How the flag of the Russian Federation changed. What does the flag of Russia look like? What is his story? What do the colors of the flag of Russia mean

The flag of Russia is ours official symbol, as well as the coat of arms (two-headed eagle with other attributes: crowns, scepter, orb). With the help of flags a lot is determined. For example, a ship, an airplane, a sports team and more. A flag can not only flutter in the wind, but can be drawn.

The Russian Flag consists of three colors. Bottom up horizontally: 1. white; 2. blue; 3. red.

The official interpretation of what a particular color means russian flag  does not exist. But there are four theories.

First one:  the meaning of colors since ancient times in Russia:

1. White - nobility, frankness.

2. Blue - fidelity, honesty, impeccability, chastity.

3. Red - courage, courage, generosity, love.

The second theory:  colors correspond with the historical regions of Russia.

1. White color - White Russia.

2. Blue color - Little Russia.

3. Red color - Great Russia.

And the flag itself, he speaks of the strength and unity of these historical regions of Russia.

The third theory:  refers to pre-revolutionary times, when the interpretation of color correlated with the following concepts:

1. White is freedom.

2. Blue - Holy Mother of God.

3. Red - the power of the state.

The fourth theory:  interpretation of flowers from the Orthodox Church.

1. White color - symbolizes Orthodoxy.

2. Blue color - symbolizes the powerful royal power.

3. Red color - symbolizes the entire Russian people.

Flag of the Soviet Union - USSR

Proportions: 2: 3

Description of the Russian flag:

The flag of Russia consists of three equal-sized stripes located horizontally. The upper strip is white, the middle is blue, and the lower strip is red.

The meaning of the Russian flag:

The flag concept is based on the flag of the Netherlands.

The flag of Russia inspired many Slavic peoples to create a flag, the colors are often called the original Slavic. Colors symbolize Slavic unity and independence. There is no specific meaning for the colors of the flag, but some Russians believe that the white color symbolizes openness and nobility; blue color means fidelity, honesty and wisdom; red speaks of courage, generosity and love of the people. There is another interpretation of the colors of the flag: red is the people of Russia, blue is the Ukrainians, and white is the Belarusians.

History of the Russian flag:

The flag of Russia, which is still present, was officially adopted on August 21, 1991, just when the country became independent state, and on December 26, 1991 joined the United Nations. Historians, however, argue that the appearance of the flag dates back to 1699, when Peter 1 visited to study shipbuilding. There he decided that the Russian Navy needed a flag, but such that the colors were Russian, but also that there was similarity with the flag of the Netherlands. The flag design was developed, and already from 1799 was used as the flag of the navy. In 1883, moisture became the civil flag of Russia. In 1917, when the revolution began, the flag was replaced with a red one with a yellow sickle and a hammer. Russia joined the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In 1991, the USSR collapsed, and the Russian flag with three stripes was again mistaken for an official one.

There were projects to change the flag again to red, because it is red that displays the national flavor of Russia. But these projects did not materialize.

The shade of blue on the flag is often used differently: from light blue to dark blue.

Every resident of the Russian Federation must know what does the flag and coat of arms of Russia look like . Since this is the face of his country, it means a piece of himself. The flag of Russia is an official symbol of the state, the same as the coat of arms and anthem. The flag of the Russian Federation is a rectangular panel having three equal horizontal stripes: the upper one is white, the middle one is blue, and the lower one is red.

The first mention of the flag of Russia is interpreted at the beginning of the 16th century. Even then, it looked like a modern flag - it had the same three stripes, but a slightly different color scheme, there was also the coat of arms of Russia - a two-headed eagle.

This is what the flag of ancient Russia (Rus) looks like

There is no officially recognized interpretation of the colors of the Russian flag, there are only three assumptions: According to the first - the colors blue, white and red since ancient times in Russia meant:

• Blue - honesty, fidelity, chastity and impeccability;
• White - frankness and nobility;
• Red - courage, courage, love and generosity.

Another interpretation of the flag's color scheme was the correlation of colors with the historical regions of Russia: White Russia (white color), Little Russia (blue color), Great Russia (red color). The flag symbolized the unity and strength of these areas. The third interpretation dates from pre-revolutionary time, then the values \u200b\u200bof the colors of the flag were correlated with such concepts:

• Blue is the color of the Holy Virgin;
• White is the color of freedom;
• Red is a symbol of the power of the state.

There was also another interpretation, which the Orthodox Church adhered to most of all, which believed that:

• The blue color is a symbol of powerful royal power
• White color is a symbol of Orthodoxy;
• Red color is a symbol of the Russian people.

As for the coat of arms of modern Russia, he suffered many changes. Now The emblem of Russia looks like this : Red heraldic shield on which is placed a two-headed golden eagle with wings raised to the top. Above the heads of the eagle there are two small crowns and one large, all of them are connected by a ribbon. In the right paw, the eagle holds a scepter, and in the left power. In the center of the eagle there is such a red heraldic shield, which depicts a horseman, dressed in a blue cloak, sitting on a silver horse. In the rider’s bunches is a silver spear aimed at the serpent, which is located at the feet of his horse. Few people know that the scepter that holds the eagle has a drawing, an exact copy of the two-headed eagle, which also holds the scepter.

And this is how the coat of arms of Russia looks at different times. The evolution of the Russian coat of arms.

date	view
15th century
mid 16th century
1580-1620
1620 - 1690
early 18th century
mid 18th century
late 18 early 19th century
early 19th century
mid 19th century
1883-1917
1883-1917
1917 g
1918-1920
1920-1978
1978-1992
1992-1993
since 1993

Every year, at the end of summer (August 22), State Flag Day is celebrated. This holiday was officially established in Russia in 1994, in accordance with a presidential decree.

The flag raising procedure is usually accompanied by a hymn. The venue for this ceremony is usually large public events in which top officials of the state participate. The moment when the national flag of Russia rises is significant. This is an expression of the greatness of the country and its historical past. Intentional deterioration and destruction of the flag is punishable by law in accordance with article 17.10 of the administrative code.

Etymology of the word

The very concept of “flag” comes from the German word Flagge and the English flag. According to another version, it was borrowed in the era of Peter the Great from the Dutch language, in which the word flag is translated as "flag, banner." A flag is a flag of a certain color, having a geometrically regular rectangular shape.

Everything national symbols  distinguished by their individual colors. Their number corresponds to the number of states on our planet. The element of each flag has a certain meaning. Each banner conveys the history of the country it represents.

How did the history of the flag of Russia begin?

This is hard to believe, but during the first five centuries of its history in Russia there were no state symbols customary for us, such as a coat of arms, flag and anthem. In medieval times, instead of a flag, a miraculous icon was used. The prince’s squad went on a campaign with her, after having made a general prayer. A vivid example of this is described in historical documents Before her, Prince Dmitry Donskoy was blessed by St. Sergius of Radonezh. He was handed the icon, which depicts the Virgin. Also, banners and banners with images of the faces of the saints, Jesus Christ and the Virgin were widely used. However, a single state flag in those days had not yet appeared.

The appearance of the first banner

Today we know what the flag of Russia looks like, but few think about what path the state symbol of our country had to go to reach the present in the form in which it exists now.

As mentioned earlier, for a long time, namely until the 17th century, a single state flag did not exist in our country. The first time mention of him appears in historical sources dated 1667-1668. At this time, the father of Peter the Great ruled the country, who began to actively develop international trade.

The colors of the Russian flag that are familiar to us appear precisely at this time. Under them, the Eagle, the first Russian warship, was launched. The ship was intended to protect trade caravans from marauders.

But officially, this flag was introduced into state symbols only by Peter the Great. In 1705, he issued a decree according to which a white-blue-red flag was to be hoisted on each merchant ship. Peter himself worked on the sample national flagby making a paper sketch of his image and determining the order in which the stripes should be located on the canvas.

Flag during the time of the Russian Empire

In 1858, already under Emperor Alexander II, a decree was issued according to which the streets of cities on holidays should be decorated with banners, flags and other objects painted in the colors of the country's coat of arms. Since 1865, the state colors of Russia from white, blue and red have changed to the colors in which the coat of arms is painted - black, gold and white. The imperial flag of Russia acquires the colors of the coat of arms and remains so until 1883.

In April 1883, Alexander III, by his decree, returned to the state flag a white-blue-red color, while the black-yellow-white tricolor was given the status of the dynastic flag of the Romanovs reigning house. According to another version, the emperor customary for us tricolor claims only to be raised on merchant ships.

In 1896 - in accordance with the order of Nicholas II - the state flag of the Russian Empire began to look like it is today.

In 1914, the First World War began. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has put into circulation one of the options imperial flagthat looked like a state flag. The difference was that in the upper left corner appeared a yellow square with a black two-headed eagle. This composition at that time could be seen on the palace imperial standard. This flag was not official, as many people think, its task was to raise the patriotic spirit of the people in wartime. Using it was not required. What is the significance of the flag of Russia in this variation? He was a symbol of the unity of the people and the king at that difficult time.

Russian flag at the beginning of the 20th century

In 1917, after the February Revolution and the emperor’s renunciation of autocracy in favor of his brother Michael, who later transferred power to the Provisional Government (led by Kerensky), Russia became a democratic republic.

The revolutionaries made extensive use of the red flag. But in the spring of 1917, it was decided not to deprive russian tricolor  state status and postpone the question of the symbols of the country until a special order of the Constituent Assembly. Thus, until April 1918, the white-blue-red flag remained the status of the state symbol of the country.

Post-revolutionary time

After the October Revolution, the history of the flag of Russia, like our country itself, made a very sharp turn. When the Soviet regime came into its own, the Communists considered their symbol to be a rectangular cloth of red color, on which no additional elements were depicted. But this flag was not officially recognized in any regulatory documents (the country was still called the Russian Republic, and the white-blue-red-tricolor was officially considered the banner).

In 1918, the issue of the national flag was discussed. The decision following the meeting suggested the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to assign the status of the national flag to the red banner with the abbreviation PVSS, which stands for the motto: “Workers of all countries, unite!”

However, this proposal was not supported. The official flag of the RSFSR was assigned a red banner. But the decree proclaiming official symbolism did not contain clarifying details prescribing the color, size, location of the inscription, the length and width of the banner.

In July 1918, the first Constitution was approved. Her 90th article described what the Russian flag looks like: the status of a trade, sea and military banner. Officially, the banner had a bright red color, its left corner was occupied by the abbreviation RSFSR. In the Constitution of the country of 1937, a clause was confirmed that confirms the use of the flag described above as the state symbol of the country.

In 1947, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution that recommended the adoption by the Union republics of their state flags on the basis of the country's banner. Which they did by adding their individual stripes. In 1954, the RSFSR flag found a new face: a bright blue strip across the entire width appeared on a bright red panel near the pole, a sickle and a hammer appeared on a red background at the left edge, and a scarlet star framed by a gold border above them.

Return to tricolor

At the end of the 80s of the twentieth century state symbol again began to look like the flag of Russia today looks, the familiar red, blue and white colors returned to it. In 1991, during the August coup, the tricolor used forces opposing the GKChP. After the GKChP was defeated, the tricolor flag began to be used as the state flag of the RSFSR, but officially it became such only in November of that year, and the blue stripe was replaced by a azure one. Since December 25, 1991, the RSFSR officially ceased to exist, and the Russian Federation appeared in its place.

On December 11, 1993, President Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin signed a decree that described the flag as a rectangular cloth consisting of three stripes of the same width, the upper of which is white, the middle is blue, and the bottom is red.

Flower magic

Few of us think about what the flag of Russia means, or rather, its color. There are many versions about this, but there is no official interpretation. It is generally accepted that white color symbolizes peacefulness, purity, integrity and perfection (or freedom); blue represents constancy, faith and fidelity (according to another version, symbolizes the Virgin); with red color is associated energy, strength and blood shed for the homeland (or autocracy).

One can argue for a long time about what the flag of Russia really means. It is safe to say that these colors are a reflection of the Russian soul and character.

The connection of the flag of Russia with the flags of other countries

White, blue and red are also called pan-Slavic colors. They were used in the process of creating the flags of many Slavic states. Among them are the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria. It should also be noted that the Russian tricolor gave its colors to the all-Slavic flag.

Other banners

The history of the flag of Russia is inextricably linked with the history of the country itself, the state symbol changed with it. In addition to the official white-blue-red, each military department has its own special flag.

All the navy, the air force, and the airborne troops have their own banners. Each flag, if it does not depict the attributes of the kind of troops it represents, then its history is somehow connected with the symbolism of the banner.

A striking example of this - which is the most famous of the military banners of our country and the main banner of the Navy. Its name is associated with the name of the fisherman Andrew, the first of Christ's disciples. He is that same apostle Andrew the First-Called. It should be noted here that the Scottish national flag  similar to our St. Andrew flag. His heraldry also means the so-called St. Andrew’s cross (the apostle was crucified on a cross of this form). But contrary to the claims of some Scottish politicians, the Russian has its own history, and its symbolism was not copied from the British highlanders. The banner appeared on Russian ships in the time of Peter the Great and remains the main symbol of the Navy to this day.

The military flags of Russia are diverse and are another reflection of our history, demonstrating the development of the country and our armed forces. For three centuries, the imperial attributes of the state introduced by Peter I have been national pride and a symbol of the country.

Now the reader knows what the flag of Russia looks like, as well as what its colors mean.