mirkovich did not like those symbols, but decided on a wheat sheaf instead.

The proposal of 1841

Emperor Nicholas I granted the new arms on April 6, 1845: the obelisk (arms of Kaunas province) in the upper part and three wheatsheaves in the lower part.

In 1861 Bernhard Koehne argued the arms were not heraldic. Therefore he provided the new project: on blue field the golden heraldic cross and golden ear of wheat in every quarter. The arms of Kaunas province went to free corner. The arms had a three-tower mural crown and the decoration of two golden wheat ears, bent with the red Alexander strip.

Though more heraldic, this project was not confirmed. The arms of 1845 was used till 1915.

In 1919 the Šiauliai county (apskritis) was officially established by the Republic of Lithuania. The county was abolished in 1950 and the Šiauliai province (sritis) was established. It was abolished in 1953 as well as the other provinces of Lithuania. In 1994 the Šiauliai county was re-established.

In discussing the arms for the Šiauliai county, the heraldry commission decided not using the Russian imperial symbols but coming back to the Samogitian bear, used in the late 18th - early 19th centuries. Šiauliai is the main city of historical Samogitia, though its taxes were paid to the Upyte, i.e. to the Trakai province.

Distinguishing the arms of Šiauliai county from arms of Telšiai (county) and Samogitia region, the field was changed from red to white (the color of Samogitian banners), and the collar was removed.