Origin of the Russian flag. What do the colors of the Russian flag mean? Where did the tricolor come from?

During the reign of the Romanov Dynasty, the flag of the Russian state changed several times. At first, Peter I adopted the so-called St. Andrew's flag. This flag was simultaneously a symbol of both the state and the fleet. Then, much later, Peter I adopted the white-blue-red flag as the main flag of the state. On June 11, 1858, Alexander II adopted the black-yellow-white or Romanov flag as the official flag of the Russian Empire. This flag was the state flag until April 28, 1883. On this day, Alexander III, in his decree “Decree on flags for decorating buildings on special occasions,” ordered the use of a white-blue-red flag as the state flag of the Russian Empire, instead of black-yellow-white. Under Nicholas II, the flag underwent a slight change: in the upper left corner of the white-blue-red flag a black double-headed eagle appeared on a golden field. After the October Revolution of 1917, the white-blue-red flag ceased to be the main symbol of the Russian state. And only in 1993, by order of the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin's white-blue-red flag again became a symbol of Young Russia.

The black-yellow-white flag as the official (state) flag of the Russian Empire was introduced by the Decree of Alexander II of June 11, 1858. The colors of the flag meant the following: Black color - the color of the Russian double-headed eagle - a symbol of the Great Power in the East, a symbol of sovereignty in general, state stability and strength, the inviolability of historical borders - this is the basis that has determined for centuries and to this day the very meaning of the existence of the Russian nation, which created a huge a state from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Gold (yellow) color- once the color of the banner of Orthodox Byzantium, perceived as the state banner of Russia by Ivan the Third Vasilyevich, is generally a symbol of spirituality, aspiration for moral improvement and fortitude. For Russians, it is a symbol of continuity and preservation of the purity of Christian Truth - the Orthodox faith. White color is the color of eternity and purity, which in this sense has no discrepancies among the Eurasian peoples. For Russians, this is the color of St. George the Victorious - a symbol of great, selfless and joyful sacrifice for the Fatherland, for “one's friends”, for the Russian Land - that main fundamental feature of the Russian national character, which from century to century, from generation to generation, has puzzled , delighted and frightened foreigners.

The first two Russian state colors appeared in our Fatherland in 1472 after the marriage of Ivan the Third to Princess Sophia Paleologus, along with the adoption of the coat of arms from the Byzantine Empire, which had fallen under the blows of the Turks. The Byzantine imperial banner - a golden canvas with a black eagle crowned with two crowns - becomes the state banner of Russia.

Even before the start of the Troubles, the state banner receives the final detail - the eagle's chest is covered with a large coat of arms with the image of St. George the Victorious. A white rider on a white horse subsequently gave legal basis to the third color of the flag - white. The black-yellow-white flag combined the colors of national heraldic emblems and during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I established itself as a national symbol. For the first time in Russia, the black-yellow-white flag began to be flown on special days after 1815, following the end of the Patriotic War with Napoleonic France.

In 1819, our Army first adopted a battalion linear badge, consisting of three horizontal stripes: white (top), yellow-orange and black (Zholner badge). On June 11, 1858, Emperor Alexander II personally approved a design with the arrangement of the emblem black, yellow and white colors of the Empire on banners and flags for decoration on the streets on special occasions. The black-yellow-white flag was never legally abolished, just as the white-blue-red was never national, although under the Democrats it changed its status as a commercial, civil maritime flag to the status of a “state” one. Since the reign of Emperor Alexander III, the Russian national state flag has been especially furiously attacked by the left-democratic public for its, as they wrote then, “emphatically monarchical and Germanophile character.” The same critics who did not see in the white-blue-red flag a complete analogy with the national colors of France and Holland, as well as with many third-rate countries such as Argentina, Haiti, Honduras, Chile, found “shameful Germanophile imitation” in one the only top stripe of the black, yellow and white flag.

On April 28, 1883 (May 7, 1883), Alexander III, with the “Command on flags for decorating buildings on special occasions,” ordered the use of a white-blue-red flag as the state flag of the Russian Empire, instead of black-yellow-white.

Most historians also associate the appearance in Russia of a tricolor (half-length - with horizontal stripes) white-blue-red flag with the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. The history of the origin of the tricolor Russian flag is described very interestingly in the book by A. Ya. Degtyarev “History of the Russian Flag”: “In the late 60s of the 17th century, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest, they began to build a “warship” in the village of Dedinovo near Moscow, named proudly and menacingly - “Eagle”. This was the first sign of the future Russian navy. In the documents on the construction and equipment of the "Eagle", the pedantic Captain Butler mentions the materials necessary for the manufacture of naval banners and pennants. Mention is made of “a large banner that lives in the stern”, “a narrow long banner that lives on a medium large tree”, “a banner that lives not in the front lying tree”. About the colors of these naval banners, Butler left the following remark in one of the documents: “The flags are in colors as the Great Sovereign will indicate, but this happens, which state the ship is, which state and the banner.” Ancient documents tell us what colors the Quiet One indicated for the flag. The Tsar ordered to release “kindyaki and taffeta (variety of fabric) worm-like, white and azure” to the banners and yawls to the ship building in the village of Dedinovo. That is, red, white and blue."

This documentary evidence destroys one of the arguments of later critics of the white-blue-red flag. They did not miss the opportunity to assert that this flag was established by Peter I specifically for the merchant, private fleet and therefore cannot be recognized as the state flag. However, the white-blue-red colors of the flag arose in connection with the construction of a “warship” ship. Especially the first warship of Russia, the legendary "Eagle", the founder of the Russian navy. The arrangement of colors on the Eagle flag was, of course, not the same as what Peter the Great later drew with his own hand. The flag had a blue straight cross dividing the flag into four equal parts - roofs. The first and fourth were white, the second and third were red. In the last third of the 17th century, a flag of this design was quite firmly attached to the masts of large and small Russian ships. Proof of this is the fact that at the end of the century, when Peter’s heraldic innovations had already appeared, Russian ships temporarily sailed to Azov under this flag.

In the summer of 1693, young Peter headed to Arkhangelsk, where for the first time in his life he saw sea ships. The English and Dutch sailing ships were just preparing to sail, and the young king certainly decided to see them off to sea. The flags on foreign ships were quite simple in design, not heavy with inscriptions, like Russian banners, bright and therefore visible from afar.

Soon the young king made a decision - to build two ships for his fleet. One, with his active participation, was immediately laid down at the shipyard in Arkhangelsk, and the other was ordered in Holland.

Only in mid-September did Peter go to the capital. From Arkhangelsk we moved by water towards Vologda. Here he presented Archbishop Athanasius with his plane “with a sail, an anchor, with all the trimmings and ship’s tackle.” Among the ship's "embellishments" the archbishop was granted three flags that flew on Peter's ships. One large one is the “flag of the Tsar of Moscow” and two smaller ones, with Jerusalem straight crosses.

The cloth of the “Flag of the Tsar of Moscow” was divided into three horizontal stripes: the top – white, the middle – blue and the bottom – red. A yellow double-headed eagle with a scepter and orb, crowned with three crowns, was sewn into the flag. On the eagle's chest was placed a red shield with the image of St. George piercing a green dragon with a spear. One of the flags with a cross is also noteworthy in terms of color scheme. It was white, with a red Jerusalem cross sewn into it. It is curious that the flag had a long white-blue-red tail. Finally, the third flag, made of white silk material, was square in shape and had a yellow cross sewn into it. These three flags, which played a significant role in later disputes, act as three mysteries that few people paid attention to.

Then another question arises: weren’t other flags made in Arkhangelsk, in particular, white-blue-red? When leaving Moscow, Peter probably did not have the white-blue-red banner with him. It simply did not exist then, and there is no news about the heraldic activities of the young king dating back to this time. There were no examples before my eyes that would make my imagination work. However, all this appeared at once in Arkhangelsk.

According to other sources - Tsar Peter himself, who worked in the late 90s. XVII century at the shipyards of Amsterdam, having returned to Russia, he established a flag similar to the Dutch tricolor, but with a different order of alternating colors. At the beginning of the 18th century. it was described as follows: “The flag of His Royal Majesty of Moscow is divided into three. The top stripe is white, the middle stripe is blue, the bottom stripe is red. On a blue stripe of gold with a royal crown is crowned a double-headed eagle, which has a red mark with a silver St. in its heart. George, without the serpent." Trade flag in 1693 - 1700. a white banner with a double-headed black eagle was considered.

The “Dutch” version creates a strong impression among many that Peter came up with the white-blue-red banner under the impression of his stay in Holland. But Peter went to Holland in 1697, while the flag appeared several years earlier. Of course, Peter’s acquaintance with the Dutch naval flag, as well as with the flags of other countries, had already taken place by this time - he saw a lot of them in the Arkhangelsk port, but that deep sympathy for Holland that Peter brought from his European trip did not yet exist. And therefore, the statement that the influence of Dutch heraldry was the main and only reason for the appearance of the white-blue-red banner is, to put it mildly, doubtful. In fact, in creating the new flag, Peter revealed a deep commitment to the Russian heraldic tradition. It retained direct continuity with the old flag of the cross, under which it apparently arrived in Arkhangelsk in the summer of 1693.

The first few years after its appearance, the “flag of the Tsar of Moscow” - a white-blue-red banner with a sewn eagle - was only the royal ship standard, and Russian ships still plied the rivers and seas under the cross flag. This continued until 1697, when Peter introduced a new flag into the fleet - a tricolor one, but without the sewn-on double-headed eagle.

Almost a decade at the turn of the 17th – 18th centuries. The tricolor white-blue-red flag served as the battle flag of Russia both on land and at sea. With it, the Russian army and navy carried out the Azov campaign of 1696. It fluttered on the stern of the ship “Fortress”, which made the transition from Azov to Istanbul in 1700, delivering the Russian ambassador to Turkey to conclude a truce with the Ottoman Empire. Under this banner, the Russian Guard heroically defended itself near Narva in 1700. White-blue-red banners were carried by Russian troops in 1701 - 1704. in the battles of Erestfor, during the assault on Noteburg and the capture of Narva. In 1716, this flag flew on the flagship Ingermanland, when Peter I commanded the united fleet of Russia, Holland, Denmark and England, which was preparing a military operation against Sweden.

But gradually during the Northern War of 1700 - 1721, first in the army and then in the navy (in 1703 - 1712), a “standard in the image of the cross of St. Andrew” was established - the St. Andrew’s flag, which is universally recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world. And on January 20, 1705, Peter I, by personal decree, granted the white-blue-red flag only to the merchant fleet. Both the St. Andrew's flag on warships and the white-blue-red flag on commercial ships indicated their state affiliation with Russia and in this “national” meaning were known to the whole world. At the same time, the white-blue-red colors in the fleet did not disappear. After the approval of the St. Andrew's flag, they were preserved in ship and galley pennants.

Basically, the Russian land army in the Peter the Great era had white-blue-red symbols. Army officers wore a distinctive sign - a wide white-blue-red officer's scarf, which was like a small resemblance to the national flag.

In the post-Petrine era in Russia, under the influence of the German entourage of the reigning persons, the national colors were almost “lost.” After the collapse of Napoleonic France and the formation of the “Holy Alliance” in 1815, this trend intensified even more. It turned out that Russia, Prussia and Austria used almost the same colors in their state symbols. Prussia had a black and white flag, and the flags of many German principalities had black and yellow stripes. In Russia, which has been guided by German designs since the time of Anna Ioannovna, these colors also acquired national significance. As for white-blue-red flowers, they gradually became popular - they were used to decorate fairs, exhibitions, and folk festivities at Maslenitsa. In accordance with diplomatic protocol, the Russian national flag was better known abroad than within the country. White-blue-red flags were hung in 1856 by Paris at the conclusion of the Paris Peace Treaty, as well as by Warsaw and Riga when welcoming Emperor Alexander II. However, on June 11, 1858, the emperor approved the design and arrangement of “heraldry flowers on banners, flags and other objects used for decoration on special occasions.” At the same time, since popular rumor associated the white-blue-red colors with the name of Peter the Great, they retained their meaning and were revered as historical, “Peter the Great.” The tricolor was approved as the official (state) flag of Russia on the eve of the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896. Then red meant sovereignty, blue was the color of the Mother of God, under whose patronage Russia was, white was the color of freedom and independence. According to another interpretation, the colors of the flag mean the unity of the three fraternal East Slavic peoples: white is the color of White Rus' (Belarus), blue is the color of Little Russia (Ukraine), red is the color of Great Russia (Russia). The arrangement of the stripes of the Russian State Flag, which has remained unchanged for centuries, coincides with the ancient understanding of the structure of the world: below is the physical, above is the heavenly, even higher is the divine world. In another understanding, the meaning of the colors of the Russian State Flag sounds like this: white - Faith, blue - Hope, red - Love.

The last flag of the Russian Empire. White-blue-red with a black double-headed eagle on a gold field in the upper left corner, representing the personification of the slogan “Unity of the Tsar with the people.” It was created on the initiative of Emperor Nicholas II during the First World War in 1914. The following excerpt is from the journal "Chronicle of War" 1914-15. describes this event: “The holiness of the soul of our people in these difficult times is accompanied by its complete fusion and unity with the thoughts and feelings of the Sovereign Emperor. That is why His Imperial Majesty deigned to personally testify to this before the whole world, and from now on, as a sign of the close unity of the Orthodox "The Tsar with His faithful people, in the Russian national flag at the pole between the white and blue stripes (at a quarter of the total size of each) will forever flaunt the Imperial Standard (a yellow square with a black Russian coat of arms). This is the Great Royal Grace to the entire Russian people."

Until the beginning of the 17th century, our country did not have a state banner. Alexei Mikhailovich, the ruler of the Romanov dynasty, who anticipated the intensive activity of Peter I in this direction, supervised the construction of the Russian fleet. When a shipbuilding specialist, the Dutchman David Butler, created the first warship, the Eagle, he asked for a banner to be raised on this occasion.

According to the traditions of Western states, the ship had to be marked with some kind of banner. The confused king asked the opinion of foreign masters and they proposed the option that was accepted in their homeland. It looked like a multi-colored striped cloth, parts of which were red, white and blue. The coloring repeated the one that was on the coat of arms of the capital, Alexei Mikhailovich liked it and he heeded the hint, ordering panels of these shades for the ships.

The symbolism of the modern Russian flag at that time meant the following.

White color at this time was a symbol of freedom.
Blue was traditionally associated with the image of the Mother of God, patronizing the defenders of the Russian land.
Red was associated with the courage and bravery of those who are ready to die for their homeland.

When Peter I came to power, he issued a decree that changed the color of the canvas raised on Russian warships. They now walked under a white banner, crossed crosswise with a blue ribbon - the flag of St. Andrew the First-Called.

The king revered this saint. At that time, an order named after him was established in the country, which in 1998 was restored as the highest award of the Russian Federation. The Emperor even added this order to the neck of the double-headed eagle depicted on the coat of arms. Thus, the tricolor cloth began to be lifted exclusively on merchant ships.

A sea tale is connected with the history of the appearance of the tricolor. According to it, sailors who confused the order of colors on the banner were subjected to unpleasant corporal punishment. By order of the command, those who were guilty were to be flogged. Savvy sailors came up with a kind of “cheat sheet”, the word “BeSiK” (white-blue-red). Legend claims that after this the number of punishments was greatly reduced.

Another historical fact related to the “maritime” adventures of the tricolor has a later origin. At the beginning of the 19th century, a Russian expedition to the coast of South Sakhalin for the first time replaced the traditional memorial cross, which was placed on the newly conquered lands, with two flags: St. Andrew's and Russian.

However, neither the first nor the second were still recognized as official state symbols. A banner that would legitimately demonstrate the country was chosen only in the 19th century. It was very different from what we were used to.

One of the main representatives of the heraldic chamber, Baron Bernard Köhne, persuaded Alexander II to make the standard the same as the coat of arms. The colors chosen were black, yellow and white, which symbolized the colors of the flag of the Russian Empire, which lasted until the mid-19th century. This innovation was not accepted by the people, because the new symbol was very similar to the symbol of Austria.

And only Alexander III returned to the original version, approved two centuries ago by Alexei Mikhailovich. The meaning of the three colors remained the same as at that time, and the black-yellow-white canvas became the family sign of the royal dynasty.

After the revolution of 1917, the new government abolished the old symbols, replacing them with a bright scarlet canvas with the letters RSFS in the upper left part. Along with the creation of the USSR on December 30, 1922, a new sovereign symbol appeared, the main elements of which were the sickle, hammer and five-pointed star. The return to the tricolor occurred after the 1991 coup d'etat.

At the beginning of the 21st century, by decree of the current President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the law on the “State Flag of the Russian Federation” was added to the Constitution.

With the tricolor banner, many people associated hopes for a strong, strong country that is regaining its positions that were shaken during the difficult period at the end of the century. It became a symbol of national unity, the revival of the country, and people's pride.

In Tsarist Russia there was no specific punishment for desecration of the banner, but any desecration of this state sign was equated to disrespect for the authorities. Currently, using a banner improperly can result in a fine or even imprisonment. The American rock band, whose vocalist allowed himself to do this, was banned from entering the country for five years, and their compositions and video clips were removed from all radio and television channels.

The latest statistical survey showed that more than 20% of our compatriots cannot arrange the colors of the tricolor in the correct order and answer what all three colors of the Russian flag mean. The rest of the citizens have a good idea of this state symbol.

What do the colors of the Russian state flag mean?

National standards are objects of modern heraldry. Among the world states there are those who have retained specific national attributes that allow outside observers to distinguish their banner from many others. Most of them, including the Russian insignia, are devoid of frills and look strict.

Currently, the meaning of this state symbol is not recorded in any official source. You can take as a basis the historical interpretation of Peter’s times, or you can go into the world history of the meaning of color and put forward your own version. There are a number of unofficial interpretations and assumptions explaining what the tricolor of the Russian flag means.

A popular reading in tsarist times was the following:

White – freedom.
Blue is faith.
Red – sovereignty.

Another version of this interpretation would be the assertion that the symbolism and colors of the stripes of the flag of the Russian Federation mean the unity of the people, the Orthodox faith and royal power. This triad was fixed in the minds of people in the form of the Russian motto: “For faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland” and in the theory of the ideologist of that time Uvarov “Orthodoxy, autocracy, nationality.”

One of the beautiful classical interpretations says that the colors of the Russian flag mean the unity of Faith (blue), Hope (white) and Love (red).

Another possible interpretation is the likening of the three shades to the historical regions of the Russian Empire. The modern version of this version says that the stripes of the Russian flag mean the connection between three countries, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, going back to the depths of time.

Those who are interested in the culture of the ancient Slavs compare its colors with the model of world building that existed in those days. In their opinion, the red stripe is the underworld, the blue stripe is the human world, and the white stripe is the heavenly stripe, the place where the gods live.

What do the three colors on the Russian flag mean: white

In classical heraldic language, white was equal to silver. Its inclusion in any attribute of state symbols meant the country’s desire for purity of thoughts and innocence. A universal image of the innocence of the soul. It is also the color of holiness, which refers to qualities such as sincerity, honesty and humility. It is also a sign of wisdom and perfection. He is associated with the element of air. In the world tradition, this color also represents nobility and openness.

What does the Russian flag mean by color: blue in the symbolism of Russia

If we remember the dominant role of the church and the fact that modern Russia actively promotes itself as an Orthodox power, we can assume that the blue color is a symbol of the Virgin Mary. Her cult has existed in the country for a very long time, which allows us to interpret the blue stripe as a sign that the state is under her protection.

However, on the world stage, Russia is positioned as a secular state, so this interpretation should be used carefully. In the world tradition, blue is interpreted as the color of divine beauty, greatness and chastity. Traditionally understood as a symbol of faith and fidelity, constancy, peace of mind and harmony. It personifies the water element, therefore it is considered the color of life.

What does each color on the Russian flag mean: red

The red color was called red, scarlet. It is considered a symbol of courage, bravery, and military valor. It is also traditionally associated with the color of blood, which emphasizes the desire of the people to stand for their Fatherland not for life but for death. In the Christian tradition, a symbol of martyrdom. People associate love with the color red. Soviet times left their mark, which made this shade the color of truth and a symbol of a just cause. The red stripe can also refer to such a category as “unity of government and people.” It was the color of sovereign power; this meaning was preserved in church symbolism.

What do the 3 colors of the Russian flag mean: let’s summarize

At the moment, the most common unofficial, but generally accepted version claims that the stripes on the Russian flag mean:

White – purity, sincerity, perfection.
Blue – faith and fidelity.
Red – courage, strength and blood shed in defense of the Motherland.

The following information will be of interest to designers and simply curious people. In our country, since 1998, a state standard has been in force, according to which strictly defined shades are established that make up the colors of the Russian standard (GOST R 51130-98):

White (color without additional shades).
Blue (pantone 286C) (solid coated).
Red (Pantone 485C) (solid coated).

The banner, along with the anthem and coat of arms, represents the country at various events, both local and global. It unites people throughout the country and makes them realize their involvement in something global. This is an important symbol that has a long history, and we hope that our article helped you to experience this once again.

Did your family have a family coat of arms or flag? If you want to know everything about the history of your family, contact the Russian House of Genealogy for help. We have access to any classified data, including from federal archives.

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The history of a large country is made up of the history of the families who live in it. To know and respect your past means to honor your Motherland. Remember this and fill in the gaps in the chronicle of your family.

Flags of Russia throughout history with a brief description, starting with the Baptism of Rus' and ending with today's tricolor

Banner with bident 966 - 988

This form of banners was drawn on Arab dirhams of the 10th century. The bident was a symbol of the Khazar Kaganate, and when Prince Svyatoslav the Great crushed the Kaganate, he introduced banners with images of the bident as a symbol of victory over Khazaria.

Scarlet banner of the 11th - 12th centuries

In the 11th-12th centuries in Rus' there were mainly triangular banners, predominantly red. There are also yellow, green, white, and black banners.

Banner of the “Most Merciful Savior” XII - XVI centuries

One of the oldest Russian banners. Used by the troops of Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy. The only such banner has survived.

Great banner of Ivan the Terrible 1550 - 1584

Near the shaft, on an azure field, St. Michael is depicted on horseback. Christ is depicted on a “sugar” colored slope. The banner has a border of “lingonberry” color; at the slope there is an additional border of “poppy” color. Religious subjects were also depicted on other royal banners. On the scarlet banner of Alexei Mikhailovich, for example, the face of the Savior was depicted.

Banner of Ermak 1581 - 1585

The collection of relics of the Armory Chamber still contains three banners of Ermak, “under which he conquered the Siberian Khanate of Kuchum in 1582.” The cloth is more than 2 meters long, on one of which are embroidered images of Joshua and St. Michael (the subject of the image is a scene from the Old Testament), on the other two there is a lion and a unicorn, ready for battle

Banner of Dmitry Pozharsky 1609 - 1612

The banner was used by Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin in the Second People's Militia.

Banner of the Great Regiment 1654 - 1701

This banner was used exclusively by the Great Regiment from 1654 to 1701. Canceled by Peter I.

Armorial banner of Alexei Mikhailovich 1668 - 1696

This is the first coat of arms of Russia, established by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in 1668, together with the first Russian flag (see below). The coat of arms was white with a wide red border, in the center was a golden double-headed eagle and the coats of arms of the lands subject to the king, and a legend was placed on the border.

Flag of the Russian Kingdom (XVII century) 1668 - 1696

The very first state flag of Russia. Approved by Alexei Mikhailovich as the flag of the first Russian merchant ship "Eagle".

Flag of the Tsar of Moscow 1693 - 1720

The flag began to be used by Peter I in 1693. The Tsar ordered that this flag be applied to all the former Tsars of Moscow. It depicts the Russian tricolor and the coat of arms of Russia from the 17th century.

Trade flag of Russia 1705 - 1917

The tricolor, introduced by Peter I as part of the standard of the Moscow Tsar and the army banner, became the Russian ship flag in 1705 and was used until 1917.

Russian or Tsar's Standard

Peter’s own description: “Standard, a black eagle in a yellow field, like the Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, having three crowns: two royal and one Imperial, in which the breasts of St. George with the dragon. In both chapters and legs there are 4 marine maps: in the right chapter is the White Sea, in the left is the Caspian Sea, in the right leg is the Palace Meotis (Sea of Azov), in the left is the Sinus Finicus (Gulf of Finland) and the floor of the Sinus Botnik (Botanical Gulf) and part of the Ost- Zee (Baltic Sea)".

State banner of the Russian Empire 1742−1858

In 1742, in connection with the upcoming coronation of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the state banner of the Russian Empire was made, which became one of the insignias and was used at ceremonies, coronations, and burials of emperors. It consisted of a yellow panel with an image on both sides of a black double-headed eagle surrounded by oval shields with 31 coats of arms, symbolizing the kingdoms, principalities and lands mentioned in the imperial title.

State (heritage) flag 1858

By decree of Alexander II of June 11, 1858, a black-yellow-white “coat of arms” flag was introduced. The flag consists of three horizontal stripes: black, yellow (gold) and white.

Russian national flag 1883

During the second half of the 19th century, there was debate among historians about which flag should be considered national: white-blue-red or black-yellow-white. The issue was officially resolved on April 28, 1883, when Alexander III ordered the use of exclusively white-blue-red flag. Black-yellow-white remained only with the imperial family.

State national flag 1914

In 1914, a special circular from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced a new national white-blue-red flag with a yellow square with a black double-headed eagle added at the top.

Flag of Republican Russia 1917

According to the decision of the Legal Meeting in April 1917: “The white-blue-red flag, since it does not bear the attributes of any dynastic emblems, can be considered the flag of the new Russia.”

USSR flag 1924

The flag was a red rectangular panel with an image in the upper corner, near the shaft, of a golden sickle and hammer and above them a red five-pointed star framed by a gold border. It was “a symbol of the state sovereignty of the USSR and the unbreakable alliance of workers and peasants in the struggle to build a communist society.” The red color of the flag is a symbol of the heroic struggle of the Soviet people to build socialism and communism; the hammer and sickle mean the unshakable alliance of the working class and the collective farm peasantry. The red five-pointed star on the flag of the USSR is a symbol of the final triumph of the ideas of communism on the five continents of the globe.

Flag of the RSFSR 1991 - 1993

State flag of the RSFSR since November 1, 1991. Remained the State Flag until December 11, 1993.

Flag of Russia 1993 - present

The official state symbol of the Russian Federation, along with the coat of arms and anthem. It is a rectangular panel of three equal horizontal stripes: the top is white, the middle is blue and the bottom is red. Many symbolic meanings are attributed to the colors of the flag, but there is no official interpretation of the colors of the State Flag of the Russian Federation. The most popular decryption is as follows:

White color symbolizes nobility and frankness;

Blue color - fidelity, honesty, impeccability and chastity;

Red color - courage, boldness, generosity and love.

Desecration of the State Flag of the Russian Federation is a crime.

Today, June 12, the whole country is celebrating Russia Day. Some even consider this holiday to be Independence Day, but this is not entirely true. In 1990, it was on this day that the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR was adopted, and right today the President of the Russian Federation will present the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the Kremlin. Well, on this holiday we decided to tell you how the Russian tricolor appeared.

All state flags trace their history back to the ancients. banners- banners stretched between two poles, indicating the warriors’ belonging to a particular army or clan. The banners raised the morale of the troops and intimidated opponents. In shape they most often resembled a dovetail or a triangle. Color meant a lot to them - most military leaders preferred red as the color of blood and victory, but yellow, green, white and even black were also popular colors.

When simple flowers were no longer enough, people began to put images on banners - mainly the coats of arms of their cities or families. At the same time, Christian symbolism prevailed in Europe - the cross, the savior on horseback, defeating the devil and various inscriptions. In the East it could be dragons, peacocks or exotic flowers.

Great banner of Ivan the Terrible

In Rus', they preferred to make banners in the shape of a beveled trapezoid and depicted biblical scenes, faces of saints and various inscriptions on them. Already in the chronicle of the 1550s it is said about the siege of Kazan: “ ANDThe sovereign ordered the Christian cherubs to unfurl, that is, the banner, on them the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, Not Made by Hands, and on top was erected the life-giving cross, like his ancestor, our sovereign, the praiseworthy Grand Duke Dmitry on the Don" One and a half century banner Ivan the Terrible accompanied the Russian army in battles and campaigns. But Ivan the Terrible also had the famous “ great banner" Near the shaft, on an azure field, was depicted Saint Michael on horseback. Christ is depicted on a “sugar” colored slope. The banner had a common border of “lingonberry” color, and the slope had an additional border of “poppy” color.

Banner of Peter I

Then, when Peter I, the banner changed again. A double-headed eagle on a red background was now inscribed in the same form, as if soaring in the air above sailing ships. The Savior, the Holy Spirit and the apostles Peter and Paul were depicted on the eagle's chest.

Ship "Eagle"

Then the history of the flag is lost, returning only to the times of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov and the ship "Eagle". At the same time, there are several hypotheses for the emergence of the modern (or close to modern) tricolor. The king himself had to decide what color the flag would be, flying on the mast of the ship. His decision could have been influenced by how Dutch Butler, who supervised the construction "Orla", and the usual colors of the Moscow coat of arms, but the result was the same - for the first time the world saw the Russian flag, consisting of three multi-colored stripes - white, blue and red. It was also prescribed to depict eagles on ship flags.

There are no accurate images of the flags sewn to Romanov’s order, but historians have several versions of what they could have looked like:

The flag could be a panel with a blue straight cross and two white and two red wings, which is supported by the image of some engravings;

A flag, like the Dutch one, could have three horizontal stripes of white, blue and red;

Some engravings show that the flag had a white stripe down the middle;

And some historians claim that in addition to the stripes, there was definitely a golden double-headed eagle on the flag.

However, even under Alexei Mikhailovich, along with the tricolor, there were many other flags.

Flag of the Tsar of Moscow

The tricolor was also used in voyages by Peter I, who raised it as a standard on August 6, 1693. Flag of the Tsar of Moscow"- a tricolor similar to the modern Russian flag, with a golden double-headed eagle in the middle. The three stripe flag began to be used as the naval flag of Russia.

This flag was used until 1712, until the St. Andrew's flag was approved as a naval flag. The white-blue-red flag became the flag of civilian ships.

Flag of armorial colors

However, even then the standard tricolor did not receive official status as a national flag. And until 1858, Russia, in fact, did not have any flag. But in 1858, Alexander II introduced black-yellow-white “ coat of arms flag", inspired by the colors of the Austrian flag. This was probably the influence of the German diaspora in pro-government circles.

The Russians were not delighted with this color scheme - the choice of colors was too reminiscent of Germany. Therefore, legally there was one flag, but the people considered another as theirs - the good old tricolor of Peter I. The contradiction was eliminated by Alexander III, who, together with the heraldic commission, decided that only the white-blue-red flag should be used to decorate buildings on special occasions.

Flag of the RSFSR

It would seem that we could stop there, but after the October Revolution, the flag of Russia became a simple red panel, to which stylized images of a hammer and sickle were then added.

But the familiar tricolor returned again - after the coup in 1991. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR adopted the white-blue-red flag as the official national flag of the country. This is how he remains to this day.

White, blue and red- not random colors, each of them has its own meaning. White- nobility and frankness; blue- fidelity, honesty, impeccability and chastity; red- courage, boldness, generosity and love.

Happy Russia Day!

It would seem a simple question. Yes? After all, the symbols of the state are studied in school and in college and in the army. I personally checked that even in my child’s kindergarten there hangs a flag and a coat of arms and a portrait of the President (I immediately remembered the barracks). By the way, we discussed something once, but that’s not about that now.

If you probably have some idea about the history of the flag (well, like Peter the First decided to use it), then you still know why there are three colors and why the colors are exactly like that? Can you answer clearly?

If not, then I suggest you find out...

The national flag of the Russian Federation is a rectangular panel of three equal horizontal stripes: the top is white, the middle is blue and the bottom is red. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3.

There is no official interpretation of the meaning of the colors of the Russian flag.

Unofficially, three interpretations of colors are most often found, but none of them can be considered true, they are all solely someone’s subjective opinion:
1) red color - sovereignty, blue - the color of the Mother of God, under whose protection Russia is, white - the color of freedom and independence;
2) another “sovereign” interpretation of the meanings of the colors of the flag, which means the unity of the three fraternal East Slavic peoples: white is the color of White Rus' (Belarus), blue is Little Russia (Ukraine), red is Great Russia.
3) white color - peace, purity, purity, perfection; blue is the color of faith and fidelity, constancy; red color symbolizes energy, strength, blood shed for the Fatherland.

So why is there no official interpretation of the colors of the Russian flag? Maybe the story of its appearance will explain this incident...

In Russia, until the second half of the 17th century, there was no heraldic tradition on the European model (the nobles had various kinds of emblems (both personal and clan), both original Russian ones and those adopted under the influence of neighboring Tatar, Polish, Lithuanian and German traditions, but these emblems were still did not form into full-fledged coats of arms in the European sense of the word). At the same time, it cannot be said that Russia lagged behind Europe in this matter; it simply followed a different path. The kings had their own banners depicting emblems and patron saints, but by European standards these were personal standards rather than state flags.

Therefore, when external relations required the creation of coats of arms and flags according to European customs, Russia was a little confused and perhaps approached this a little frivolously, starting the Russian vexillological tradition “from scratch.” It is noteworthy that if Russia had then followed the path of developing its own traditions, rather than copying Western ones, then the red flag (perhaps with a golden double-headed eagle) would have appeared several centuries earlier than Soviet power.

But because history does not tolerate subjunctive moods, let's remember How did we end up under such a flag?

In 1634, an embassy from the Duke of Holstein, Frederick III, arrived at the court of Mikhail Fedorovich. In addition to diplomatic issues, the embassy also decided on the construction of ten ships on the Volga for travel to Persia.

The first ship, the Frederick, was launched in 1636. Its life as a ship was short, but it sailed under the Holstein flag, suspiciously similar to our current tricolor.

So the tricolor flag was revealed to the eyes of the Russian people, but while it was not a Russian flag, it became Russian (or almost Russian) under Alexei Mikhailovich.

Alexey Mikhailovich chose this flag for the first Russian frigate Orel. Dutch engineer Davyd Butler asked the tsar which flag to put on the ship.

Russia did not yet have its own flag, and the frigate’s crew consisted entirely of Dutch people, so without hesitation it was decided to put up a flag identical to the Dutch one, which, of course, is at least strange.

To go to sea under the Protestant flag for the Russian sailors of that time, who were 80 percent Pomors, was equivalent to if they had also taken on board an escort of women, made a solemn sacrifice of a seagull right on the deck, installed several coffins in the hold and violated other signs .

There is only one conclusion from this: there was not a single Orthodox Christian on board the Orel. Although, a ship is a ship. Ship flags used to be a complete formality; they were changed before entering ports; trade could not be jeopardized.

In general, the tricolor first appeared on a Russian ship by accident, reaching the point of absurdity.

Flag of the Tsar of Moscow

However, it is reliably known that for the first time the flag, consisting of three horizontal stripes of white, blue and red, was raised in 1693 by Peter I on the 12-gun yacht “St. Peter” while sailing in the White Sea. A double-headed eagle was sewn onto the Peter the Great tricolor.

This flag is better known as the "Flag of the Tsar of Moscow". It has survived to this day and is now kept in the Central Naval Museum of the Ministry of Defense as a national relic.

The appearance of the tricolor under Peter also cannot be explained by the wisdom of the choice of the ruler. He just loved Holland very much. So much so that many courtiers, after the return of Peter I from the great embassy, thought that he had been replaced.

In Rotterdam, a frigate with a Dutch flag, built to Peter's order, was waiting for Peter. Peter liked it so much that he decided not to change the banner either.

At that time, the empire simultaneously had an official flag, personifying the Austrian throne, and a white-blue-red banner, used in memory of Peter the Great. Alexander III resolved this dilemma with his decree. Thus, on April 28, 1883, the white-blue-red tricolor became the official flag of Russia. The black-yellow-white banner passed to the Romanov dynasty, becoming their personal banner. After the October Revolution, the tricolor was replaced by a red banner, which later featured a hammer and sickle.

Why three colors?

The three colors on the Russian flag are associated with heraldic fashion, dating back to the Merovingians. On the banner of the Frankish king Clovis there were three toads, representing three mothers, three racial types, three psychological worldview models: Freya, Lyda and Finda.

Later, toads were replaced by lilies, symbolizing first the Virgin Mary and then the Holy Trinity. There is no single meaning for the symbolism of the colors of the Russian flag.

Everyone is free to believe what they want, but it is significant that the colors of the Russian flag could have been different.

Initially, the Dutch flag was not red, blue and white, but instead of red it was orange.

According to the official version, the Dutch were prompted to change the orange color to red by the revolution; according to everyday life, the fact that the orange color, fading, acquired very interesting tones, even green, and the flag was similar to the “rainbow flag” popular today in certain circles.

1 - Russia,
2 - Slovenia (1991),
3 - Slovakia,
4 - Serbia,
5 - flag of the State Community of Serbia and Montenegro,
6 - Luxembourg, Netherlands,
7 - Croatia,
8 - flag of the Republic of Herzeg-Bosna in the Muslim-Croat federation of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Why are other Slavs also under this flag?

Officially, there are three versions of why “our colors” are also present on the flags of other peoples who participated in the Pan-Slavic Congress in the mid-19th century.

Two of them are absurd, one is true.

According to the first version, the colors are borrowed not from the Russian trade flag, but from the flag of France, and they represent, accordingly, freedom, equality and fraternity.

Of course this is not true. Nicholas I, who had his own idea of these three values (radically different from the ideals of the French Revolution), would hardly have allowed such a genesis.

The second version is even weaker: these colors were inherited by the Pan-Slavs from the Duchy of Carniola, which is three times the size of Moscow.

Finally, the main version is “Russian genesis”. Sponsorship and support from Russia is the main reason for the tricolor in the national flags of the Slavic peoples.

Why did the Provisional Government choose this flag?

It didn’t actually choose him. It just didn't change him. At the Legal Meeting in April 1917, it was decided to leave the flag as a national one.

At the May meeting of the Provisional Government, the question of the flag was postponed "until resolution by the Constituent Assembly."

In fact, the tricolor remained the national flag until the October Revolution, legally - until April 13, 1918. when the decision was made to establish the flag of the RSFSR.

During the Civil War, the tricolor was the flag of the Whites, the Soviet army fought under the red flag.

Why did Vlasov choose this flag?

The ROA and RNNA consisted, by and large, of white emigrants. It is not at all surprising that it was the flag of Tsarist Russia that was used by Vlasov.

To fight Stalinism and Bolshevism (this is how Vlasov justified his betrayal), a better flag simply could not be found. The tricolor even took part in the ROA parade in Pskov on June 22, 1943.

Why did Yeltsin choose this flag?

The first person to use the tricolor after Vlasov was Garry Kasparov. During his world championship match with Anatoly Karpov (who played under the Soviet flag), Kasparov competed under the red, white and blue flag.

Perestroika was underway and Garry Kimovich obviously felt where the wind was blowing and where it was blowing. By the way, Kasparov won that match. A year later he won the flag. People came to the putsch (probably an accident) with red, white and blue flags.

Veterans, of whom there were much more 20 years ago, and who were also in the crowd at the House of Soviets, experienced bewilderment: they remembered the history of half a century ago.

One of the flags ended up on the tank with Boris Nikolaevich. Interestingly, the Yeltsin memorial at the Novodevichy cemetery is a huge tricolor. The flag that returned with the 1991 coup.

sources