FACTBOX - Russia Celebrating National Flag Day

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd August, 2018) Russia celebrates National Flag Day on August 22, which was established on the basis of the presidential decree of 20 August 1994 "On the National Flag Day of the Russian Federation."

On August 22, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) adopted a resolution "On Official Recognition and Use of the National Flag of the RSFSR", in which it decided to consider the historical flag of Russia - a panel with equal horizontal white, azure and scarlet stripes - the official national flag of Russia, before the establishment of a special law on the new state symbols of Russia.

The Russian tricolor flag has more than 300 years of history. The state flag appeared in Russia at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, when Russia was developing as a powerful state. For the first time a white-blue-red flag with a double-headed eagle sewn on it was raised on the first Russian warship, the "Oryol", during the reign of Peter the Greats father, Alexei Mikhailovich. Researchers have no consensus on how these colors were combined.

Peter the Great is recognized as the legitimate "father" of the tricolor. On January 20, 1705 he issued a decree, according to which "all kind of merchant ships" should raise white-blue-red flag. He drew the sample himself and determined the order of horizontal stripes.

The Russian flag, which appeared together with the first Russian warships, remained mainly a part of naval culture until the 19th century. The Russian white-blue-red flag was first used on land in connection with the geographical discoveries made by Russian navigators.

Until the 19th century, Russian sailors put a memorial cross on the shore of the land annexed by Russia. A new tradition was created in 1806. The Russian expedition explored the southern Sakhalin coast and raised two flags on the shore. The St. Andrews flag praised the merit of the Navy, while the white-blue-red flag marked Russias new land ownership.

After Peter the Great, gold (orange) and black colors began to spread in the Russian army. The colors gradually were assumed as the states colors.

By the decree of Tsar Alexander II in 1858, a black-yellow-white flag was introduced as the official Russian national flag. It remained in use until 1883. On April 28, 1883, Alexander III ordered to use the white-blue-red flag instead of black-yellow-white as the national flag of the Russian Empire, issuing an "Order about flags for decorating buildings on special occasions."

Officially, the white-blue-red flag was approved as the state flag of Russia only on the eve of the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896.

Three colors of the flag, which became national, received an official interpretation. Red meant power, blue stood for the color of the Holy Mother who protects Russia, white represented freedom and independence. These colors also meant the commonwealth of the White Russia, Little Russia and Great Russia.

The red banner had been the state flag in Soviet Russia for more than 70 years.

An extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR on August 22, 1991, decided to consider the tricolor flag as Russias official symbol. The Presidential Decree of 11 December 1993 approved "the Regulations on the State Flag of the Russian Federation."

On December 25, 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal constitutional law "On the State Flag of the Russian Federation". In accordance with the law, the State flag of Russia is a rectangular panel of three equal horizontal strips: the top stripe is white, the middle one is blue and the one at the bottom is red. The flags width to length ratio is 2:3.

Currently, unofficial interpretation of the flags colors as follows: white color means peace, purity, chastity and perfection; blue represents faith and loyalty and constancy; red color symbolizes energy, strength and blood shed for the homeland.

The state flag of the Russia is constantly raised on the buildings of the presidential administration, the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Russian government, the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, the Prosecutor Generals Office, the Investigative Committee, the Central Bank, the Accounts Chamber, the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Central Election Commission.

The state flag is raised permanently, alone or together with other corresponding flags, on the buildings of federal executive agencies, at the residences of plenipotentiary representatives of the Russian president in federal districts and on the government buildings of the Russian regions.

A duplicate of the standard flag is raised above the residency of the Russian president in Moscow.

The national flag is raised on the buildings of diplomatic missions, consular offices, residences of heads of diplomatic missions and consular offices when this is connected with the performance of their official duties, as well as on the buildings of other Russian official missions abroad.

A vessel sailing under the national flag of a foreign state, when sailing in the Russian internal waters or while parked in a Russia port, in addition to its flag, should raise and carry the national flag of Russia in accordance with international Maritime customs.

The state flag is raised daily in places of permanent deployment of military units and separate units of the Armed Forces, other troops and military units of Russia.

The state flag is raised on the buildings of local governments, public associations, enterprises, institutions and organizations, regardless of ownership, as well as on private homes during the state holidays in Russia.

In the days of mourning, a black ribbon which length is equal to the length of the flag, is attached to the upper part of the flagstaff of Russian state flag.

The state flag is raised during official ceremonies and other solemn events.

On November 8, 2008 then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the federal law "On amending the Federal constitutional law On the State flag of the Russian Federation." The law was supplemented with article 9-1, aimed at distinguishing between the official and unofficial use of the Russian flag and its image. It was established that the official use of the flag shall be carried out in the manner and in the cases established by law. It is also allowed to use the state flag, including its image, by citizens, public associations, enterprises, institutions and organizations in other cases, if such use is not a desecration of the state flag.

The use of the state flag in violation of the Federal constitutional law, as well as desecration of the state flag entails responsibility in accordance with Russian law.

According to a poll, conducted in August of 2017, 71 percent of citizens feel pride at the sight of the Russian flag, 72 percent - at the sight of the crest, 75 percent - at the sounds of patriotic anthems. The total share of respondents, who feels negatively towards main symbols of the country, does not exceed 5 percent.

Festive events, flashmobs, concerts, master classes, sports festivals and quests are held throughout the country on the National Flag Day.