The Russian coat of arms depicts a double-headed eagle. However, sometimes in Russia you can encounter unusual eagles with three heads, claws, and wings. They are especially common in the country’s former capital, St. Petersburg.

When a sculpted double-headed eagle crowns a tall spire and can be seen from various angles, a problem arises: from certain angles, the eagle can appear single-headed. To avoid this, such an eagle is sometimes made three-headed, with three wings and claws.

The eagle’s heads are positioned at a 120° angle to each other, and the wings are similarly positioned. In this case, from any angle, the eagle appears double-headed to the viewer, just like on the coat of arms. Photos by: Alexander Nikulin.

unique three-headed Russian eagles

Tags: Saint Petersburg city