Flag of Russia

Flag origins

Russia's flag has equal white, blue and red horizontal bands in a 2:3 ratio. The federal law does not specify exact shades of blue and red. The tricolor is documented with Peter I's fleet in 1693, and he ordered its use on merchant vessels in 1705. Familiar explanations such as white for peace, blue for faith and red for strength are unofficial interpretations, not legally prescribed meanings.

Flag story

Peter I's connection with Dutch shipbuilding has prompted theories of Dutch influence, but the presidential library notes that historians and heraldists do not share one settled explanation. The tricolor was abolished under Soviet rule in 1918 and restored officially on 22 August 1991 after more than seventy years of red flags. That date is now Russia's Flag Day.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Russia — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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