Statehood and heraldry
Vytis: the Lithuanian coat of arms
Vytis is Lithuania’s coat of arms: a white (heraldically silver) armoured rider on a white horse against a red shield. Its history reaches back to the seals of medieval Lithuanian rulers.
How do you recognise Vytis?
A red shield carries a white, or heraldically silver, armoured rider and horse. The rider raises a sword above his head. His blue shield bears a yellow (gold) Double Cross; the horse’s equipment also includes blue and gold details.
This is a short identification guide. For the precise design, details and official use, consult the law and approved standard shown on the Seimas source page.
From a ruler’s seal to a state coat of arms
The Seimas history connects the mounted figure with late-14th-century portrait seals of Lithuanian dukes. Early depictions differ in direction, the horse’s pose and the rider’s weapon: the modern standard does not reproduce every medieval image unchanged.
The Bank of Lithuania Money Museum explains how rulers’ emblems and figures appeared on seals and coins. Dated objects document the development of heraldry. A mythological interpretation of the rider does not replace that historical evidence.
The present coat of arms
The historical coat of arms was reinstated on 11 March 1990 during the restoration of independence. The Supreme Council approved the present standard, designed by Arvydas Každailis and endorsed by the Heraldry Commission, on 4 September 1991.
Article 15 of the Constitution specifies a white Vytis on a red field. The coat of arms law gives a fuller description and rules of use. An educational drawing or a logo is not automatically an official heraldic standard.
Vytis, the Double Cross and the Columns
The Double Cross is the symbol on the present rider’s shield. The Columns of the Gediminids are a different historical national symbol with their own history. Both connect with Lithuanian rulers’ heraldry, but their names are not interchangeable.
Vytis also appears on Lithuania’s historical armorial flag. This is distinct from the yellow, green and red national tricolour.
Sources
Other state and heraldic symbols
Frequently asked questions
What is Lithuania’s coat of arms?
It is Vytis: a white armoured rider on a white horse against a red shield.
What is the symbol on Vytis’s shield?
The present rider’s blue shield bears a yellow (gold) Double Cross.
When was the present Vytis standard approved?
The present standard, designed by Arvydas Každailis, was approved on 4 September 1991.