The flag of Montenegro, officially adopted with the Law on the state symbols and the statehood day of Montenegro on 13 July 2004, is a red banner with broader golden edges all around the red field with the coat of arms of Montenegro in its center. The charge is a two-headed eagle which is a symbol of Byzantine and ultimately Roman origin. It symbolises dual authority, such as that over the church and state. The motif was used by medieval rulers of Zeta - the House of Crnojević, as well as various other European dynasties.
The layout of the Montenegrin coat of arms is inspired by that of the Russian Empire, with which the ruling House of Petrović-Njegoš had close dynastic and political ties in the 19th century when the coat of arms was first adopted in its present form. The lion passant on the inescutcheon is as a sign of episcopal authority and could have been inspired by the metaphore of the Lion of Judah. Furthermore, it bears some similarity to the motif present in the arms of Venice, which had considerable influence in the history of Montenegro.
After Montenegro regained its independence from medieval Serbia, it gradually became a theocracy in order to preserve unity before numerous Turkish invasions of the country. After the establishment of the secular dynastic succession in 1851, the lion was placed beneath the eagle, while the initials of the ruler stood on the shield. Today, Montenegro is a secular, democratic republic, so the fact that the crown of the Petrovic-Njegos dynasty was also represented created some controversy at the time of its adoption.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the series Historical Heritage 2015- Architecture (2), designed by Marko Zogović & Zoran Popović, and issued on November 11, 2015.
0.30 EUR
0.95 EUR - It's on the postcard 2902
References
Coat of arms of Montenegro - Wikipedia
Flag of Montenegro - Wikipedia
Sender: Renato Grgurević (direct swap)
Sent from Herceg Novi (Montenegro), on 07.12.2016
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