Last modified: 2003-03-01 by antonio martins
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![[Russian flag]](../images/r/ru.gif)
Full name: Russian Federation
Location: Eurasia
Status: Independent state since 26 December 1991. Member of the
United Nations (Permanent Security Council member)
Notes: The world’s largest state, Russia was the dominant member of the
USSR, which many people saw as the modern inheritor of the expansionist
policies of the Tsars. With the collapse of the USSR, Russia inherited
the Soviet Union’s permanent seat on the UN Security Council, but also
much of the debt of the former USSR.
Russia is a federated state with, in theory, widespread devolution to
its regions. Unresolved tensions exist between the central government
and many of these regions.
Stuart Notholt, 13 Nov 1995
On the 25th of December 2000 the Federal Law On National Flag of
Russia was adopted. This document governs that «National Flag is a
rectangular banner, which consists of three equal horizontal stripes:
the top one is white, the middle one is blue, the bottom one is red.
The width of the flag is related to length as 2 to 3.»
Zachary Harden, 05 Mar 2001, quoting the
Russian Consulant in San Francisco, CA, USA
Russian national flags normally used in Russia range
from the lightest to the darkest shade (like from
argentine blue to
british blue), even if in russian
light blue is considered a separate color. There are for
sure official regulations about the precise shade to be
used in national flags used by the government, presidency,
armed forces, etc. — but until now I could not find them.
All laws state simply "blue" ("sinii~").
António Martins, 16 Jun 2000
20th of January 1705 Peter I adopted merchant flag. But this flag was naval ensign since 1693 (without official adoption). Victor Lomantsov, 06 Mar 2001
Although it is mentioned in a lot of (flag)books, it is probably just a myth that the Russian tricolour is derived from the Dutch one during Tsar Peter’s (incognito) visit to the Netherlands in 1697. One of the worlds first flagbooks, compiled by Carel Allard (from Amsterdam) in 1695 [ala95], shows three Russian flags:
More correctly it should be said that the shape of the Dutch flag
influenced the Russian one, while the colors were “traditional”. It is
to remember that the Dutch ensign, created 1572, was the first marittime
flag in the shape of three horizontal stripes, and since then, it got
great popularity. We could say that white, blue and red flags were
in used in Russia from about 1667, mainly in the
quartered form with a blue cross,
while from 1697, after the visit of Peter the Great to
Netherlands, the triband design became the preferred one.
(Sources: [zig94],
[sto74] and
[fow69].)
Mario Fabretto, 27 Nov 1998
Originally the civil ensign, the tricolour was officially recognized
for use on land on 7 May 1883. Under the Bolsheviks, the flag was suppressed. It
began to re-surface in 1990, and was officially adopted as the state flag on 21
August 1991, three days after the hardline attempted coup against (USSR)
President Gorbac^e"v. A day later, Russian President Boris Elcin waved the flag
from on top of a tank as the coup collapsed. An enormous white-blue-red cloth
was paraded through the streets of Moscow and the flag was raised over the
building of the Russian Supreme Soviet. On 25 December, it was also hoisted over
the Kremlin. The next day, 26 December 1991, the formal legal termination of the
USSR and its symbols took place.
Stuart Notholt
Smith [smi75] says that
the plain white-blue-red tricolor had been the
civil ensign since 1799 and
an “alternate civil flag” since 1883 — this owing
to the unpopularity of the
black-orange-white flag. However,
the black-orange-red was not officially abolished,
so that Russia had two civil flags from 1883 to 1914.
Tom Gregg, 21 Mar 1999
The white-blue-red is based on the coat of arms of the
duchy of Moscow,
which is red with Saint George, wearing white armor
and a blue cape, riding a white horse, holding a blue shield,
defeating the dragon.
Anton Sherwood
The rider is said to be St. George from 1730.
The dominant colors are in effect red, blue and white.
The white-blue-red flag was used till the fall of Kerenski’s
government, in November 1917. The same happened to the
two-headed eagle, without the imperial crown.
Giuseppe Bottasini
Flag day
National Holiday "Day of State Flag" in Russia is 21 of august.
This holiday was introduced with a decree of president B. Eltsin
on 20 of august 1994. In 21.8.1991 the national tricolour was
firstly raised upon the White House (the building of the Government
of Russia). This flag deputies took from the study of deputy minister
V.Yaroshenko. 22.8.1991 the Presidium of Supreme Soviet (parliament)
adopted the decision about official acknowledgement of the tricolour.
There were no “flag days” in Russian Empire, USSR, RSFSR or RF before
1994.
Victor Lomantsov, 10 Nov 1999
All these meanings were invented many years later of adoption the flag.
If you have an imagination you can invent thousands of meanings.
But officially the colours means nothing.
Victor Lomantsov, 06 Mar 2001
From the ancient times in Russia those three
colors had a special symbolic meaning: white is
nobility and sincerity; blue is truthfulness,
commitment and purity; red stands for bravery,
valor and love.
Zachary Harden, 05 Mar 2001, quoting the
Russian Consulant in San Francisco, CA, USA
Meaning of the current flag:
In Russia the white color symbolizes generosity and frankness;
blue — loyalty, honesty, aultlessness, wisdom;
red — courage, magnanimity, love.
The Russian tradition may have the following interpretation as well:
red color is associated with Russian people,
blue — with the Ukrainians,
and white — with the Belo Russians.
So, the use of these three colors has a long history in Slavic states,
mean the sacred union of the Slavs with a unique cultural heritage of
each nation.
Pascal Gross, 12 Jul 2001, quoting from
http://www.adm.samara.ru/en/content/5/51/675
The colours represent the following:
The color of the stripes was then understood
according to the ancient explanation of the
Universe: on the bottom is a material world,
higher are the skies, and the highest is a divine
world. Later it began to symbolize a unity of the
three Eastern Slavic Nations — Byelorussia,
Ukraine and Russia.
Zachary Harden, 05 Mar 2001, quoting the
Russian Consulant in San Francisco, CA, USA
I seem to recall that the current Russian flag has similar
meanings, the white for the White Russians,
the blue for the Ukrainians and the red
for the Russians of what is now Russia.
David Kendall, 10 Aug 1999
Now in Russia in mourning the flags flying on half-staff,
or two black ribbons added to the hoist.
Victor Lomantsov, 24 Oct 2000
The symbols [flag and coat of arms] are given prominent mention in the words for the revived anthem — the re-established Soviet tune, with new words by the same poet who composed the original nearly 60 years ago. Russia has been without an official anthem since 1991, when the unbreakable union broke up. An arcane tune without lyrics has been used as a stand-in Putin told a new advisory State Council grouping Russia’s regional leaders to decide whether to resurrect the catchy Soviet tune, write words for the current one or compose a new anthem altogether. The source said the Kremlin would send a bill to parliament next week proposing to keep intact the music composed by Alexander Alexandrov in 1943 and personally approved by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. It will be accompanied by new verses by 87-year-old Sergei Mikhalkov, a beloved children’s poet who wrote the original words in 1943. The Kremlin source quoted the opening lines of the verses Mikhalkov had written for the old tune, making it clear Putin had made up his mind.
Its mighty wings spread above usquoted by Lewis Nowitz from the Netscape news site, 30 Nov 2000
The Russian eagle is hovering high
The Fatherland’s tricolor symbol
Is leading Russia’s peoples to victory
The Russian national anthem had no lyrics from 1991 to 2000, the time
period of Russia using the anthem composed by Glinka. Before the change,
lyrics were asked to be sent to the Kremlin, an example is what is
above. The Kremlin asked for the lyrics to be
changed, and took the revision, which does not included any referance to
the national symbols.
Zachary Harden, 06 May 2002