August 22 - Russian Flag Day

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

For more than twenty years, our country has been celebrating the Day of the State Flag of the Russian Federation on August 22. This event was decided to highlight in 1994 by the relevant order of the President. And our people, accustomed to walking and relaxing on holidays, only wonder why they didn’t make it a day off? Apparently, you can read the tricolor without looking up from official business.

Whose holiday is this and who should celebrate?

In fact, the Flag Day of the Russian Federation is a holiday for the whole country, because the people, according to the Constitution, is the only bearer of power. Regardless of religion, nationality and skin color, all Russians on this day should honor and respect the official symbol of their country, recognizable throughout the world. The founders and ideological inspirers of the holiday were the first persons representing our country abroad.

The first steps in the development of the modern flag

At all times, any country had to have its own distinctive sign. When merchant ships or loaves approached the borders of a foreign state, theycould only be accepted if they proved their belonging to one or another kingdom.

Grand ambassadors proudly brought in the symbols of their country. The lives of thousands of fellow citizens sometimes depended on their success. The value and significance of the flag cannot be underestimated. In the years of the formation of the Russian kingdom, such a symbol should also have been. And Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676 - years of reign) raised the first white-blue-red tricolor on his military ship. His "Eagle" was built by a famous Dutch engineer.

Unfortunately, under the white-blue-red tricolor, Alexei Mikhailovich did not have to swim for long. On his "Eagle" he only managed to reach Astrakhan along the Volga, where his ship was burned and sunk by Stepan Razin.

"Father" tricolor

The modern holiday, Flag Day of the Russian Federation, arose thanks to Peter I. After the founding of the Russian Empire, he first issued a decree according to which all floating vehicles had to raise a white-blue-red flag on their mast. The first emperor himself created the pattern, drew the stripes and determined the order of the colors.

Nothing is known for certain about the motives that prompted Peter I to choose just such symbols. Historical facts indicate that the idea arose from the very Dutchman who built the Eagle. During another official trip to the Netherlands, Peter I liked the idea of the Dutch flag, on which the stripes are arranged in this order: red - blue - white. It is officially accepted that this became the prototype of the modern flag. RF.

Interestingly, warships could fly a slightly different flag. It was a white cloth, on which the St. Andrew's Cross is depicted. The white-blue-red flag was used only for commercial purposes.

The Day of the State Flag of the Russian Federation exists now due to the fact that it became the official (state) symbol only in 1896. Then the coronation of the last emperor, Nicholas II, took place. Prior to this, it was customary to raise the black-yellow-white flag adopted during the reign of Alexander II.

Symbolism of flowers

The color designation of the main symbol of the state is often remembered on the occasion of the Day of the Flag of the Russian Federation. Photos of people with a flag on the Internet are found everywhere. Does everyone know what exactly the colors white, blue and red stand for?

Different researchers interpret the symbolism of the tricolor differently. In the same way, the people: whoever likes which version more, supports it. The most common explanation is:

- White is the color of purity of thoughts, courage and nobility.

- Blue is the color of the eternal patroness of all Russian people - the Blessed Virgin Mary.

- Red is a color that has long symbolized the power and strength of the state.

Another rather popular version says that the three colors correspond to the historical regions of Russia:

- white - white Russia (the territory of the modern Republic of Belarus);

- blue - Little Russia - Little Russia, as it used to be calledUkraine;

- red - great Russia (north-eastern region of the empire).

All the colors included in the composition coincide with the rest of the Proto-Slavic colors, the presence of which can be noted on all flags of the CIS countries. This is not surprising, because it is Russia that has long been considered a symbol of the unity of the Slavic peoples.

The biggest flags

Many republics are responsibly preparing for August 22. National Flag Day is an event marked by many records. So, in 2011, the largest flag was raised in the Chechen Republic. It was placed on the highest mountain between the villages of Oiskhara and Tsentoroy. The height of the flagpole was 70 meters, and the flag itself fluttered 150 meters.

The flag, included in the Guinness Book of Records, was carefully created by the residents of Vladivostok by August 22. The Russian Flag Day 2013 will be remembered by this city for a long time. About thirty thousand citizens went to the central bridge across the Golden Horn Bay to compose the Living Flag composition. In the hands of each person was a small flag of one of the colors: red, white and blue. Lined up one by one in colors, they created a "living" flag, the length of which was 707 meters. This event was captured from the air and entered the Guinness Book of Records.

Modern history of the flag

For a long time the existence of the Soviet Union forgot about the tricolor. The memory of him was restored only in 1991, when the USSR officially collapsed. By the way, why was the date of August 22 chosen? Day of the State Flag of the Russian Federation is celebrated on this daynot at all by chance. The date is related to events that took place in 1991.

As you know, on June 12, 1991, the elections of the first President of the Russian Federation were held, and on that day, thousands of Muscovites took to the central square, carrying a huge tricolor. From that moment it became clear that the country was reborn. Two months later, on August 22, 1991, a law was approved, which states that the new symbol of the new state is the white-blue-red flag.

It is noteworthy that in the first wording it was designated as white-lazar-scarlet. But when the Constitution was adopted, in 1993, the colors were changed to the usual ones.

Russian Flag Day in Crimea

In 2014, the peninsula celebrated the Russian Flag Day for the first time. The inhabitants of Crimea with trepidation and impatience were waiting for this event. In Simferopol, a huge banner was deployed, the size of which exceeded 150 square meters. It was assembled from individual fragments brought from all regions of our vast country. Wishes were written on all elements.

Flag Day in other countries

Russian Flag Day is not a unique holiday. This event is also celebrated in other countries. So, the neighbor Ukraine, recalls her “yellow-blakytny” two-color one day later - on August 23.

But in Belarus there is no separate number. Festive events are usually held in the second week of May, just after the large-scale May weekend.

June 4 is considered to be the birthday of the new state symbols of Kazakhstan.

American Flag Day set for 14July.

But the UK decided not to allocate a separate day for showing respect to its flag. It is worth noting that the once huge empire "lent" its symbol to many other countries - former colonies, which still wear it on their official banner. In Foggy Albion, it is customary to fly a flag in a special status on the birthdays of members of the royal family, on coronation days and on some other events.