The Coat of Arms of the Count's Russian Empire Dignity and Its Version of the General of Cavalry, Ata-man of the Don Army Count M.I. Platov

The coat of arms and its versions of Count M.I. Platov are considered for the first time in the scientific literature, their origin, composition, symbolism, role and significance in consolidating the image of a cavalry general, a military ataman of the Don Army in the historical memory of the peoples of Russia and Europe. The highly approved coat of arms of M.I. Platov, little known to contemporaries, was distributed in independent, attributed versions, which played an important role in visualization, strengthening the authority of the “whirlwind chieftain”. It is proven that these versions are unconfirmed and are closely connected with the processes of formation of historical memory and public consciousness in Russia. The versions of the Count's coat of arms of M.I. Platov retained heraldic continuity but were complemented with new figures that revealed the pages of his military and civil service, the relations of the Don Ataman with crowned persons, the military and state elite of Russia and Europe. It is emphasized that the versions of the coats of arms are at the same time independent heraldic and artistic works. According to the authors of the unapproved coats of arms, the awards, additions and changes included in them raised and consolidated the high status of the coat of arms holders, showed their role and merits in the history of Russia. The coat of arms portraits and versions of the coat of arms of Count M.I. Platov reflected the ideas of his contemporaries about his role in the history of the country, the process of formation of the Don nobili-ty, and the state of the heraldic tradition in Russia. Independent, unapproved coats of arms were an important stage in the development of Russian heraldic studies: some are still a kind of reminder of “famous names and events”, others were used primarily to solve personal, property and social problems over the course of one generation and became historical facts in the lives of the coat of arms holders. The coat of arms engraved portrait of M.I. Platov and versions of coats of arms go back to the Don painting and coat of arms tradition of the second half of the 18th – early 19th century. They, preserving artistic and compositional features, are part of the Don and Russian military portrait, Russian heraldry.