Short answers, pulled from the story.
The two main symbols in Russian heraldry are the two-headed eagle and the horseman, identified as Saint George, killing a dragon. Both symbols originated in the seals of medieval Moscow and are incorporated into the modern coat of arms of the Russian Federation.
The current coat of arms of Russia was officially adopted on the 30th of November 1993. It was designed by artist Yevgeny Ukhnalyov and restored from the earlier arms of the Russian Empire following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Soviet leaders did not want to continue heraldic practices they associated with feudalism and the societal system the revolution sought to replace. The national emblem adopted in 1923 deliberately omitted traditional elements such as a shield, helm, crest, and mantling.
The two-headed eagle came from the Byzantine Empire. Its use in Russia is connected to Ivan III, whose marriage to Sophia Palaiologina allowed him to claim descent from the Byzantine ruling house, making adoption of the eagle a symbol of dynastic pretense.
The early Rurikid rulers used stylised symbols resembling tridents on their seals, coins, and weapons. These passed from father to son with minor modifications and were closer to Turco-Mongolian tamgas than to conventional heraldry.
The Heraldic Council of the President of the Russian Federation advises the President on heraldic matters, helps local and regional governments devise coats of arms, and holds authority over the State Heraldic Register. It also researches heraldry and prevents the unauthorised use of official symbols.