The experts of the "Academy of Russian Symbols" carefully examined the sketches of chevrons and patches submitted to the "Orientir" magazine competition. For analysis, we selected three logos that were submitted to the editorial office in 2000. The purpose of the heraldic examination was to identify the most typical and widespread errors, taking into account the rules of military heraldry, the requirements of relevant orders issued by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, and the directives of other law enforcement agencies.

In our opinion, the idea behind the sketch is very interesting, especially since the authors have tried to follow as many heraldic rules as possible. This is why the French (traditional for Russia) heraldic shield with a frame of crossed anchors and a ribbon of the colors of the St. Andrew's naval flag takes center stage in this emblem. However, one of the main heraldic rules has been violated in this coat of arms, which is the prohibition of "overlaying finery on finery." In other words, if the image shows a red (crimson) bow with an arrow, it cannot be on a blue (azure) background. It is necessary to replace the color of the bow (or the background) with a heraldic metal, such as gold or silver. Similarly, a black (diamant) mine on a blue background in the lower part of the coat of arms.

In addition, it should be noted that the authors of this coat of arms failed to take into account the individual symbols that are unique to this particular military unit. I believe that readers will agree that the image of a mine and the waves of the sea is not a distinctive symbol of the Primorsky Flotilla. It would be more appropriate to consider incorporating a distinctive symbol that represents this particular unit.

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The sleeve patch of the Separate Marine Corps Security and Maintenance Company, stationed in Novosibirsk. Despite the fact that this badge was approved by the unit commander's order, its image contains a number of errors and inaccuracies. First of all, this form of the sleeve badge and its dimensions are not specified in the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Paragraph 3 of Annex 2 to Order No. 210 of the Russian Minister of Defense dated 1997 states: "The size of the insignia elements on the sleeve insignia of specific military units should not exceed 82 mm in diameter, and the overall size of the sleeve insignia (including the technological fields) should not exceed 88 mm." Additionally, for the coastal forces of the Navy and the Marine Corps, the border (rim around the sleeve insignia) should be red instead of yellow.

The emblem of the Federal Border Service helicopter unit stationed on Kunashir Island. Unfortunately, only a black-and-white image was sent to the editorial office, so it is advisable to provide a verbal description of the emblem: "The emblem is designed on a blue sea background. A wide green ribbon emphasizes the unit's affiliation with the Federal Border Service aviation. The eagle repelling the snake's attack symbolizes the reliable protection of the state border. The dark blue and light blue coats of arms with a combat helicopter depicted against the background of a night and day sky symbolize the constant readiness to carry out combat missions in any conditions.

The design of this unit's emblem is certainly interesting. It attempts to convey the unit's identity and objectives through the use of symbols that may not always be appropriate. The colorized emblem appears to be visually appealing and distinctive. However, it falls short of meeting the established guidelines for military symbolism. The goal is not just to create a visually appealing emblem. It should be functional, heraldically competent, and in line with national traditions. We will allow ourselves to give the leadership of this unit, as well as other officers involved in military heraldry, some practical advice.

First, the emblem, the coat of arms of a military unit should be based on a heraldic shield, i.e. a closed geometric shape. This not only corresponds to heraldic canons, but also gives the emblem a compactness, allows it to be used for other purposes - to create breast and sleeve insignia, pennants, tie clips, etc.

Secondly, the emblem and coat of arms should be concise, as heraldic symbols exist to express numerous concepts and phenomena in a minimal way. Additionally, it is important to avoid using too many colors in the emblem, as it should be clear and memorable. For example, the emblem of the FPS aviation unit we are considering has an excessive number of colors. It is also important to remember that each color in heraldry represents a specific concept.

Another important tip is to minimize the use of "zoological" symbols, such as eagles, snakes, bears, tigers, etc., or images of military equipment. In the first case, this is not always in line with the traditions of Russian symbolism, while in the second case, images of tanks, cannons, and helicopters tend to be very specific. However, a coat of arms or an emblem is not designed to last for five or ten years, while the military equipment depicted on the symbol can become outdated quite quickly. It is necessary to choose a more rare and original symbolism, inherent only in a specific military formation or the region of its deployment. In the case of the emblem of the FPS air unit, a symbolic image of the Kunashir Island or the sights of the Kuril Ridge would be suitable - the famous rocks "Three Brothers", the volcano "Tyatya", for example.

And finally, one last piece of advice. In coats of arms and emblems, the use of information text should be kept to a minimum (Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Russia, air unit, FPS TORU, etc.). This is excessive overload of the sign, in addition, violates the order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation N 210 of 1997 and the relevant directives of other power agencies, which prohibit the placement of inscriptions on signs that reveal the organizational and staffing structure of units. Thus, it would be more logical to place the motto of the FPS aviation unit on the same emblem, which is much more traditional for Russian military symbolism.

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