August 22 - Flag Day of the Russian Federation

For more than twenty years, our country has celebrated August 22 the Day of the State Flag of the Russian Federation. It was decided to allocate this event in 1994 with the corresponding order of the President. And our people, accustomed to walking and resting for the holidays, only wonder why they did not make it a day off? Apparently, you can read tricolor without breaking off from official duties.

Whose holiday is it and who should celebrate?

In fact, the Flag Day of the Russian Federation is a holiday of the whole country, because the people, according to the Constitution, are 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 all over the world. The founders and ideological inspirers of the holiday were the first persons representing our country beyond its borders.

The first steps in the formation of the modern flag

At all times, any country should have its own distinctive sign. When merchant ships or caravans approached the borders of a foreign state, they could be accepted only if they proved to belong to one or another kingdom.

The great ambassadors proudly introduced the symbols of their country. Their lives sometimes depended on the lives of thousands of fellow citizens. The value and significance of the flag can not be underestimated. In the years of the formation of the Russian kingdom, such a symbol also had to be. And the first white-blue-red tricolor was raised on his military ship by Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676 - years of government). His "Eagle" was built by a famous Dutch engineer.

Unfortunately, under the white-blue-red tricolor Alexei Mikhailovich had to swim for a short time. On his "Eagle" he managed only to reach the Volga to Astrakhan, where his ship was burnt and sunk by Stepan Razin.

"Father" of the tricolor

A modern holiday The day of the flag of the Russian Federation arose due to Peter I. After the founding of the Russian Empire, he first issued a decree according to which all floating vehicles had to raise on their masts a white-blue-red flag. The first emperor himself created a pattern, drew strips and determined the order of the flowers.

On the motives that prompted Peter I to choose just such a symbolism, there is no certainty. Historical facts indicate that the idea originated from the very Dutchman who built the "Eagle". During the next representative trip to the Netherlands, Peter I liked the idea of the Dutch flag, in which the bands are arranged in this order: red - blue - white. It is officially considered that this became the prototype of the modern flag of the Russian Federation.

Interestingly, warships could raise 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 an official (state) symbol only in 1896. Then the coronation of the last emperor - Nicholas II - took place. Before that, it was customary to raise the black-yellow-white flag adopted during the reign of Alexander II.

Flower Symbolism

The color designation of the main symbol of the state is often recalled on the holiday Flag Day of the Russian Federation. Photos of people with a flag on the Internet are found everywhere. And does everyone know what exactly white, blue and red colors mean?

Various researchers interpret the symbols of the tricolor differently. Similarly, the people: who likes what version, the one that supports it. Most often there is such an explanation:

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

- Blue - the color of the eternal patroness of the entire Russian people - the Blessed Virgin.

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

Another fairly popular version says that three colors are related to the historical regions of Russia:

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

- blue - small Rus - Little Russia, as Ukraine used to be called;

- red - the great Rus (the northeastern region of the empire).

All the colors included in the composition, coincide with the other praslavian colors, the presence of which can be noted on all the 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. The day of the national flag is an event marked by many records. Thus, in 2011 the largest flag was raised in the Chechen Republic. He was placed on the highest mountain between the villages of Oyskhara and Tsentoroi. The height of the flagpole was 70 meters, and the cloth itself fluttered for 150 meters.

The flag, included in the Guinness Book of Records, was diligently created by residents of Vladivostok by August 22. Flag Day of the Russian Federation in 2013 this city will remember for a long time. About thirty thousand townspeople came to the central bridge through the Golden Horn Bay to compose the composition "The Living Flag". In the hands of each person was a small flag of one of the colors: red, white and blue. Lined one after another in color, they created a "living" flag, the length of which was 707 meters. This event was captured from the air and hit the Guinness Book of Records.

Modern history of the flag

For a long time of the Soviet Union's existence, the tricolor has been forgotten. Restored the memory of it only in 1991, when the USSR officially disintegrated. By the way, why was the August 22 date chosen? The day of the state flag of the Russian Federation is celebrated on this day is not accidental. The date relates to events that occurred in 1991.

As is known, on June 12, 1991, the first President of the Russian Federation was elected, and that day thousands of Muscovites came 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 a white-blue-red banner.

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

Flag Day in Crimea

In 2014, the peninsula first celebrated the Flag Day of the Russian Federation. The inhabitants of the Crimea were waiting with trembling and impatience for this event. In Simferopol was deployed a huge cloth, the size of which exceeded 150 square meters. It was collected from separate fragments, brought from all regions of our vast homeland. Wishes were written on all elements.

Flag Day in other countries

Flag Day is not a unique holiday. Such an event is noted in other countries. So, Ukraine's neighbor, remembers her "zhovto-blakitny" bicolor a day later - on August 23.

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

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

The day of the American flag is scheduled for July 14.

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