Russian swastika. Cult symbolism and its meaning

There is one graphic sign that has ancient history and the deepest meaning, but which was very unlucky with fans, as a result of which it was discredited for many decades, if not forever. Speech in in this case is about the swastika, which originated and separated from the image of the symbol of the cross in deep, deep antiquity, when it was interpreted as an exclusively solar, magical sign.

Solar symbols.

Sun Sign

The word “swastika” itself is translated from Sanskrit as “welfare”, “well-being” (the Thai greeting “Sawatdiya” comes from the Sanskrit “su” and “asti”). This ancient solar sign is one of the most archaic, and therefore one of the most effective, since it is imprinted in the deep memory of humanity. The swastika is an indicator of the apparent movement of the Sun around the Earth and the division of the year into 4 seasons. In addition, it includes the idea of ​​the four cardinal directions.

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. Already from the 7th - 6th centuries BC. e. it is included in Buddhist symbolism, where it means the secret doctrine of the Buddha.

Even before our era, the swastika was actively used in symbolism in India and Iran and found its way to China. This sign was also used in Central America by the Mayans, where it symbolized the circulation of the Sun. Around the time of the Bronze Age, the swastika came to Europe, where it became especially popular in Scandinavia. Here it is used as one of the attributes of the supreme god Odin. Almost everywhere, in all corners of the Earth, in all cultures and traditions swastika used as a solar sign and symbol of well-being. And only when it came to Ancient Greece from Asia Minor, it was changed in such a way that its meaning also changed. By turning the swastika, which was foreign to them, counterclockwise, the Greeks turned it into a sign of evil and death (in their opinion).

Swastika in the symbolism of Russia and other countries

In the Middle Ages, the swastika was somehow forgotten and remembered closer to the beginning of the twentieth century. And not only in Germany, as one might assume. This may be surprising to some, but the swastika was used in official symbols in Russia. In 1917, new ones were released in April banknotes in denominations of 250 and 1000 rubles, on which there was an image of a swastika. The swastika was also present on Soviet banknotes of 5 and 10 thousand rubles, which were in use until 1922. And in some parts of the Red Army, for example, among the Kalmyk formations, there was a swastika integral part sleeve badge design.

During the First World War, swastikas were painted on the fuselages of aircraft of the famous American Lafayette squadron. Her images were also on the P-12 Briefings, which were in service with the US Air Force from 1929 to 1941. Additionally, this symbol was featured on the insignia of the US Army's 45th Infantry Division from 1923 to 1939.

It is especially worth talking about Finland. This country is currently the only one in the world in which the swastika is present in the official symbols. It is included in the presidential standard, and is also included in the military and naval flags of the country.

Modern flag of the Finnish Air Force Academy in Kuahava.

According to the explanation given on the website of the Finnish Defense Forces, the swastika, as an ancient symbol of happiness of the Finno-Ugric peoples, was adopted as a symbol of the Finnish Air Force back in 1918, that is, before it began to be used as fascist sign. And although, under the terms of the peace treaty after the end of World War II, the Finns were supposed to abandon its use, this was not done. In addition, the explanation on the website of the Finnish Defense Forces emphasizes that, unlike the Nazi one, the Finnish swastika is strictly vertical.

IN modern India The swastika is ubiquitous.

Let us note that there is one country in the modern world where images of swastikas can be seen at almost every step. This is India. In it, this symbol has been used in Hinduism for more than one millennium and no government can ban it.

Fascist swastika

It is worth mentioning the common myth that the Nazis used an inverted swastika. Where he came from is completely unclear, since German swastika the most common one is in the direction of the Sun. Another thing is that they depicted it at an angle of 45 degrees, and not vertically. As for the inverted swastika, it is used in the Bon religion, which many Tibetans still follow today. Note that the use of an inverted swastika is not such a rare occurrence: its image is found in ancient Greek culture, in pre-Christian Roman mosaics, medieval coats of arms and even in the logo of Rudyard Kipling.

An inverted swastika in the Bon monastery.

As for the Nazi swastika, it became the official emblem of Hitler’s fascist party in 1923, on the eve of the “Beer Hall Putsch” in Munich. Since September 1935, it has become the main state emblem of Hitler's Germany, included in its coat of arms and flag. And for ten years the swastika was directly associated with fascism, turning from a symbol of good and prosperity into a symbol of evil and inhumanity. It is not surprising that after 1945, all states, with the exception of Finland and Spain, in which the swastika was in the symbolism until November 1975, refused to use this symbol as compromised by fascism.

Illustration copyright Hulton Archive Image caption Is it possible to rehabilitate the swastika, which for many has become a symbol of fascism?

In the West, the swastika has become an integral symbol of fascism. But few people remember that for thousands of years and in different cultures of the world it was considered a symbol that brings good luck.

Will the ancient sign ever be able to shake off the stigma of Nazism and the negative associations associated with it?

In ancient Indian literary language In Sanskrit, "svasti" means a wish for prosperity and good luck. This symbol has been used by Hindus, Buddhists and followers of Jainism for thousands of years. Most researchers believe that the symbol itself was born in India.

The first Western travelers to reach Asia responded favorably to the positive associations that the swastika carried with it, and began to actively use this symbol at home.

American graphic artist and designer Steven Heller in his book “The Swastika: A Symbol Without Redemption?” shows how popular it was in architectural motifs and advertising before Hitler came to power.

“It was used to decorate bottles of Coca-Cola and Carlsberg beer. It was adopted by the Boy Scouts, and the American Young Girls Club named its magazine “Swastika.” Its editors sent swastika pins to readers who took part in distributing the magazine as a small gift.” , says Heller.

American military units used the swastika during the First World War. Her images adorned the wings of some Royal Air Force aircraft until 1939. However, the “peaceful” swastika came to an end after fascism came to power in Germany in the 1930s.

The Nazis appropriated the swastika for a reason. In the 19th century, the French romantic writer and sociologist Joseph Gobineau wrote a work entitled: “A Study on the Inequality of Human Races,” in which he introduced the term “Aryans.” This is what Gobineau called the fair-haired and blue-eyed representatives of the white race, whom he considered as the highest level of all humanity.

In the second half of the 19th century, German scientists, translating texts from Sanskrit, discovered similarities between it and Old Germanic dialects, from which it was concluded that both the ancient Indians and the ancient Germans had common ancestors: that same god-like race of warriors - the Aryans.

This idea was enthusiastically taken up by nationalist groups, who declared that the swastika was a symbol of the Aryans, and a clear demonstration of the ancient roots of the Germanic nation.

A black cross with curved ends (the so-called “rotating cross” with rays directed clockwise), on a white circle located on a red square, became one of the most hated emblems of the 20th century, inextricably linked with the crimes of the Third Reich.

"For the Jewish people, the swastika remains a symbol of fear, oppression and destruction. It is a symbol we can never change," Holocaust survivor Freddie Knoller told the BBC. "When nationalists paint swastikas on our tombstones and synagogues, we become afraid. This must never happen again."

The swastika became a banned symbol in Germany after the end of World War II. In 2007, Germany tried to extend this ban to all EU countries, although without success.

The irony is that the European roots of the swastika are much deeper than many people realize. Archaeological finds have long shown that this is a very ancient symbol that was used not only in India. He met in Ancient Greece, it was familiar to the Celts and Anglo-Saxons, and the oldest examples were generally found in Eastern Europe from the Baltic to the Balkans.

One of the most ancient ornaments depicting a swastika is kept in the State Historical Museum in Kyiv.

Among the most valuable exhibits of the museum is a small bone figurine of a bird, carved from a mammoth ivory. It was found in 1908 during excavations of a Paleolithic site near the village of Mizin in the Chernigov region of Ukraine.

The bird's body is engraved with a complex pattern of intertwining swastikas. It is the oldest officially recognized swastika design in the world. Radiocarbon dating showed that the bone bird was carved 15 thousand years ago. During excavations, the bird was found among a number of phallic objects, which, according to scientists, supports the theory that the swastika also served as a symbol of fertility.

In 1965, Soviet paleontologist Valentina Bibikova discovered that the meander pattern of swastikas may be a conscious reproduction by ancient artists of a natural cut on a mammoth bone. Maybe the Paleolithic inhabitants simply reproduced what they saw in nature? And the huge mammoth logically became a symbol of prosperity and fertility?

Single swastikas began to appear in the Neolithic Vinca Vinca culture in Eastern Europe about 7 thousand years ago. However, this symbol became truly widespread in Europe only in the Bronze Age.

The collection of the Kyiv museum contains clay pots with swastikas surrounding the top of the vessel, which are about 4 thousand years old. When Nazi troops occupied Kyiv in World War II, the Germans were so confident that these pots proved the existence of their own Aryan ancestors that they took them with them to Germany. After the war they were returned to Kyiv.

In the museum's Greek collection, the swastika is widely present in the form of a widespread meander design that is still used today.

In ancient Greece, pots and vases were decorated with swastika motifs.

But perhaps one of the most unexpected exhibits of the museum in Kyiv is a dilapidated piece of fabric, miraculously preserved from the 12th century. It is believed that it was part of the collar of the dress of some Slavic princess, and decorations made of swastikas and gold crosses were supposed to ward off evil.

The swastika remained a popular motif in embroidery in Eastern Europe until World War II. Smolny Institute Associate Professor Pavel Kutenkov, manager of the Russian Museum of Ethnic Studies in St. Petersburg, has counted about 200 varieties of swastikas in the region.

At the same time, the swastika remains one of the most emotionally negative symbols of our world. In 1941, at Babi Yar in Kyiv, the Nazis killed, according to the most minimal estimates, more than 150 thousand people - Jews, prisoners of war, the mentally ill, gypsies, and so on. It is not the swastika’s fault that the National Socialists chose it as their symbol, but few manage to get rid of this association.

Some people sincerely believe that the swastika can be revived as a positive symbol. Copenhagen tattoo shop owner Peter Madsen says the swastika is an important element in Scandinavian myths.

Madsen became one of the initiators of the action called “Learn to love the swastika,” which took place on November 13 last year. The idea was that tattoo artists around the world would offer clients to have three swastikas inked onto their skin for free on that day, as a symbol of its glorious cultural past.

"The swastika is a symbol of love that Hitler mercilessly distorted. We are not trying to revive the 'spinning cross', that would be impossible. And we don't want people to forget the horrors of Nazism," says Madsen.

"We want people to know that the swastika comes in many forms, none of which have ever been used for anything terrible before. We also want to demonstrate to all those right-wing fascists that they have no right to use this symbol. And if we succeed teach people to understand the true meaning of the swastika, then maybe we will be able to take it away from the fascists."

But for those who, like Freddie Knoller, experienced all the horrors of fascism, learning to love the swastika is almost impossible.

"For people who survived the Holocaust, it is impossible to forget what a swastika is. For us, it is a symbol of absolute evil."

“However, we did not know that the swastika was born many millennia ago. Maybe people will be interested to know that it was not always a symbol of fascism,” Knoller concludes.

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 Sveta.

The swastika is one of the most ancient and widespread graphic symbols. “The swastika symbol crystallizes from the diamond-meander design, which first appeared in the Upper Paleolithic, and then inherited by almost all the 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 known as a symbol of Nazism and Hitler’s Germany, and in Western culture it is firmly associated with Hitler’s 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 as well as 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 the oldest forms of the swastika is Asia Minor and is 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. 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 of the swastika - 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 compositions of this kind we 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 the afterlife; a swastika also appears on the clothes of the deceased. A rotating cross adorns 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. A wooden tool was made in the shape of a swastika for producing 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). Swastikas are 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 of a 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”. Known in the form of a swastika are two curved mutually truncated fragments of a double spiral, 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 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 a 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, 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 - the state symbol of 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
Appeared in the 20s of the XX century, the National Socialist German workers' party(NSDAP) 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 in use in the German language.

In Russia, a stylized swastika is used as the emblem of 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

What is a swastika? Many will answer without hesitation - the fascists used the swastika symbol. Someone will say - this is an ancient Slavic amulet, and both will be right and wrong at the same time. How many legends and myths are there around this sign? They say that on the very shield that the Prophetic Oleg nailed to the doors of Constantinople, a swastika was depicted.

What is a swastika?

The swastika is an ancient symbol that appeared before our era and has a rich history. Many nations dispute each other's right to invent it. Images of swastikas were found in China and India. This is a very significant symbol. What does the swastika mean - creation, sun, prosperity. The translation of the word “swastika” from Sanskrit means a wish for good and good luck.

Swastika - origin of the symbol

The swastika symbol is a solar sign. The main meaning is movement. The earth moves around the sun, the four seasons constantly replace each other - it is easy to see that the main meaning of the symbol is not just movement, but the eternal movement of the universe. Some researchers declare the swastika to be a reflection of the eternal rotation of the galaxy. The swastika is a symbol of the sun, all ancient peoples have references to it: at excavations of Inca settlements, fabrics with the image of a swastika were found, it is on ancient Greek coins, even on the stone idols of Easter Island there are swastika signs.

The original drawing of the sun is a circle. Then, noticing the four-part picture of existence, people began to draw a cross with four rays to the circle. However, the picture turned out to be static - and the universe is eternally in dynamics, and then the ends of the rays bent - the cross turned out to be moving. These rays also symbolize four days of the year that were significant for our ancestors - the days of the summer/winter solstice, the spring and autumn equinox. These days determine the astronomical change of seasons and served as signs when to engage in farming, construction and other important matters for society.

Swastika left and right

We see how comprehensive this sign is. It is very difficult to explain in monosyllables what a swastika means. It is multifaceted and multi-valued, it is a sign of the fundamental principle of existence with all its manifestations, and among other things, the swastika is dynamic. It can rotate both right and left. Many people confuse and consider the direction where the ends of the rays point to be the side of rotation. This is wrong. The side of rotation is determined by the bending angles. Let's compare it with a person's leg - the movement is directed where the bent knee is directed, and not the heel at all.

Left-handed swastika

There is a theory that says that clockwise rotation is the correct swastika, and counterclockwise is a bad, dark swastika, the opposite. However, this would be too banal - right and left, black and white. In nature, everything is justified - day gives way to night, summer - winter, there is no division into good and bad - everything that exists is needed for something. So it is with the swastika - there is no good or bad, there is left-handed and right-handed.

Left-handed swastika - rotates counterclockwise. This is the meaning of cleansing, restoration. Sometimes it is called the sign of destruction - in order to build something light, you need to destroy the old and dark. The swastika could be worn in left rotation; it was called the “Heavenly Cross” and was a symbol of clan unity, an offering to the one who wears it, the help of all the ancestors of the clan and the protection of heavenly forces. The left-sided swastika was considered a collective sign of the autumn sun.

Right-hand swastika

The right-hand swastika rotates clockwise and denotes the beginning of all things - birth, development. This is a symbol of the spring sun - creative energy. It was also called Novorodnik or the Solar Cross. It symbolized the power of the sun and the prosperity of the family. The sun sign and the swastika in this case are equal. It was believed that it gave the greatest power to priests. The prophetic Oleg, who was spoken of at the beginning, had the right to wear this sign on his shield, since he was in charge, that is, he knew the Ancient Wisdom. From these beliefs came theories proving the ancient Slavic origin of the swastika.

Slavic swastika

The left-sided and right-sided swastika of the Slavs is called – and Posolon. The swastika fills the Kolovrat with light, protects from darkness, Salting gives hard work and spiritual perseverance, the sign serves as a reminder that man was created for development. These names are only two of a large group of Slavic swastika signs. What they had in common were crosses with curved arms. There could be six or eight rays, they were bent both to the right and to the left, each sign had its own name and was responsible for a specific security function. The Slavs had 144 main swastika symbols. In addition to the above, the Slavs had:

• Solstice;
• England;
• Svarozhich;
• Wedding Party;
• Perunov light;
• Heavenly boar and many other types of variations based on the solar elements of the swastika.

Swastika of the Slavs and the Nazis - differences

Unlike the fascist, the Slavs did not have strict canons in the image of this sign. There could be any number of rays, they could be broken at different angles, they could also be rounded. The symbol of the swastika among the Slavs is a greeting, a wish for good luck, while at the Nazi congress in 1923, Hitler convinced supporters that the swastika meant the fight against Jews and communists for purity of blood and superiority Aryan race. The fascist swastika has its own strict requirements. This and only this image is the German swastika:

1. The ends of the cross should be bent to the right;
2. All lines intersect strictly at an angle of 90°;
3. The cross must be in a white circle on a red background.
4. The correct word to say is not “swastika”, but Hakkenkreyz

Swastika in Christianity

In early Christianity, they often resorted to the image of the swastika. It was called the “gamma cross” because of its similarity with the Greek letter gamma. The swastika was used to disguise the cross during the times of persecution of Christians - Catacomb Christianity. The swastika or Gammadion was the main emblem of Christ until the end of the Middle Ages. Some experts draw a direct parallel between the Christian and swastika crosses, calling the latter a “whirling cross.”

The swastika was actively used in Orthodoxy before the revolution: as part of the ornament of priestly vestments, in icon painting, in frescoes that painted the walls of churches. However, there is also the exact opposite opinion - the gammadion is a broken cross, a pagan symbol that has nothing to do with Orthodoxy.

Swastika in Buddhism

The swastika can be encountered wherever there are traces of Buddhist culture; it is the footprint of Buddha. The Buddhist swastika, or “manji,” denotes the versatility of the world order. The vertical line is opposed to the horizontal one, like the relationship between heaven and earth and the relationship between male and female. Turning the rays in one direction emphasizes the desire for kindness, gentleness, and in the opposite direction - for hardness and strength. This gives an understanding of the impossibility of the existence of force without compassion, and compassion without force, the denial of any one-sidedness as a violation of world harmony.

Indian swastika

The swastika is no less common in India. There are left- and right-handed swastikas. Rotation clockwise symbolizes the male energy “yin”, counter-clockwise - the female energy “yang”. Sometimes this sign denotes all the gods and goddesses in Hinduism, then, at the line of intersection of the rays, the sign “om” is added - a symbol of the fact that all gods have a common beginning.

1. Right rotation: denotes the sun, its movement from east to west - the development of the universe.
2. Left rotation represents the goddess Kali, magic, night - the folding of the universe.

Is the swastika prohibited?

The swastika was banned by the Nuremberg Tribunal. Ignorance has given rise to a lot of myths, for example, that the swastika stands for four connected letters “G” - Hitler, Himmler, Goering, Goebbels. However, this version turned out to be completely untenable. Hitler, Himmler, Göring, Goebbels - not a single surname begins with this letter. There are known cases when the most valuable specimens containing images of swastikas in embroidery, on jewelry, ancient Slavic and early Christian amulets were confiscated and destroyed from museums.

In many European countries There are laws that prohibit fascist symbols, but the principle of freedom of speech is practically undeniable. Each case of the use of Nazi symbols or swastikas has the appearance of a separate trial.

1. In 2015, Roskomnazor allowed the use of swastika images without propaganda purposes.
2. Germany has strict legislation regulating the depiction of swastikas. There are several court decisions banning or allowing images.
3. France passed a law banning public demonstrations Nazi symbols.