Flag of Belarus

Some countries of the former Soviet Union are trying to find the most ancient symbols for the flag to emphasize the long existence of the nation, while others are returning to their own symbols of the empire period. Belarus is unique in this respect: in 1996 they decided to return to their own flag of the Soviet period.

This is what the flag of Belarus looks like:

History of the flag

Prior to 1951, the BSSR used the usual, standard for the entire USSR, red flag with Soviet elements in the upper left corner.

In 1951, the flag was changed, adding a red national ornament, and a small green stripe at the bottom.

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After the collapse of the USSR, the idea arose in Belarus to return to the flag of the period of the Belarusian People’s Republic in 1918: red and white horizontal stripes. In 1991, this flag became the state flag.

After Lukashenko came to power, discussions about the country’s national flag and the need not to renounce the Soviet legacy began to emerge more and more often. In 1995, a referendum was held, in which people were given the right to choose their country’s flag themselves. At the same time, the Soviet flag of 1951 was returned, but without the hammer and sickle at the top.

Description

The format of the flag of Belarus is enshrined in the relevant laws of the country. They state: the main element is two horizontal stripes, the ratio 2 to 1. The upper one is red, twice as big as the lower one – the green stripe. At the edge of the flagpole must be a red ornament on a white background, made in the national tradition. At the same time between the flagpole and the flag must remain a white cloth 1:9 to the size of the flag.

Since 2004, when hanging the flag at official events, it is obligatory to use the tip in the form of a five-pointed star. In addition, the law stipulates that it, like the flagpole, must be golden in color. The length of the flagpole is 1:3 to the width of the flag.

The colors of the Belarusian flag

The colors used on the flag are red and green, the exact shade of which is prescribed by law, using the 1964 ICE system. Interestingly, at first the data from the VIA Atlas of Colors, issued in 1986, was used. The red color of the ornament must correspond to the red stripe of the flag.

Meaning of colors and flag symbol

The flag consists of three main elements:

Red color

As historians believe, the main thing is the Soviet legacy, because it is with him that these colors are associated. In addition, in the distant Battle of Grunwald in 1410 against the German crusaders, regiments from the territory of Belarus used red colors. Rebels of the 19th century also used this color. Therefore, for many Belarusians, the color red is also a symbol of freedom.

Green color.

Green symbolizes two things: the richness of the country’s nature, and the triumph of spring over winter, which means the awakening of the young nation.

Ornament

The ornament is based on the “Rising Sun” pattern, created in 1917, at the beginning of the civil war and the first attempt of the Belarusians to create a national state. The figures on the sides are rhombuses, symbolizing the harvest, the continuation of life and prosperity. Some ancient tribes on the territory of Belarus used diamond-shaped images when decorating pottery.

The white color on the ornament also emphasizes the historical name of the region, and now the country – “White Russia”.

To date, Belarus is the only country of the former Soviet Union that has preserved the flag of the Soviet republic. The current Belarus is the full successor of the BSSR not only in terms of international regulations, but also in terms of the flag.

General information about Belarus

Map of Belarus