Baltia Rooster
The rooster is our symbol of reliability. Dating back to Roman times, a rooster was universally recognized as a symbol of punctuality and dependability. For these same qualities, Baltia’s founder chose the rooster to represent our new airline.
Throughout American history, the rooster has been an icon, particularly in New York. On the bright, sunny day of May 24th, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was officially opened in New York, and the first person to cross the bridge carried a live rooster as a sign of victory and accomplishment. She was Emily Roebling, the wife of famed civil engineer Washington Roebling who supervised construction of the Brooklyn Bridge. Emily was so instrumental in her husband’s work she was given the honor of traversing the bridge first from Brooklyn to Manhattan. As she rode across in horse-drawn carriage with the rooster in her arms, all the men who had been working on the bridge raised their hats in triumph and cheered the historic moment.
But there’s more to our rooster story. In European folklore, a golden rooster is also a good luck charm. Just look skyward. Ever vigilant and watching over all, the rooster sits atop many spires and buildings in New York City as well as on church towers throughout Europe. You can also see the revered image on countless weather vanes of homes all over the countryside.
One of the largest and most grand rooster effigies in the world is the golden rooster perched atop the spire of St. Peter’s Church in Riga, Latvia. The church was once the tallest building in Europe before the Eiffel Tower was erected. Over 360 feet up in the air, the golden rooster is the size of a horse.
