In the modern world, each sovereign state has its own symbolism, which includes a coat of arms, flag and anthem. They are a subject of national pride and are used outside the country as its musical and visual image.
Throughout the long history of our country, due to various circumstances, it has repeatedly changed its state symbols. The flag of Russia has also undergone changes. The description, the colors of the stripes and their meaning you will learn from this article.
Background
The first five centuries of Russian history, the disparate principalities that divided its territory did not have any state flag. The troops went into battle with the banners with the image of the face of Christ. Later, banners appeared that resembled modern military standards that depicted Orthodox crosses. Each of them was unique, and by its appearance, an ally or enemy could recognize from afar whose army blocked its path. Often these flags were attended by a generic symbol of its owner.
The great banner of Ivan the Terrible gained particular fame. It was a trapezoidal cloth. At the flagpole on the azure field was an image of St. Michael the Archangel on a horse. On the slope of the “sugar” colored flag there was an image of Christ the Savior, executed in an icon-painting manner. The flag had a “cowberry-colored” border, and at the slope it was supplemented with a bright green stripe.
Banner over the ship "Eagle"
Those who want to know what the colors of the Russian flag mean, should familiarize themselves with its history.
It began almost 350 years ago, during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. From the surviving documents of those years, it is known that for the manufacture of the flag of the Eagle ship, on his order, "exchange" (imported from abroad) fabrics of white, scarlet and blue colors were allocated. There is no reliable information on the design of this banner, with the exception of the record of the order to decorate the banner with a two-headed eagle. There is a version that it depicted a blue cross that divided the panel into four red and white rectangles arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
Around this time, the occurrence of the word “flag” in Russian also dates to. It is derived from the Dutch name for flagwool woolen fabric, from which the first banners were made.
When did the Russian tricolor appear and how did it initially look
In 1693, Peter the Great ordered the “St. Peter” flag to be raised on his ship, which went down in history as the flag of the Tsar of Moscow.
It was a square panel measuring 4.6 by 4.9 m, consisting of three horizontal stripes of equal size in white, blue and red. In the middle of the banner was an image of a double-headed eagle. This oldest Russian tricolor, reminiscent of the modern flag of the Russian Federation, has survived to the present day, and today is one of the most important relics of the Central Naval Museum, located in St. Petersburg.
After 12 years, on January 20, 1705, Peter the Great issued a decree according to which it was prescribed to raise a white-blue-red flag on Russian merchant ships.
State flag of the Russian Empire
The flag of Russia (description, colors, meaning in the modern interpretation, see below) in the form approved by Peter's decree was part of state symbols, but not a national banner. More precisely, for a long time there was no such banner at all. It was replaced by several flags, each of which was used in a certain area. For example, Andreevsky was hoisted on the ships of the Navy, and the Ambassadors Extraordinary had a keyer flag with a coat of arms on a white background.
In 1742, Elizabeth the First approved the State Banner of the Russian Empire, which was a yellow panel depicting a black two-headed eagle. The emblem was surrounded by oval shields with 31 emblems, which symbolized the kingdoms, principalities and lands mentioned in the full imperial title.
Today, few know what the colors of the Russian flag of the Elizabethan era denoted. However, this banner has existed for more than 100 years, representing our country, including abroad.
Moreover, the tricolor was not forgotten. So, during the capture of Paris in 1814, it was he who adorned the ceremonial entry of the Russian emperor into the French capital.
Banner of Alexander the Second
The second state banner of the Russian Empire was created specifically for the coronation, which took place in 1856. Emperor Alexander II, who ascended the throne, took up serious reforms in the field of heraldry. In particular, on his orders, sketches of the arms of the Russian Empire, the House of Romanov and territorial entities were developed. The new state flag was made of golden eyes with a black coat of arms "painted with paints."
The question of what the colors of the Russian flag mean was only interested in heraldry in those days. The situation changed in 1858, when an imperial decree was issued on the use of gold, black and silver (white) colors on banners. According to this document, the first two stripes corresponded to a black eagle on a yellow background of the Russian coat of arms, and white or silver - to the cockade of Peter the Great.
The return of white-blue-red tricolor
On the eve of the coronation of Alexander the Third in 1883, the Highest Command was issued, according to which it was prescribed to decorate the streets of the city with flags that were used by the Russian merchant fleet in the Petrine era.
The emperor personally approved the tricolor as the national flag. On the eve of the coronation of Nicholas II, a discussion broke out again about what the national flag should look like. In this regard, a brochure was published that explained what the colors of the Russian flag mean. Its authors called them the most consonant with folk taste. In their opinion, for a Russian, "everything that is red is ... beautiful." They identified white with snow cover, which lasted almost six months in most of the empire, and called blue one of the most beloved peasants.
Other pre-revolutionary interpretations
In different periods, there were other versions of what the colors of the Russian flag mean. White, according to the Orthodox interpretation, symbolized freedom, blue - the color of the Virgin, and red - sovereignty.
There were also those who considered the State flag of the country as a confirmation of the trinity of tsarist authority, the Orthodox Church and the people. In this interpretation, the red color symbolized the Russian people, white - the Orthodox faith, and blue - autocracy. Thus, the flag seemed to repeat the famous call "For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland!"
In the Soviet period
The tricolor lasted until 1918, when the flag of the RSFSR was adopted. It was a red flag. In its upper left corner, inside the rectangle outlined in gold, the abbreviation “RSFSR” was applied.
In April 1924, the USSR flag appeared, which was a symbol of this huge state until its collapse. It was a bright scarlet banner with a golden sickle and hammer, under a five-pointed star, located in its upper left corner.
In 1954, the RSFSR appeared a new flag. He repeated the banner of the USSR. However, on the left side of the red panel there was a blue stripe on it.
Recent story
On August 22, 1991, by the decision of the emergency session of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, the tricolor was recognized as the official symbol of the republic.
After 9 years, Russian President V. Putin signed the Federal Law on the State Flag of the Russian Federation. This document described in detail what this national symbol should look like.
In accordance with this Federal Law, the State Flag of the Russian Federation should be a rectangular cloth consisting of 3 horizontal stripes of the same size. From top to bottom they are arranged in the following order: white, blue and red. The ratio of the width of the banner to its length is 2: 3.
In addition, in our country August 22 is proclaimed the Day of the State Flag of the Russian Federation and is celebrated as a national holiday. Every year on this day in various cities of the country, solemn events, festivities and various events are held to increase the authority of the symbols of our statehood.
What do the colors on the flag of the Russian Federation mean
The latest interpretation of the banner of our country is as follows.
It is generally accepted that the red color of the Russian flag means courage, generosity, courage and love.
White is frankness and nobility, and blue is fidelity, impeccability, honesty and chastity.
Now you know what the stripes on the Russian flag mean. Although many today consider patriotism to be something outdated, most Russians are proud of their country. Millions of eyes flock to the flag of the Motherland when it flies on the flagpole in honor of high-profile sports victories or during a parade on Red Square.