Members of the Mykolaiv Regional Council have chosen a new coat of arms for the region featuring Saint Nicholas

Members of the Mykolaiv Regional Council have backed the change to the Mykolaiv region’s coat of arms. Photo: NikVesti

Members of the Mykolaiv Regional Council have backed a change to the Mykolaiv region’s coat of arms. They chose the version featuring Saint Nicholas.

The decision was considered during a session of the Mykolaiv Regional Council on Thursday, 16 April, according to NikVesti.

Two versions of the coat of arms were put forward for the deputies’ consideration: one featuring Saint Nicholas and the other featuring the ancient heritage of Olbia.

The first option — Saint Nicholas, a Cossack cross and waves

The second option — an amphora, an anchor and a deer

During her speech, Kateryna Stokolias, a councillor from the «Propozytsiia» party, noted that the sketch needed further refinement and that the two options might be combined into one.

«The requests came not only from communities but also from military units; I received them. They proposed the second option. I believe that the history of the Mykolaiv region should not be limited to Saint Nicholas alone. Our history is ancient and profound. I understand that the majority in the chamber supports the first option. But I would still like to find a compromise and refine the design,» she noted.

Kateryna Stokolyas. Photo: NikVesti

In turn, councillor Yevhen Horburov from the «Opposition party — For Life» noted that the work had been carried out thoroughly with the involvement of specialists. In his opinion, the option featuring Saint Nicholas is the most suitable for the region’s symbols.

He was supported by councillors Ihor Savchenko and Vladyslav Martychenko from the «Servant of the People» party. According to them, the majority of people they surveyed support the symbol featuring Saint Nicholas.

Deputy Ihor Savchenko. Photo: NikVesti

There were also those who spoke in favour of the Olbia option. Councillor Ruslan Peresunko from the European Solidarity party noted that the Scythian heritage is an important component of the identity of the region’s inhabitants.

«We are not just a region on a map. We are the heirs of a great steppe empire, where freedom was valued more than life itself. Today, we are proposing more than just a change of image. We are proposing to reclaim our strength. Coat of arms No. 2 features the attributes of the Scythian sons; these are symbols of protection. They remind us that we are warriors when we need to defend our home, and that we are masters when we need to build it up,» the councillor believes.

Councillor Ruslan Peresunko. Photo: NikVesti

Following the discussion, two versions of the coat of arms were put to the vote in turn, but the majority supported the version depicting Saint Nicholas — 41 votes «for», 1 «against». The version featuring Olbia was supported by only 7 councillors, with 3 against and 14 abstentions; 21 councillors did not vote at all.

It should be noted that the Heraldry Committee of the Mykolaiv Regional Council had selected two designs for the region’s new coat of arms, which were submitted to the deputies for consideration. These were the designs featuring Saint Nicholas and symbols of ancient Olbia.

It should be noted that the majority of local communities in the Mykolaiv region supported the version of the region’s new coat of arms featuring Saint Nicholas. At the same time, two communities do not support either option at all.