It is sometimes referred to as the coat of arms of Belarus, although in heraldic terms this is inaccurate as the emblem does not respect the rules of conventional heraldry.

The emblem is an allusion to one that was used by the Byelorussian SSR, designed by Ivan Dubasov in 1950, with the biggest change being a replacement of the Communist hammer and sickle with a silhouette of Belarus.

[3] In addition, the emblem is displayed on all ballot boxes, campaign mailings and promotional standards when the election is starting.

[3] Despite the fact that the Belarusians share a distinct ethnic identity and language, they never previously had a political sovereignty prior to 1918.

[7] According to the formerly popular historian Arnold J. Toynbee, the pagan Lithuanians performed sweeping conquests of the Orthodox Ruthenians and this medieval greatness of Lithuania was conveyed in its heraldic emblem – a galloping horseman.

[12] The Lithuanians allowed their East Slavic vassals to remain Orthodox, maintain their privileges and authority in local areas.

Some Belarusian historians make a connection between the Pahonia and the cultural context, religious and mythological beliefs of Belarus' earliest inhabitants.

[26] Lithuanian mythologists believe that the bright rider on the white horse symbolizes the ghost of the ancestral warrior, reminiscent of core values and goals, giving strength and courage.

[27] In Belarusian folklore, Yarilo – the ancient pagan god of spring revival and soil fertility – was particularly present.

Besides that, under Russian rule, the Pahonia became an element (or the basis of) newly established coats of arms of numerous cities in Belarus and the neighbouring territories, including Polotsk, Vitebsk, Lyepyel, Mogilev and others.

[36] A publishing and printing house based in Toronto and New York was named Pahonia; it produced also Belarusian titles.

[37] The Order of the Pahonia was established by the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile in 1949 as the highest state award of Belarus.

[38] Pahonia features on the original jacket of the first anthology of Belarusian poetry in English translation, Like Water, Like Fire (London, 1971).

The official version of the coat of arms was drafted by the artist Jauhien Kulik, an active member of the Belarusian Popular Front.

The official status of Pahonia as the state coat of arms was cancelled in June 1995 by the authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko following a controversial referendum held earlier that year.

Alexander Lukashenko claimed the selection of the Soviet-inspired symbols as a victory, especially to his Great Patriotic War veteran base, by saying "we have returned to you the flag of the country for which you fought.

[47][45] The patriotic anthem of the same name, Pahonia, inspired by the coat of arms, was one of the symbols of the protests against the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

[48][49] According to Aleś Čajčyc, the Information Secretary of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic,[50] the English's Wikipedia's Pahonia article was deleted by Lithuanian nationalists, who redirected it to the Coat of arms of Lithuania.

[51] However the same year after secretary's statement the official Twitter account of the exiled government tweeted that the coat of arms is "a symbol of centuries of friendship between Belarusians and Lithuanians".

The central part of the emblem is a stylized red shield, showing a golden sun rising from the base.

The shield is framed by ears of wheat meeting at its base and featuring a red ribbon inscribed in black with the state motto of the Soviet Union, "Workers of the World, Unite!"

Around the ears of wheat and leaves of oak is a red ribbon, featuring the phrase "Workers of the World, Unite!"

[55] In February 2020, the Belarusian parliament updated the emblem, with the globe centred on Belarus and showing more of Europe, rather than Russia and the colour of the outline map of the country changed from green to gold.