Talk:Flag of Russia

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Image:Russian_SFSR_flag_medium.png doesn't exist. 217.132.59.190 17:28, 3 May 2004 (UTC)


I couldn't verify (nor disprove) contribution of 64.228.152.240. Doesn't look like a vandalism, but... Nikola 11:05, 14 Jul 2004 (UTC)


How is the MOSCOW coat of arms relevant? It is the capital, but it isn't related to the nation's flag.

--- The Moscow coat of arms is that of St. George (Giorgi) and was adopted by the Muscovy before the Russian Empire was proclaimed. It subsequently became the symbol of the state even though the capital was no longer in Moscow. It has no relevance to the flag because it predates the flag of Peter I. Marky 14:47, 6 September 2006 (UTC) markrich

Contents

[edit] I need help with my project

why are the colors red, blue, and white? For example maybe blue is for the water because there is a big lake in russia and whatever I really need to know this because my project on russia is due tommorow.

Pan-Slavic colours.71.19.6.20 16:47, 10 July 2006 (UTC)


--- My understanding is that there isn't a reason for the colours. They never meant anything officially (unlike the Ukrainian flag [blue sky, golden wheat field], although many myths have been made to their purpose. The colours were chosen because many flags in Western Europe used red-white-blue as their colours and Peter I adopted those for Russia (subsequently adopted from there to other Slavic states). They weren't chosen only because of the Netherlands flag, although it would have had an influence. The meaning of the flag colours was popular after the dissolution of the USSR because everything was 'new'. Tradditional flags again became popular (although Lukachenko reversed this for his state and returned a variation of the Soviet Belorussia flag) after the 'independence' of the Soviet Republics due to nationalist groups keen on creating a identity continuous with pre-soviet history. Many of those, however, were never independent states prior to their creation by the USSR. Marky 14:47, 6 September 2006 (UTC) markrich

I added a subsection about this, linking to a popular flag site with several theories being alleged. The real meaning of the colors, even if one existed at some point, is probably either completely lost in history, or requires expert research to uncover. Nevertheless, there doesn't seem to be a problem with the number of theories proposed for the subject, not the least because making a guess as to the origin of three colors doesn't require any special education, or anything at all for that matter save for imagination. IgorSF 07:34, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
When I did my research on the Russian flag back in 2001, I was pointed to a lot of theories. Two of the theories I have found came from a similar source, the Russian Consulate in San Francisco (website has a 404 error now.) Officially, now, there is no symbolism tied to the flag according to the Constitution. Even the members of the Russian Center of Vexillology and Hearldry state that there is no official symbolism tied to the colors. I do not have a personal meaning that I stick with, but if this article is expanded, I would suggest to include the majority existing ones, which we list on FOTW. User:Zscout370 (Return Fire) 10:31, 8 January 2007 (UTC) (Zachary Harden from FOTW)
In fact, I also remember the same consular link, which now shows a 404 from an SF-based Russian TV company for some reason. Although the opinion of a Russian counsel is certainly not "official", it's nevertheless an interesting trivia info. Having interest in both flags and Russia of my own, I may indeed expand this article in the way you suggested. If that happens, using some of the flags stored on FOTW may prove useful, but according to my cursory check, they prohibit commercial use of images, thereby not allowing GFDL licencing. If you know otherwise, or perhaps a different way of using these flags, I'd appreciate knowing about it. Although I suppose it's not entirely too difficult to recreate most of the world's flags in a basic image editor. IgorSF 03:00, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
I do know SVG so I can pretty much do any of the flags you wish to use for this article. The Russian flag, in SVG, was done by me based on the Kremlin website and Russian Constitution. I did the Victory Banner and some other Russian flags, so I can do the others. Let me know what is needed. User:Zscout370 (Return Fire) 03:48, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Change to red flag

The article states that the tricolor was discarded by the Bolshevik's after the 1917 revolution. This is probably wrong and needs clarification. My understanding is that the Petrograd Soviet changed the flag to the red one (without additional symbols) after the February 1917 revolution and not the Bolsheviks in the October revolution. Marky 14:47, 6 September 2006 (UTC) markrich

[edit] External links / Exact colours?

The external links don't work as the website moved to http://www.rsnet.ru/

I couldn't find the appropriate pages there, maybe someone who understands the russian language better?

Are the exact colours specified? On Russian sleeping-cars painted in the national colours they are RAL 9016, RAL 5003 and RAL 3001 (though most of the roof is in RAL 7042 as white would look dirty too soon). But this may only be the interpretation of RZD or DWA Görlitz.

--84.115.129.76 (talk) 01:54, 16 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pre-1858 flag

The Russian Empire didn't have a flag before 1858. The flag illustrated represents "colours" chosen for "celebrations and notable events" by several Russian monarchs, but these were not exclusively so, or used only as flags. The colours were also used in officer sashes and in cockades. However, the cockade was changed sometimes to black and white, notably by Alexander I. This caused confusion with edits in the flag used in the Battle of Borodino article which displayed the eagle because the eagle was the Imperial symbol (double eagle).

This Imperial symbol was displayed on the standards of every regiment, and the personal flags of all the generals, and indeed the Tsar. The double eagle on the tricolour flag was therefore the most appropriate symbol to use in the article in absence of another image.

For the record, the Russian Imperial Army followed a European convention of flags where the regiments were issued with a regimental and a "King's" (in this case Tsar's) standard, the later being "national". In Russia as elsewhere this was white, representing Peace (the ideal of an ideal monarch), emblazoned with the Imperial symbol, the double eagle.--mrg3105 (comms) If you're not taking any flak, you're not over the target. 03:29, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] USSR flag

Given that modern Russia is considered to be the successor state to the USSR, therefore sharing a continuous existence with it, shouldn't the Flag of the Soviet Union be here as well, even if was the flag for more than just Russia? --superioridad (discusión) 09:06, 29 March 2008 (UTC)

The layout of the article mentions the USSR flag, but it is all messed up. The USSR flag is mentioned in the variant section, which is quite odd. User:Zscout370 (Return Fire) 09:11, 29 March 2008 (UTC)
Yes, belongs in Soviet flag article.--mrg3105 (comms) ♠♣ 09:58, 29 March 2008 (UTC)