Flag of the navy name. Gubakhinsky Union of Veterans of Combat Operations and Military Service. What flags are in the fleet

Many mistakenly believe that the St. Andrew's flag is a naval flag Russian Federation. This is a wrong opinion. St. Andrew's flag is any flag, among the elements of which is the St. Andrew's Cross. Such a misconception arises due to the fact that exactly the version of its image that is used on the naval flag is considered the classic St. Andrew's flag. The recognizable flag of Great Britain, the flag of Scotland and many other flags, including the guis of the Russian Navy, also have this cross as the basis for the entire design. But in this context, we will focus on the naval flag of the Russian Federation.

The history of the Andreevsky flag as the basis for the naval flag of the Russian Federation.

The classic St. Andrew's flag is a standard rectangular canvas, from the center to the corners is the St. Andrew's Cross. The background color of the cloth, as a rule, is blue, and the cross itself, as already mentioned, is diagonal, white. Color inversion is possible (this option is used on the flag of Scotland). The St. Andrew's Cross is an independent symbol that refers to the crucifixion of St. Andrew the First-Called. As the New Testament says, the Apostle Andrew was crucified on two boards crossed and obliquely located in relation to the ground, which explains the fact that the design of the cross on the flags is also diagonal. What is interesting and noticeable by which organizations use the St. Andrew's Cross on their flags, all of them in one way or another are related to the sea and water in general. This is the fleet Russian Empire and the Russian Federation, these are countries whose fleet has always been very powerful, and whose borders are guarded by the sea - Jamaica, Great Britain. This feature is explained by the fact that Andrew the First-Called is considered the patron of maritime activities.

The first organization that began to use this symbol on its attributes was Scotland. At the time of the adoption of such symbols, Scotland was still a separate kingdom (832). Of course, this year is very approximate, since it is problematic to accurately verify this fact due to the lack of accurate documentary evidence. According to legend, during the war with the Angles, the Scottish king, in despair, swore that if the Scots won, he would declare Andrew the First-Called patron of his kingdom. At the same moment, the outlines of the St. Andrew's Cross clearly appeared in the sky. In that battle, the Scots, however, won and fulfilled their promise, including by approving such a flag. But probably the most known use The cross in symbolism is the British flag. The way everyone knows him, he also owes the flag of the Scottish kingdom. In the 17th century, a king, a Scot by birth, ascended the English throne. In honor of the unification of England and Scotland, a new flag was established. Later, as you know, other lands joined this union, in the end, the flag acquired a modern look.

In Russia, flags with the St. Andrew's Cross existed during the time of the Russian Empire after their establishment by Peter the Great. These were guises, fortress flags. The ruler adopted the cross from the symbols of the Dutch fleet during his visit to Europe. During Soviet times, the appearance of the flag completely changed, the St. Andrew's Cross was abandoned in favor of Soviet symbols. In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR and the creation of the Military navy Russian Federation, the element of the cross was returned to use again. Currently, the St. Andrew's Cross is depicted by the guis of the Russian Navy, the fortress flag, the flag of the Coast Guard of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation, the naval flag of the Russian Federation. On these flags, except for the last one, the cross is not used in its classical form, which manifests itself in other colors and proportions.

St. Andrew's flag as the naval ensign of the Russian Federation.

The very first Russian naval flag was not even the Andreevsky flag at all. It was the flag of the ship "Eagle". The exact drawing of this flag is not known. Many assumptions are put forward, most of which ultimately boil down to the fact that the flag most likely contained white, red and blue (or blue) colors, its design was based on stripes. The location of the stripes relative to each other, their proportions are not exactly known. Until 1699, there were several more versions of the naval flag, the appearance of some is not thoroughly known. In that year, Peter the Great, by his decree, established the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, which already used the element of the St. Andrew's Cross. After that, the ruler decided to introduce it into another official symbolism - the guis and the naval flag. Interesting fact: the naval ensign was not always referred to as such. During the time of Peter the Great, for example, it was called the First Admiral's Flag.

The Russian Empire ceased to exist during civil war at the beginning of the twentieth century. From 1918 to 1924, the St. Andrew's Cross was still present on the naval flag, sometimes with other elements (for example, with a white deer in the center of the cross). In 1924, flags with the element of the cross finally ceased to exist due to the recognition of Soviet Russia by foreign states.

In 1992, the Russian Federation again introduced elements of the St. Andrew's Cross into its symbolism. The stern ensign of the ships of the imperial fleet was taken as a sample. However, the color of the cross was changed from deep blue to light blue. In this form, the flag lasted until 2001, in which the color was changed again, this time to the original blue. The background of the flag is white. Preserved from the time of the Great Patriotic War and Guards Naval Flag. It was worn by those ships and their formations that were awarded the title of Guards. The flag was supplemented with a St. George ribbon, located just below the center of the flag from the outer edge of one strip of the cross to the outer edge of the second along the entire length. There are also the Order Naval Flag and the Guards Order Naval Flag. This symbolism is worn by those ships that were awarded the Order of the Russian Federation. In the upper left corner of the usual naval flag is the image of the order itself. The Guards Order flag also has a St. George ribbon.

Of course, anyone who served in the Navy of the Russian Federation is proud of this. And for any Russian person, in principle, the symbolism of the St. Andrew's Cross is to some extent sacred. Peter the Great successfully combined the fleet and this symbol, which was recognized even by modern legislators, allowing the return of the St. Andrew's flag as a naval one almost 80 years after its abolition.

The USSR was formed in 1922. All symbols of the power of the Russian Empire by that time had already been canceled for five years. The new state needed to approve its symbols, including the flag of the Soviet Navy. This took time because fighting did not stop for a long time.

For the history of existence Soviet state three sketches of the Navy were approved. Each of them had its own characteristics. The last option lasted forty-two years.

purpose

In the Ship Charter, the flag of the USSR Navy was designated as the Battle Banner. He was a symbol of military honor, glory, valor. His task was to remind the crew members of the duty, which was to protect the Soviet Motherland. The flag also served as a reminder of heroic traditions.

Description of the 1923 flag

The flag of the Soviet Navy first appeared in 1923. His sketch was developed by the captain of the first rank Ordynsky N. I. He took the banner of the Japanese Navy as a basis.

Description:

rectangular shape in a ratio of three to two;
red cloth;
in the center of the canvas is a white circle, equal to half the width of the canvas, it symbolized the sun;
eight white stripes radiate from the circle to the middle of the four sides and four corners;
in the center of the circle is a five-pointed star, its color is red, one of its ends is turned upwards, its diameter is five-sixths of the diameter of the circle;
in the star is a sickle and a white hammer.

In the same year, the flag was raised on military ships in honor of the fifth anniversary of October revolution. It was approved only in 1924.

Archival photographs have been preserved showing the destroyers Kalinin and Voikov with flags raised on board, designed by N. I. Ordynsky.

Description of the 1935 flag

The banner of 1923 lasted twelve years. Thoughts about his replacement began to arise among the country's leadership as early as 1932. At this time, the Naval Forces were created Far East. Three years later, the Pacific Fleet was created from them.

The existing Naval Ensign strongly resembled the symbol of an island state, which could cause problems. Therefore, in 1935 they approved the new flag of the USSR Navy, which lasted fifteen years.

Description:

white canvas;
a blue strip along the bottom of the cloth;
the five-pointed star is painted red, it is placed in the middle of the left half of the canvas, one of the ends is directed upwards, the diameter of the figure is equal to two-thirds of the width of the entire banner;
the red hammer and sickle are crossed among themselves, placed in the center of the right half of the cloth, the largest diameter of the symbol is equal to two thirds of the width of the white part of the cloth.

The ratio of white and blue color equals five to one. The dimensions of the canvas are three to two.

Description of the 1950 flag

By 1950, the flag of the Soviet Navy (photo below) was slightly modified. The regulation on this was not recorded in the Code of Laws of the Union. Appearance was approved only in 1964.

Description:

white canvas with a blue stripe, which is placed along the bottom;
in the left half of the white canvas is a red five-pointed star, one of its ends is directed upwards;
on the right side of the white canvas there is a sickle with a red hammer, they are crossed among themselves, and the lower extreme points their handles and the lower extreme angles of the star are at the same level.

The dimensions of the flag of the USSR Navy for 1950 differ significantly from the previous version. The ratio of width to length became one to one and a half. The size of the five-pointed star has changed, it is visually equal to the crossed hammer and sickle. The width of the blue part became equal to one sixth of the entire width of the flag.

This is how the banner remained until 1992, until it was replaced with a modern symbol of the Navy of the Russian Federation.

Description of the guards variant

Character interpretation:

star - a sign of the Red Army;
crossed hammer and sickle - one of the main emblems of the Soviet state, meant an alliance between peasants and workers;
the blue stripe is the symbol of the sea.

Recently, original flags have become popular among the population. Demand creates supply, so online stores have appeared that are engaged in the manufacture and sale of flags, as well as other paraphernalia of the USSR.

St. Andrew's flag

"God and St. Andrew's flag are with us!" - with these words in the fleet of the Russian Empire, the commanders of the ships addressed their crews before the battle.

St. Andrew's flag is the main ship ensign of the Russian Navy. It is a white cloth, crossed diagonally by two blue stripes, which form an inclined cross, called Andreevsky. This cross gave the flag its name.

St. Andrew's Cross- an oblique cross, symbolizing the crucifixion of St. Andrew the First-Called. It is a common symbol and is used on the flags and symbols of several countries and territories.

Who was Andrew the First-Called, whose name is so gloriously immortalized all over the world?

Andrew the First-Called

Apostle Andrew, known as the Apostle Andrew the First-Called,- one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, brother of the Apostle Peter. It is mentioned in the books of the New Testament.

Like Peter, Andrei was a simple fisherman. He was born in the city of Bethsaida, on the shores of the Lake of Galilee.

Francisco de Zurbaran "Saint Andrew the Apostle"

At first, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist, but when Christ called him, he was the first to follow Him, and therefore was called the First-Called. Until the last day of the Savior's earthly journey, his First-Called Apostle followed Him, he was also a witness to the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ.

The reason why the St. Andrew's Cross is present on the flags of many countries is that the Apostle Andrew visited many countries with a sermon about Christ. And those countries where he visited, consider him their patron. On the day of Pentecost (50 days after the Resurrection of Christ), the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues. So they received the gift of healing, prophesying and the ability to speak in different dialects. The 12 apostles divided among themselves the countries where they were supposed to convert the pagans to Christianity. Saint Andrew fell by the lot of the earth Bithynia(Asia Minor), propontides(region of Turkey), Thrace(modern region of Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey), Macedonia in the Balkans , Scythia, Thessaly(Aegean coast) Hellas(Greece), Ahai(Southern Balkans), many individual cities. But the first field of his apostolic ministry was Black Sea coast.

Almost everywhere the authorities met him with cruel persecutions. He endured especially a lot of torment in the city of Sinop, where he was subjected to cruel torture by the pagans. But St. Andrew was again healthy and whole from his wounds.

According to medieval tradition, the Apostle Andrew visited the territory of Russia, therefore he is its patron saint. In Kyiv, he left a pectoral cross, after that he visited Novgorod and the nearby Volkhov.

He also visited modern Abkhazia, Alania and Adygea, and then arrived in the city of Byzantium and was the first to preach the teachings of Christ there. Here he founded the Christian Church.

Andrew the First-Called was martyred on an oblique cross in the city of Patras (Greece), this cross has since been called St. Andrew's Cross. It happened in the 70s of the 1st century.

Martyrdom of Andrew the First-Called

In the city of Patras passed last years the life of the apostle. Here he preached, gathered around him a large Christian community. In Patras, he performed many miracles: healing by the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead. The ruler of Aegeat ordered the execution of Andrew the First-Called, crucifying him on a cross. But the apostle considered himself unworthy to die on the same cross as Jesus Christ, so they chose an oblique cross for execution. The ruler of Egeat ordered not to nail him to the cross, but to tie him by the arms and legs in order to prolong the torment. For two days the apostle preached from the cross. The people who listened to him demanded that the execution be stopped, and the ruler, fearing popular unrest, ordered that the apostle be taken down from the cross. But Andrew the First-Called wanted to accept death in the name of Christ, so the soldiers could not untie the ropes. His life reports that when the holy apostle died, the cross lit up with a bright radiance. According to legend, a spring gushed at the site of the crucifixion of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called in Patras (Greece)

At the same place in Patras, the majestic Cathedral of St. Andrew the First-Called, the largest in Greece, was erected.

About flags using the St. Andrew's Cross

The St. Andrew's Cross is a common symbol depicted on the flags of many states and administrative divisions.

Flag of Scotland

This is the flag Alabama(one of the US states), flag Katwijk(communities in the Netherlands), flag Scotland(Andrew the First-Called is considered her patron), flag Tenerife(spanish island), flag Jamaica, flag Potchefstroom(provinces of South Africa), three St. Andrew's crosses are located on the flag and coat of arms Amsterdam. And about 20 more flags of various countries carry the St. Andrew's Cross.

Flag of the Russian Navy

St. Andrew's flag is the main ship ensign of the Russian Navy. It is a white cloth, crossed diagonally by two blue stripes, which form an inclined St. Andrew's cross.

Flag of the Russian Navy

In 1698 Peter I established the first order in Russia (the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called) to reward military exploits and public service.

The order consisted of a golden cross, a blue ribbon, a silver eight-pointed star and a golden chain. In the center of the star, in a rosette covered with red enamel and gold stripes, there is a two-headed eagle crowned with three crowns, on the chest of the eagle there is an oblique blue cross.

The badge on the order chain and the star of the order

The symbolism of the Andreevsky flag was a tribute to the memory of Peter I to his father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who for the first time established a special flag for the first Russian military ship - the three-masted galliot "Eagle".

Peter I was personally involved in the design of the flag of the Russian fleet and drew several options. Peter I himself described the eighth (last) version of the flag as follows: “The flag is white, across this there is a blue St. Andrew's cross, with which he christened Russia”. In this form, the Andreevsky flag existed in Russian fleet until November 1917

On January 17, 1992, the Russian government adopted a resolution to return the status of the Russian Naval Flag to the St. Andrew's flag. February 15, 1992 St. Andrew's flag was consecrated in St. Petersburg in St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Epiphany.

The guis (nasal flag of a ship or vessel) of the navy also bears the St. Andrew's Cross. Both flags (guis and stern) were replaced in 1918 with the flag of the RSFSR, and then with the newly created guis and the naval flag of the USSR.

Guys of the Russian Navy

The official banner of the Russian Navy is based on the flag of the Russian Navy and was approved by Federal Law No. 162 of December 29, 2000.

Arrangement of flags and pennants on a modern ship

stern ensign- hoisted on a stern flagpole or on a gaff. This is the main symbol of the ship and one of the main symbols of the state, equal in value to the state flag. In addition to the main naval flag, there are also special ones - guards, orders. flags of auxiliary, hydrographic and search and rescue ships of the Navy. border flags, coast guard ship flags. As a rule, all these panels are based on the pattern of the stern ensign of the Navy.
Topmast flags , the dimensions of which are significantly inferior to the dimensions of the stern ones, are raised on the topmasts of the ship (the topmast in the sailing fleet was called a wooden bar that completed the mast). Conventionally, they can be divided into official, official, signal.

Ensign of the Russian Navy

Official are the flags of some state paramilitary organization raised as identifiers for ships of this service (the stern ensign of the ship has a different pattern).
official flags are symbols hoisted on ships when flagships or other persons are on board and assigned special distinctive flags.
Signal serve for the transmission of commands by the flagship to subordinate commanders, the day of signaling or negotiations between ships.

3.Jack(from the Dutch word geus - a beggar, which Peter the Great read as "guis") - a flag raised on the bow flagpole (guisstoke) of the ship. It is smaller than the stern flag. Being also the flag of sea fortresses, it means that a warship is an impregnable fortress.

4.boat flags in the Navy today they do not have an individual pattern and are not used as special official symbols from the second half of XIX in. However, earlier it was a special flag, indicating the rank of the flagship in the boat, and it was raised on its bow flagpole (the ship's flag was placed on the stern flagpole).

5. Pennant now means that the warship is in the company, that is, it is fully equipped with a crew, combat and other supplies and is ready to perform a combat mission. The pennant cloth can be conical (triangular) or have a conical or straight ribbon, ending at the end with two braids. At the luff, a head is often placed, which plays the role of a roof.

6. raid pennant rises on the ship - the official residence of the official to whom the braid pennant has been assigned.

7. special flags of heads of state, hoisted on a warship during a visit by the king, president, etc. Usually hoisted on the main mast, but sometimes it also appears in place of the stern flag.

Andreevsky flag for two hundred years, from 1720 to 1918, was the stern flag of the navy of the Russian Empire. In 1992, he was again raised on the ships of the Russian Navy. And from December 29, 2000, on the basis of federal law No. 162, he became the banner of the naval forces of the Russian Federation. The history of the St. Andrew's flag for three hundred years has been filled with examples of heroism, self-sacrifice, patriotism and tragedies. She became inseparable from the history of Russia and experienced ups and downs with it.

History of the blue and white flag

The Andreevsky flag owes its appearance to Peter 1. It was he who chose the blue oblique cross on a white field (the symbol of St. Andrew the First-Called) as the flag of the young navy. There are several legends explaining this choice of the king. One of them claims that the oblique shadow from the window frame, which fell on a blank sheet of paper, led Peter to this idea. However, most likely the matter is in the special attitude of Russians towards the saint. After all, Andrew the First-Called has long been considered the patron saint of Russia. Even in the "Tale of Bygone Years" it is reported that the apostle preached in places where, over time, Kyiv and Veliky Novgorod appeared, and blessed them. No wonder Peter, describing the new flag, said that it depicts the cross with which the Apostle Andrew christened Russia.

The last flag of the Russian Empire

St. Andrew's flag fluttered over the Russian ships in the days of their glorious victories at Gangut, Chesma, Navarin and Sinop, it inspired the desperately fighting sailors in the Tsushima Strait. He went to the bottom along with the lost but not surrendered cruiser Varyag, which sank in Chimulpo Bay (now the city of Incheon). This Andreevsky flag, the photo of which is presented below, was raised and returned to Russia in 2009 (the photo was taken after the flag was delivered to its homeland).

During the years of the civil war, in particular during the campaign of Drozdovsky, the Andreevsky flag was the banner of the division of Colonel Zhebrak. It was used on ships white movement” and after the civil war, until 1924. In December of this year, the St. Andrew's flag was lowered on the last remaining "white" ships that were in the port of Bizerte (North Africa). The reason for this was the recognition by France Soviet Russia. In the Soviet Navy at first, a guis with the St. Andrew's cross was also used, in which minimal changes were made in the form of a star in the center. But later, the flag of the USSR Navy, now known to everyone, was introduced. However, even here the influence of the former symbols is clearly visible to the naked eye, for the new flag retained the colors of the old one - white and blue.

Pride of Russian sailors

The history of the uprising on the battleship speaks eloquently about the attitude of Russian sailors to the St. Andrew's flag Black Sea Fleet"Prince Potemkin-Tauride". The rebellious sailors raised the red banner, but left the stern St. Andrew's flag in place. For they believed that he was a symbol of courage and glory of the Russian Navy, and not the banner of the tsar. And this glory and memory of the fallen heroes will be unshakable as long as a white banner with an oblique blue cross proudly flutters on the ship.