The flag of the Russian Federation is a rectangular panel made of three horizontal stripes of different colors. This is one of the three symbols (the other two are the coat of arms and the anthem) of the great state. The meaning of the Russian flag in the modern state is interpreted in different ways.
What do the colors of the flag of the Russian Federation mean? Let's try to understand this in general terms.
Features of the Russian flag
The flag is sewn from three stripes of the same width in different shades:
- top stripe - white color;
- medium stripe - blue color;
- lower stripe is red.
According to the norm (state standard), the flag parameters are 2:3 (width and length, respectively).
What do the colors of the Russian flag mean? A short story about this is presented later in the article.
A bit of history
In the Russian Empire in the second half of the 17th century, the so-called personal standards were used, representingbanners with images on them of either generic insignia, or the face of various patron saints. And they were almost every big rich family. Moreover, the higher the class, the more recognizable were the banners. But in Europe, which at that time was the founder of fashion, they were not perceived as full-fledged national symbols.
There has not yet been a single national flag of the state by which Russia would become recognizable. For external relations, according to European customs, the creation of some national symbols was required. Initially, flags began to be used on sea vessels in trade relations. The Holstein flag is very reminiscent of the modern Russian tricolor. Such a canvas was adopted in Europe as a distinctive symbol of the Russian flotilla. What do the colors of the Russian flag of those times mean? The answer to this question is presented below in the article.
For the first time officially, the tricolor with stripes of white, blue and red was considered to be a symbol of the empire in 1693. He was raised on a sea vessel - the yacht "Saint Peter". This flag in Europe began to symbolize Russia during the reign of Peter I.
In 1712, the flotilla used the St. Andrew's flag, which replaced the tricolor of the Tsar of Moscow. In 1858, by decree of Alexander II, a flag with black, yellow and white canvas was approved as the official one. He became the first flag-symbol, which was approved by law. However, many continued to use the former flag in memory of Peter I. Alexander III further formalized the tricolor withstripes of white, blue and red shades as an attribute of Russia.
The Soviet flag (the times of the USSR and the RSFSR) with the image of a hammer and sickle in November 1991 was replaced by the current one. As noted above, almost the same flag was the state symbol from 1896 to 1917. But then it was more of a trade flag of the Russian Empire.
Today there is no official unified version of the designations of the color palette of the national flag. The interpretation of colors is the most diverse.
The meaning of the colors of the flag approved by Alexander II
What did the colors of the pre-1917 Russian flag mean?
- Black is a great power, inviolability and stability of the state.
- Yellow (or gold) has two versions of its occurrence. According to one, it was adopted from the banner of Orthodox Byzantium. According to the second version, this color came from the reign of Prince Ivan III. In those days, a double-headed eagle was present on the flags against the background of a golden flag. The meaning of this color is unbroken spirit, spirituality, purity of faith and Orthodoxy.
- White is the color of George the Victorious, who struck the dragon with his spear. It is sacrifice, purity and eternity.
What do the colors of the Russian flag mean?
According to the interpretation of the reign of Peter I, white meant freedom, blue symbolized the Mother of God, and red - the color of sovereignty.
However, the current modern interpretation is completely different: white is a symbol of purity and peace, blue isconstancy and stability, red symbolizes the blood shed in the struggle for the Fatherland, as well as the power, strength and energy of the whole people.
And what does each color of the Russian flag mean in an informal-comic interpretation? The colors of the flag in this regard have the following meanings: white - snowy and cold winter, blue - vodka and alcoholism, red - beautiful women.
Interesting fact
Children and adults often confuse the order of the flag's stripes by color. There is one interesting and effective way to forever remember the correct order in the tricolor.
Everyone knows a rather formidable special service called the KGB. If you look closely, these letters represent the first letters of the flag palette, however, they should be read from bottom to top:
- letter K - red color;
- letter G - blue (blue) color;
- letter B is white.
Learn more about the meaning of the colors of the flag
What does the white color of the Russian flag mean?
There are different versions about the meaning of white:
- freedom and independence;
- peace, perfection, purity and purity;
- historical region called White Russia (today Belarus).
What does the color blue mean?
Central blue panel means:
- The Mother of God is a symbol of her patronage over Russia;
- faith, wisdom, constancy and strength;
- historical region of Little Russia (the territory of modern Ukraine).
The meaning of the lower red color of the canvas.
It means the following:
- blood,shed by the defenders of the Fatherland in battles;
- greatness;
- Great Russia (territory of the Russian Federation).
On the meaning of flowers for children
What do the colors of the Russian flag (white, blue and red) mean to children? In order to instill in children respect for the symbols of the state in which they live and study, the colors of the flag can be more simply described to make it easier to remember.
- White - conscience and purity. This is the color of white birches and endless Siberian forests.
- Blue - sublimity and divinity. These are the blue clouds of the vast sky, the boundless seas and rivers of Russia.
- Red is courage. It symbolizes red poppies in the vast fields of Russia and fire.
