A. Signature

The official trademark of Saint Petersburg depicts a flame silhouetting one of the famous Rostral Columns. These crimson towers with ever-burning signal flames have served as city landmarks for hundreds of years to sailors and travellers alike. The vertical column symbolizes strength with its sturdy, upright form. The flame it sits inside, as well as the implied smaller flame created by the negative space above the column, represents the perseverance and hope of the city.

The symbol of the rostral column was chosen due to its welcoming nature, while remaining unique to Saint Petersburg. The columns have often been the first and last thing a sailor would see during a visit to the city. This fits in well with Peter the Great's vision; the column is Saint Petersburg's beacon to the world, a permanent signal of Russian culture and beauty.

Download Vector Logo (.ai, 256 KB)

B. Logo

The logo and type always need a minimum amount of surrounding blank space to keep their integrity. Use the above guide to note the correct proportions and spacing of the logo. When sizing the logo, note that smaller sizes tend to lose some of the features of the column. A good judge for correct sizing is if there is a visible separation between the smaller internal flame and the silhouetted column. If the two elements seem to merge together, the logo is too small.


C. Color Treatments


When placing the signature on a colored background, the logo and accompanying type should all be one color; this is typically white. On a white background, the mark and type should be the same color value, but the type should be 50% darker than the mark. Do not break the symbol into separate colors, such as giving the flame a different color than the type. This breaks the concept of unity. Be wary of using lighter colors, as the lack of contrast will not carry the impact necessary in the logo. Never fill in the column or implied white space flame at the top of the mark.


D. Improper Uses of Logo

DO NOT split the city names into two separate lines.
DO NOT color in the negative space of the mark.
DO NOT adjust the spacing between the mark and city name.
DO NOT abbreviate Saint.
DO NOT use two entirely different colors for the mark and type.
DO NOT split the city name with the mark.