What does the flag of Kabardino-Balkaria look like? When was it approved and what does it mean?
Kabardino-Balkaria: portrait of the region
Kabardino-Balkaria is one of the southern regions of the Russian Federation with a population of about 860 thousand people. The current republic was formed as an autonomous region in 1921.
The region occupies a small area (12.5 thousand square kilometers). The republic is located on the northern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains and plains directly adjacent to the mountain system. By the way, it is in Kabardino-Balkaria that the highest point of Russia and all of Europe is located - Elbrus (5642 meters).
The largest cities of the republic are Nalchik, Prokhladny, Baksan. Of the minerals mined here are tungsten. Actively used local recreational resources. The region has enterprises in the chemical, construction, food industries, electric power, and non-ferrous metallurgy.
This republic, like any other subject of the Russian Federation, has its own symbols. What is the flag of Kabardino-Balkaria? And what is his story? This will be discussed later.
Flag of Kabardino-Balkaria: description and history
The flag of the republic is a rectangular panel with a standard aspect ratio (2: 3). In its design there are only three colors that are in good harmony with each other: blue, white and green.
The modern flag of Kabardino-Balkaria consists of three horizontal stripes of the same thickness. A blue stripe is located above, a green stripe below, and a white stripe in the center. A circle consisting of two color fields, blue and green, is drawn in the center of the flag. This circle contains a stylized image of the main natural attraction of the region - Mount Elbrus.
The flag of Kabardino-Balkaria in its current form was officially approved in July 1994. Before that, he had a completely different design. So, during the twentieth century, the flag of the region was modified six times. True, all these changes were insignificant.
The very first version of the flag was a red banner with a large inscription "RSFSR" in the upper left corner. Below were inscriptions with the name of the republic (at that time it was the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) in three languages: Russian, Kabardian and Balkarian. In 1957, the flag of the republic was decorated with a five-pointed star, as well as a traditional Soviet emblem with a hammer and sickle, and a blue vertical stripe was added to the left.
Interestingly, some Kabardian folk societies often use the flag, which today is the official symbol of the Republic of Adygea, since Kabardin and Adyghe consider themselves to be one people. How it looks can be seen in the next photo.
Flag of Kabardino-Balkaria: what does it mean?
It should be noted right away that both the flag and the coat of arms of the republic comply with all generally accepted norms of international symbolism. And in them is traced the national identity of both Balkarian and Kabardian ethnic groups.
The flag of Kabardino-Balkaria, as noted above, consists of only three shades. It is blue, green and white. The Balkarian people symbolize precisely the blue color, and the Kabardian people - the green. In addition, some other symbols are included in the flag of the republic.
So, the green color represents the strength, honor, valor and glory of the ancestors. Blue symbolizes freedom in all its manifestations, as well as hope for a good, bright future. White color is the color of peace and complete understanding in which two people of the republic live, Kabardins and Balkars.