What sign in the picture can be used to indicate the fascists. Key travel destinations

The urban legend of the Soviet pioneers said that the swastika was the four letters G gathered in a circle: Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, Himmler. The children did not think that the German Gs are actually different letters - H and G. Although the number of leading Nazis on G really went off scale - you can also remember Grohe, and Hess, and many others. But it's better not to remember.

The German Nazis used this sign even before Hitler came to power. And why they showed such interest in the swastika is not at all surprising: for them it was an object of mystical power that came from India, from the original Aryan territories. Well, it also looked beautiful, and the leaders of the national socialist movement always attached great importance to issues of aesthetics.

Statue of an Indian elephant with a swastika on the site of the old Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. The statue has nothing to do with Nazism: pay attention to the dots near the center

If we consider the swastika not as part of patterns and designs, but as an independent object, then its first appearance dates back to approximately the 6th-5th centuries BC. It can be seen on objects found in excavations in the Middle East. Why is it customary to call India the birthplace of the swastika? Because the word “swastika” itself is taken from Sanskrit (a literary ancient Indian language), means “well-being”, and purely graphically (according to the most common theory) symbolizes the Sun. Four-pointedness is far from necessary for it; there is also a great variety of angles of rotation, inclination of rays and additional patterns. In classical Hindu form, she is usually depicted as in the picture below.

There are many interpretations of which direction the swastika should rotate. There is even discussion of dividing them into female and male, depending on the direction

Due to the high popularity of the Sun among people of all races, it is logical that the swastika is an element of symbolism, writing and graphics among hundreds and hundreds of ancient peoples scattered throughout the planet. Even in Christianity it has found its place, and there is an opinion that the Christian cross is its direct descendant. Family traits are really easy to discern. In our dear Orthodoxy, swastika-like elements were called “gammatic cross” and were often used in the design of temples. True, now it is not so easy to detect their traces in Russia, since after the start of the Great Patriotic War even harmless Orthodox swastikas were eliminated.

Orthodox gamma cross

The swastika is such a widespread object of world culture and religion that what is rather surprising is the rarity of its appearance in modern world. Logically, she should follow us everywhere. The answer is really simple: after the collapse of the Third Reich, it began to evoke such unpleasant associations that they got rid of it with unprecedented zeal. This is amusingly reminiscent of the story of the name Adolf, which was extremely popular in Germany at all times, but almost disappeared from use after 1945.

Craftsmen have gotten used to finding swastikas in the most unexpected places. With the advent of space images of the Earth in the public domain, the search for natural and architectural incidents has turned into a kind of sport. The most popular site for conspiracy theorists and swastikophiles is the naval base building in San Diego, California, designed in 1967.

The US Navy spent $600 thousand to somehow rid this building of its resemblance to a swastika, but the final result is disappointing

The Russian Internet and some station stalls are filled with all sorts of interpreters of Slavic pagan swastikas, where they meticulously explain in pictures what “yarovrat”, “svitovit” or “posolon” ​​means. It sounds and looks exciting, but keep in mind that there is no trace of any scientific basis behind these myths. Even the term “Kolovrat”, which has come into use, supposedly Slavic name swastikas are the product of speculation and myth-making.

A beautiful example of rich Slavophile fantasy. Pay special attention to the name of the first swastika on the second page

Outlandish mystical powers attributed to the swastika, hence the interest in it from people who are suspicious, superstitious or prone to the occult. Does it bring happiness to the wearer? Think about it: Hitler used it both in the tail and in the mane, and ended up so badly that you wouldn’t wish it on your enemy.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was a big fan of swastikas. She drew the symbol everywhere she could reach with pencils and paints, especially in her children’s rooms, so that they would grow up healthy and not worry about anything. But the empress was shot by the Bolsheviks along with her entire family. The conclusions are obvious.

Half a century has passed since the end of the Second World War, but the two letters SS (more precisely, of course, SS) are still synonymous for most with horror and terror. Thanks to the mass production of Hollywood and the Soviet film factories that tried to keep up with it, almost all of us are familiar with the uniforms of the SS men and their emblem with a death's head. But the actual history of the SS is much more complex and multifaceted. In it one can find heroism and cruelty, nobility and meanness, selflessness and intrigue, deep scientific interests and a passionate craving for the ancient knowledge of distant ancestors.

The head of the SS, Himmler, who sincerely believed that the Saxon king Henry I “Birdcatcher”, the founder of the First Reich, elected in 919 as king of all Germans, was spiritually reincarnated in him. In one of his speeches in 1943 he said:

"Our order will enter the future as a union of the elite, united around itself German people and all of Europe. He will give the world leaders of industry, Agriculture, as well as political and spiritual leaders. We will always obey the law of elitism, choosing the superior and discarding the inferior. If we cease to follow this fundamental rule, we thereby condemn ourselves to and disappear from the face of the earth like any other human organization."

His dreams, as we know, were not destined to come true for completely different reasons. From a young age, Himmler showed an increased interest in “the ancient heritage of our ancestors.” Associated with the Thule Society, he was fascinated by the pagan culture of the Germans and dreamed of its revival - of the time when it would replace the “foul-smelling Christianity.” In the intellectual depths of the SS, a new “moral” was being developed, based on pagan ideas.

Himmler considered himself the founder of a new pagan order that was “destined to change the course of history,” to carry out a “cleansing of the rubbish accumulated over millennia” and return humanity to “the path prepared by Providence.” In connection with such grandiose plans for a “return,” it is not surprising that the ancient . On the uniforms of the SS men they were distinguished, testifying to the elitism and sense of camaraderie that reigns in the organization. Since 1939, they went to war singing a hymn that included the following line: "We are all ready for battle, we are inspired by the runes and the death's head."

According to the Reichsführer SS, the runes were to play special role in SS symbols: on his personal initiative within the framework of the Ahnenerbe program - "Society for the Study and Dissemination cultural heritage ancestors" - the Institute of Runic Writing was established. Until 1940, all recruits of the SS Order underwent mandatory instruction regarding runic symbolism. By 1945, 14 main runic symbols were used in the SS. The word "rune" means "secret script". Runes represent the basis alphabets carved on stone, metal and bone, and which became widespread mainly in pre-Christian times Northern Europe among the ancient Germanic tribes.

"...The great gods - Odin, Ve and Willi carved a man from an ash tree and a woman from a willow. The eldest of Bor's children, Odin, breathed soul into people and gave life. To give them new knowledge, Odin went to Utgard, the Land of Evil , to the World Tree. There he tore out his eye and brought it to , but this seemed not enough to the Guardians of the Tree. Then he gave his life - he decided to die in order to be resurrected. For nine days he hung on a branch, pierced by a spear. Each of the eight nights of Initiation revealed new ones to him secrets of existence. On the ninth morning, Odin saw rune-letters inscribed on the stone under him. His mother’s father, the giant Belthorn, taught him to cut and paint runes, and the World Tree began to be called from then on - Yggdrasil..."

This is how the Snorrian Edda (1222-1225) tells about the acquisition of runes by the ancient Germans, perhaps the only complete overview of the heroic epic of the ancient Germans, based on the legends, prophecies, spells, sayings, cults and rituals of the Germanic tribes. In the Edda, Odin was revered as the god of war and the patron of the dead heroes of Valhalla. He was also considered a necromancer.

The famous Roman historian Tacitus, in his book “Germania” (98 BC), described in detail how the Germans were engaged in predicting the future using runes.

Each rune had a name and magical meaning that went beyond purely linguistic boundaries. The design and composition changed over time and acquired magical significance in Teutonic astrology. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. The runes were remembered by various "folkish" (folk) groups that spread in Northern Europe. Among them was the Thule Society, which played a significant role in the early days of the Nazi movement.

Hakenkreutz

SWASTIKA is the Sanskrit name for the sign depicting a hook cross (among the ancient Greeks this sign, which became known to them from the peoples of Asia Minor, was called “tetraskele” - “four-legged”, “spider”). This sign was associated with the cult of the Sun among many peoples and was found already in the Upper Paleolithic era and even more often in the Neolithic era, primarily in Asia (according to other sources, the oldest image of the swastika was discovered in Transylvania, it dates back to the late stone age; The swastika was also found in the ruins of the legendary Troy, this is the Bronze Age). Already from the 7th-6th centuries BC. e. it enters into symbolism, where it signifies the secret doctrine of the Buddha. The swastika is reproduced on oldest coins India and Iran (BC penetrates from there to); in Central America it is also known among the peoples as a sign indicating the circulation of the Sun. In Europe, the spread of this sign dates back to a relatively late time - to the Bronze and Iron Age. During the era of migration of peoples, he penetrates through the Finno-Ugric tribes to the north of Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic, and becomes one of the supreme Scandinavian god Odin (Wotan in German mythology), who suppressed and absorbed the previous solar (solar) cults. Thus, the swastika, as one of the varieties of the image of the solar circle, was practically found in all parts of the world, as a solar sign served as an indication of the direction of rotation of the Sun (from left to right) and was also used as a sign of well-being, “turning away from the left side.”

It was precisely because of this that the ancient Greeks, who learned about this sign from the peoples of Asia Minor, changed the turn of their “spider” to the left and at the same time changed its meaning, turning it into a sign of evil, decline, death, since for them it was “alien” . Since the Middle Ages, the swastika was completely forgotten and was only occasionally found as a purely ornamental motif without any meaning or meaning.

Only at the very end of the 19th century, probably on the basis of the erroneous and hasty conclusion of some German archaeologists and ethnographers that the swastika sign could be an indicator for identifying the Aryan peoples, since it is allegedly found only among them, in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century they began to use the swastika as anti-Semitic sign (for the first time in 1910), although later, at the end of the 20s, the works of English and Danish archaeologists were published who discovered the swastika not only in territories inhabited by Semitic peoples (in Mesopotamia and Palestine), but also directly on Hebrew sarcophagi.

For the first time, the swastika was used as a political sign-symbol on March 10-13, 1920 on the helmets of militants of the so-called “Erhard Brigade”, which formed the core of the “Volunteer Corps” - a monarchical paramilitary organization under the leadership of generals Ludendorff, Seeckt and Lützow, who carried out the Kapp putsch - counter-revolutionary a coup that installed the landowner W. Kapp as “premier” in Berlin. Although the Social Democratic government of Bauer fled ignominiously, the Kapp putsch was liquidated in five days by the 100,000-strong German Army created under the leadership of the German Communist Party. The authority of militaristic circles was then greatly undermined, and from that time on the swastika symbol began to mean a sign of right-wing extremism. Since 1923, on the eve of Hitler’s “Beer Hall Putsch” in Munich, the swastika has become the official emblem of Hitler’s fascist party, and since September 1935 - the main state emblem of Hitler’s Germany, included in its coat of arms and flag, as well as in the emblem of the Wehrmacht - an eagle holding in its claws wreath with swastika.

Only a swastika standing on an edge at 45°, with the ends directed to the right, can fit the definition of “Nazi” symbols. This very sign was on the state banner of National Socialist Germany from 1933 to 1945, as well as on the emblems of the civil and military services of this country. It is also advisable to call it not “swastika”, but Hakenkreuz, as the Nazis themselves did. The most accurate reference books consistently distinguish between the Hakenkreuz ("Nazi swastika") and the traditional swastikas in Asia and America, which stand at a 90° angle on the surface.

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Symbols of the Third Reich

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Half a century has passed since the end of the Second World War, but the two letters SS (more precisely, of course, SS) are still synonymous for most with horror and terror. Thanks to the mass production of Hollywood and the Soviet film factories that tried to keep up with it, almost all of us are familiar with the black uniforms of the SS men and their emblem with a death's head. But the actual history of the SS is significantly...

Today, when many people hear the word “swastika,” they immediately think of Adolf Hitler, concentration camps, and the horrors of World War II. But, in fact, this symbol appeared even before new era and has a very rich history. It has become widespread in Slavic culture, where many of its modifications existed. A synonym for the word “swastika” was the concept “solar”, that is, solar. Were there any differences in the swastika of the Slavs and the Nazis? And, if so, what were they expressed in?

First, let's remember what a swastika looks like. This is a cross, each of the four ends of which bends at right angles. Moreover, all angles are directed in one direction: to the right or to the left. Looking at such a sign, one gets the feeling of its rotation. There are opinions that the main difference between the Slavic and fascist swastikas lies in the direction of this very rotation. For the Germans, this is right-hand traffic (clockwise), and for our ancestors it is left-hand traffic (counterclockwise). But this is not all that distinguishes the swastika of Aryans and Aryans.

External differences

Also important distinctive feature is the constancy of color and shape of the Fuhrer's army badge. The lines of their swastika are quite wide, absolutely straight, and black. The underlying background is a white circle on a red canvas.

What about the Slavic swastika? Firstly, as already mentioned, there are many swastika signs that differ in shape. The basis of each symbol, of course, is a cross with right angles at the ends. But the cross may not have four ends, but six or even eight. On its lines may appear additional elements, including smooth, rounded lines.

Secondly, the color of the swastika signs. There is also diversity here, but not so pronounced. The predominant symbol is red on a white background. The red color was not chosen by chance. After all, he was the personification of the sun among the Slavs. But there are also blue and yellow colors on some of the signs. Thirdly, the direction of movement. It was said earlier that among the Slavs it is the opposite of fascist. However, this is not quite true. We find both right-handed swastikas among the Slavs and left-handed ones.

We examined only the external distinctive attributes of the swastika of the Slavs and the swastika of the fascists. But much more important facts are the following:

• Approximate time of appearance of the sign.
• The meaning that was given to it.
• Where and under what conditions was this symbol used?

Let's start with the Slavic swastika

It is difficult to name the time when it appeared among the Slavs. But, for example, among the Scythians, it was recorded in the fourth millennium BC. And since a little later the Slavs began to separate from the Indo-European community, then, for sure, they were already used by them at that time (third-second millennium BC). Moreover, among the Proto-Slavs they were fundamental ornaments.

Swastika signs abounded in the everyday life of the Slavs. And therefore one cannot attribute the same meaning to all of them. In fact, each symbol was individual and carried its own meaning. By the way, the swastika could be like independent sign, and be part of more complex ones (most often it was located in the center). Here are the main meanings of Slavic swastika (solar symbols):

• Sacred and Sacrificial fire.
• Ancient wisdom.
• Unity of the Family.
• Spiritual development, self-improvement.
• Patronage of the gods in wisdom and justice.
• In the sign of Valkikria, it is a talisman of wisdom, honor, nobility, and justice.

That is, in general, we can say that the meaning of the swastika was somehow sublime, spiritually high, noble.

Archaeological excavations have given us a lot of valuable information. It turned out that in ancient times the Slavs applied similar signs to their weapons, embroidered them on suits (clothing) and textile accessories (towels, towels), and carved them on elements of their homes and household items (dishes, spinning wheels and other wooden utensils). They did all this mainly for the purpose of protection, in order to protect themselves and their home from evil forces, from grief, from fire, from the evil eye. After all, the ancient Slavs were very superstitious in this regard. And with such protection we felt much more secure and confident. Even the mounds and settlements of the ancient Slavs could have a swastika shape. At the same time, the ends of the cross symbolized a certain direction of the world.

Fascist swastika

• Adolf Hitler himself adopted this sign as a symbol of the National Socialist movement. But we know that he was not the one who came up with it. In general, the swastika was used by other nationalist groups in Germany even before the emergence of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Therefore, let’s take the time of appearance as the beginning of the twentieth century.

Interesting fact: the person who suggested that Hitler take the swastika as a symbol initially presented a left-handed cross. But the Fuhrer insisted on replacing it with a right-hand one.

• The meaning of the swastika among the Nazis is diametrically opposed to that of the Slavs. According to one version, it meant the purity of German blood. Hitler himself said that the black cross itself symbolizes the struggle for the victory of the Aryan race, creative work. In general, the Fuhrer considered the swastika an ancient anti-Semitic sign. In his book, he writes that the white circle is the national idea, the red rectangle is the social idea of ​​the Nazi movement.
• Where was it used? fascist swastika? Firstly, on the legendary flag of the Third Reich. Secondly, the military had it on their belt buckles, as a patch on the sleeve. Thirdly, the swastika “decorated” official buildings and occupied territories. In general, it could be on any fascist attributes, but these were the most common.

Thus, the swastika of the Slavs and the swastika of the Nazis have enormous differences. This is expressed not only in external features, but also in semantic ones. If among the Slavs this sign personified something good, noble, and lofty, then among the Nazis it was a truly Nazi sign. Therefore, when you hear something about a swastika, you shouldn’t immediately think about fascism. After all Slavic swastika was lighter, more humane, more beautiful.

The swastika and six-pointed star are stolen Slavic symbols.

Swastika(Sanskrit. स्वस्तिक from Sanskrit. स्वस्ति, svasti, greeting, wish of good luck) - a cross with curved ends (“rotating”), directed either clockwise (this is the movement of the earth around the sun) or counterclockwise.

(Old Indian svastika, from su, lit. “connected with good”), one of the most archaic symbols, found already in images of the Upper Paleolithic, in the ornaments of many peoples in different parts of the world.

The swastika is one of the most ancient and widespread graphic symbols. “The swastika symbol crystallizes from the diamond-meander design that first appeared in Upper Paleolithic, and then inherited by almost all peoples of the world." The oldest archaeological finds depicting a swastika date back to approximately 25-23 millennium BC (Mezin, Kostenki, Russia).

The swastika was used by many peoples of the world - it was present on weapons, everyday items, clothing, banners and coats of arms, and was used in the decoration of churches and houses.
The swastika as a symbol has many meanings, and for most peoples they are positive. For most ancient peoples, the swastika was a symbol of the movement of life, the Sun, light, and prosperity.

Celtic Stone of Kermaria, 4th century BC

In the 20th century, the swastika (German: Hakenkreuz) became famous as a symbol of Nazism and Hitler’s Germany, and in Western culture strongly associated with the Hitlerite regime and ideology.

History and significance

The word "swastika" is a composite of two Sanskrit roots: सु, su, "good, good" and अस्ति, asti, "life, existence", that is, "well-being" or "well-being". There is another name for the swastika - “gammadion” (Greek γαμμάδιον), consisting of four greek letters"gamma". The swastika is considered not only as a solar symbol, but also as a symbol of the fertility of the earth. This is one of the ancient and archaic solar signs - an indicator of the visible movement of the Sun around the Earth and the division of the year into four parts - four seasons. The sign records two solstices: summer and winter - and the annual movement of the Sun. Has the idea of ​​four cardinal directions, centered around an axis. The swastika also implies the idea of ​​​​moving in two directions: clockwise and counterclockwise. Like “Yin” and “Yang”, a dual sign: rotating clockwise symbolizes male energy, counterclockwise - female. In ancient Indian scriptures, a distinction is made between male and female swastikas, which depict two female and also two male deities.

White glazed mesh covered eagle nut, Yi Dynasty

The swastika is found in the culture of the peoples of many countries around the world: in the symbolism of Ancient Egypt, in Iran, in Russia, in the ornaments of different communities. One of ancient forms swastikas are from Asia Minor and are an ideogram of the four cardinal directions in the form of a figure with four cross-shaped curls. Even in the 7th century BC, images similar to the swastika were known in Asia Minor, consisting of four cross-shaped curls - the rounded ends are signs of cyclic movement. There are interesting coincidences in the image of Indian and Asia Minor swastikas (points between the branches of the swastika, jagged thickenings at the ends). Other early forms swastikas - a square with four plant-like curves at the edges - are a sign of earth, also of Asia Minor origin. The swastika was understood as a symbol of the four main forces, the four cardinal directions, the elements, the seasons and the alchemical idea of ​​the transformation of elements.

In the cultures of countries

The swastika is one of the most archaic sacred symbols, found already in the Upper Paleolithic among many peoples of the world. India, Ancient Rus', China, Ancient Egypt, the Mayan state in Central America - this is the incomplete geography of this symbol. Swastika symbols were used to designate calendar signs back in the days of the Scythian kingdom. The swastika can be seen on old Orthodox icons. The swastika is a symbol of the Sun, good luck, happiness, and creation (the “correct” swastika). And, accordingly, the swastika in the opposite direction symbolizes darkness, destruction, the “night Sun” among the ancient Russians. As can be seen from ancient ornaments, in particular on jugs found in the vicinity of Arkaim, both swastikas were used. This has deep meaning. Day follows night, light follows darkness, rebirth follows death - and this is the natural order of things in the Universe. Therefore, in ancient times there were no “bad” and “good” swastikas - they were perceived in unity.

The first swastika designs appeared at an early stage in the formation of the symbolism of the Western Asian Neolithic cultures. Swastika-like figure 7 thousand BC. from Asia Minor consists of four cruciform scrolls, i.e. signs of vegetation, and, obviously, represents one of the variants of the ideogram of the concept “four cardinal directions”. The memory that the swastika once symbolized the four directions of the world is recorded in medieval Muslim manuscripts, and has also been preserved to this day among American Indians. Another swastika-like figure, dating back to the early stage of the Asia Minor Neolithic, consists of the Earth sign (a square with a dot) and four plant-like appendages adjacent to it. It seems that in this kind of composition one should see the origin of the swastika - in particular, its version with rounded ends. The latter is confirmed, for example, by the ancient Cretan swastika, combined with four plant elements.

This symbol was found on clay vessels from Samarra (the territory of modern Iraq), which date back to the 5th millennium BC. The swastika in levorotatory and dextrorotatory forms is found in the pre-Aryan culture of Mohenjo-Daro (Indus River basin) and ancient China around 2000 BC. In Northeast Africa, archaeologists have found a funerary stele from the kingdom of Meroz, which existed in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. The fresco on the stele depicts a woman entering into afterworld, the deceased also has a swastika on her clothes. The rotating cross also decorates golden weights for scales that belonged to the inhabitants of Ashanta (Ghana), and clay utensils of the ancient Indians, and Persian carpets. The swastika was on almost all amulets of the Slavs, Germans, Pomors, Skalvi, Curonians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Mordovians, Udmurts, Bashkirs, Chuvash and many other peoples. In many religions, the swastika is an important religious symbol.

Ancient Greek funerary vessel, approximately 750 AD. BC.

Details of an ancient Greek burial vessel

The swastika in India has traditionally been viewed as a solar sign - a symbol of life, light, generosity and abundance. She was closely connected with the cult of the god Agni. She is mentioned in the Ramayana. Was made in the shape of a swastika wooden instrument to produce the sacred fire. They laid him flat on the ground; the depression in the middle served for a rod, which was rotated until a fire appeared, lit on the altar of the deity. It was carved in many temples, on rocks, on ancient monuments of India. Also a symbol of esoteric Buddhism. In this aspect it is called the “Seal of the Heart” and, according to legend, was imprinted on the heart of the Buddha. Her image is placed on the hearts of initiates after their death. Known as the Buddhist cross (shape similar to the Maltese cross). The swastika is found wherever there are traces of Buddhist culture - on rocks, in temples, stupas and on Buddha statues. Together with Buddhism, it penetrated from India to China, Tibet, Siam and Japan.

Torso female sculpture, Sixth century BC

In China, the swastika is used as a symbol of all the deities worshiped in the Lotus School, as well as in Tibet and Siam. In ancient Chinese manuscripts it included such concepts as “region” and “country”. Two curved, mutually truncated fragments of a double spiral are known in the form of a swastika, expressing the symbolism of the relationship between “Yin” and “Yang”. In maritime civilizations, the double helix motif was an expression of the relationship between opposites, a sign of the Upper and Lower Waters, and also signified the process of the formation of life. Widely used by Jains and followers of Vishnu. In Jainism, the four arms of the swastika represent the four levels of existence.

Swastika in India

On one of the Buddhist swastikas, each blade of the cross ends with a triangle indicating the direction of movement and crowned with an arch of the flawed moon, in which the sun is placed, like in a boat. This sign represents the sign of the mystical arba, the creative quaternary, also called the hammer of Thor. A similar cross was found by Schliemann during the excavations of Troy. IN Eastern Europe, Western Siberia, Central Asia and the Caucasus has been found since the 2nd–1st millennium BC. In Western Europe it was known to the Celts. Depicted in pre-Christian Roman mosaics and on coins of Cyprus and Crete. An ancient Cretan rounded swastika made from plant elements is known. The Maltese cross in the shape of a swastika made of four triangles converging in the center is of Phoenician origin. It was also known to the Etruscans. IN early Christianity The swastika was known as the gamma cross. According to Guenon, until the end of the Middle Ages it was one of the emblems of Christ. According to Ossendowski, Genghis Khan wore on his right hand a ring with the image of a swastika, into which was set a magnificent ruby ​​- the sun stone. Ossendowski saw this ring on the hand of the Mongol governor. Currently this magic symbol known mainly in India and Central and East Asia.

Swastika on Russian territory

In Rus', swastika symbols have been known since ancient times.

The rhombic-meander swastika ornament in the Kostenki and Mezin cultures (25 - 20 thousand years BC) was studied by V. A. Gorodtsov.

How special kind swastikas, symbolizing the rising Sun-Yarila, the victory of Light over Darkness, Eternal Life over Death, was called Kolovrat (lit. “rotation of the wheel”, the Old Slavonic form Kolovrat was also used in the Old Russian language).

In Russian folk ornamentation, the swastika was one of the common figures until the end of the 19th century.

In post-war children's legends, there was a widespread belief that the swastika consists of 4 letters “G”, symbolizing the first letters of the surnames of the leaders of the Third Reich - Hitler, Goebbels, Himmler, Goering.

Swastika in India

In pre-Buddhist ancient Indian and some other cultures, the swastika is usually interpreted as a sign of favorable destinies, a symbol of the sun. This symbol is still widely used in India and South Korea, and most weddings, holidays and celebrations are not complete without it.

Swastika in India

Buddhist symbol of perfection (also known as manji, “whirlwind” (Japanese: まんじ, “ornament, cross, swastika”)). The vertical line indicates the relationship between heaven and earth, and the horizontal line indicates the yin-yang relationship. The direction of short lines to the left represents movement, softness, love, compassion, and their direction to the right is associated with constancy, firmness, intelligence and strength. Thus, any one-sidedness is a violation of world harmony and cannot lead to universal happiness. Love and compassion without strength and firmness are helpless, and strength and reason without mercy and love lead to the increase of evil.

Swastika in European culture

The swastika became popular in European culture in the 19th century, in the wake of the fashion of the Aryan theory. English astrologer Richard Morrison organized the Order of the Swastika in Europe, 1869. It is found on the pages of Rudyard Kipling's books. The swastika was also used by the founder of the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell. In 1915, the swastika, being very common in Latvian culture since ancient times, was depicted on the banners of the battalions (then regiments) of the Latvian Riflemen of the Russian army.

Altars with swastika V Europe:

From Aquitaine

Then, since 1918, it became an element of the official symbols of the Republic of Latvia - the emblem of military aviation, regimental insignia, insignia of societies and various organizations, state awards, and is still used today. The Latvian Military Order of Lāčplēsis had the shape of a swastika. Since 1918, the swastika has been part of the state symbols of Finland (now depicted on the presidential standard, as well as on the banners of the armed forces). Later it became a symbol of the German Nazis, after they came to power - state symbol Germany (depicted on the coat of arms and flag); after World War II, her image was banned in a number of countries.

Swastika in Nazism
The National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), which appeared in the 20s of the 20th century, chose the swastika as its party symbol. Since 1920, the swastika has become associated with Nazism and racism.

There is a very common misconception that the Nazis chose the right-handed swastika as their emblem, thereby perverting the precepts of the ancient sages and desecrating the sign itself, which is more than five thousand years old. In reality this is not the case. In cultures different nations Both left- and right-handed swastikas are found.

Only a four-pointed swastika, standing on an edge at 45°, with the ends directed to the right, can fit the definition of “Nazi” symbols. This very sign was on the state banner of National Socialist Germany from 1933 to 1945, as well as on the emblems of the civil and military services of this country. The Nazis themselves used the term Hakenkreuz (literally “crooked (hooked) cross”), which is synonymous with the word swastika (German Swastika), also used in German.

In Russia, a stylized swastika is used as an emblem by the All-Russian social movement Russian National Unity (RNE). Russian nationalists claim that the Russian swastika - the Kolovrat - is an ancient Slavic symbol and cannot be recognized as Nazi symbols.

Swastika in other cultures