Flag of Georgia

The flag is one of the main distinctive signs of the state. As in other countries, Georgia has its own unique symbolism, bearing a special meaning. The two-color cloth of this country also has its own long history.

This is what the modern flag of Georgia looks like:

History of the Georgian flag

The history of the Georgian flag, on which there are five crosses, goes far back in time. This model first appeared in the middle of the 13th century, during the reign of George V, but before that time the flag of the Georgian kingdom had only two bands crossed at right angles. Georgia has had its symbolism since the 5th century, but the version with the cross was periodically out of use and replaced by others. For example, in 1918-1921 and in 1990-2004, the country used a flag of dark red, black and white colors. The dark red tone represented a good time of the past and a peaceful future, the black tone signified Russian rule, and the white tone signified hope and tranquility.

Under Soviet rule, several flags of the Soviet Union were used in Georgia:

In 1991 the banner with five crosses – one large, dividing the cloth into four parts and four small crosses began to be used as a symbol of Georgian unity and independence. For a long time this symbolism was not accepted at the legislative level, and the pre-Soviet banner continued to be considered official.

The modern version of the flag was officially adopted only on January 14, 2004. This happened after the people’s revolution of 2003. The strong, stubborn, freedom-loving Georgian people considered this particular flag to be a symbol of victory, convinced that only under this flag could the divided state be united. The new flag was supposed to help restore the former glory and lead to the flourishing of the empire. In the end, the struggle against the Shevardnadze regime ended in victory, and the present version of the flag was officially recognized as a symbol of Georgia.

The white flag of Georgia with two crossed red stripes has deep historical roots. It is believed that it was originally used by King Vakhtang Gorgasal, one of the founders of Georgian statehood.

Military flags

Description

Today’s flag of Georgia is a rectangular white cloth divided into four equal parts by a large red cross, placed clearly in the center. The lines of this cross extend exactly to the edges. In the middle of each of the four white sections is another red cross.

The large cross is known as the Cross of St. George, and the smaller ones are the Bolnisi Crosses.

Meaning of colors and flag symbol

The large cross symbolizes Jesus Christ, the four small ones symbolize the four evangelists.

The flag is composed of two colors: white and red:

• White is the color of wisdom and purity;
• Red is valor, courage, justice, and purity of thought.

The choice of this official symbolism is not accidental. Even during the Crusades, the men who took part in them sewed such crucifixes on their clothes. This is a symbol of the wounds of Jesus Christ.

The current flag of Georgia shows the commitment of its people to basic Christian values and indicates the long road, which the people had to pass in its formation.

General information about Georgia

Map of Georgia