Ukrainian flags. What do the colors of the Ukrainian flag symbolize?

Since ancient times, different nations used certain symbols during the battles, which were to point to the place of meeting of the soldiers and raise their fighting spirit. As a rule, it was a three- or four-corner piece of cloth attached to a lance. The ancient Ukrainian flags of the times of Kievan Rus initially depicted Christian saints. A little later there were permanent coats of arms of different lands, which became the basis for the formation of modern national symbols. In this article, we will consider what the colors of the Ukrainian flag mean, whether it symbolizes the unity of the earth and the sky, and discuss other debatable issues.

Banners of the times of Kievan Rus

In the days of Kievan Rus one of the symbols of princely authority was a banner. It was the banner under which the squad went into battle. In addition, the banner acted as a symbol of the united territories. Ancient chronicles testify that during the times of Kievan Rus, the flags had a triangular wedge-shaped shape depicting prince's signs or saints. Basically, these banners were red and well recognized during the battle. Also used were other colors: white, blue, yellow, green. It should be noted that red is still one of the most popular shades in the colors of coats of arms and flags, especially among the western and eastern Slavs (Poland, Belarus, Russia).

Ukrainian flags in the XIII-XVI centuries.

At the turn of the XIII-XIV centuries. Appear quadrangular flags with a cloth at the free end of the spear. Also at this time, actively begin to make banners, using connections of several colors.

In the XIII-XIV centuries. The history of Kievan Rus is characterized by such a notion as feudal fragmentation. At that time, each prince had his own banner, which was different from the others.

In the middle of the XIV century. A significant part of the Left Bank Ukraine became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Galician land and Volhynia were controlled by Poland. In the middle of XV century. These territories became part of the Commonwealth. This greatly influenced the heraldic traditions on the Ukrainian lands. So, on the symbols of the central regions, most likely under the Polish influence, most often the white and red colors began to occur. And the Ukrainian flags of the western lands took a yellow-blue color. These colors became the main symbols of Transcarpathia, Lviv, Podillya.

Flags and symbols in the Hetman period

The history of the Ukrainian flag has more than one century. The formation of modern national symbols of the country has been significantly influenced by tradition. In the days of the Ukrainian Cossacks the main color of the symbols was crimson. It was under the red banner that Bohdan Khmelnitsky led the national liberation war. In addition, the crimson color was the main symbol of the Nezhinsky and Chernigov regiments. Often the flags of the times of the Hetmanate depicted the Archangel Michael, the heavenly patron of the Cossacks. In addition, on the banners next to the raspberries met yellow, blue and green colors, as well as images of the sun, stars, animals.

History of the Ukrainian flag in the XVIII-XX centuries.

In the Ukrainian symbolism blue and yellow colors spread in the XVIII century. Their combination can be found in the banners of the Kiev and Chernigov regiments. In 1771 for the Poltava regiment a new banner was made - blue with a yellow cross. In 1848 Golovna Ruska gladly proclaimed the ancient royal symbol of the Romanoviches - the image of the golden lion, which rests on a rock, on a blue background.

In the second half of the 19th century, a combination of yellow and blue stripes was gradually established on the rectangular canvas of the Ukrainian flag. Already in 1914, at the celebration of the anniversary of the birth of T. Shevchenko, the combination of these colors marked the national character of the manifestations. It should be noted that at that time the upper flank of the Ukrainian flag was yellow, and the bottom - blue. In 1917 the Ukrainian People's Republic was proclaimed. Her government - the Central Rada - has proclaimed the colors of the national flag yellow and blue.

Confirmation of the blue-yellow flag

In 1918, after the establishment of the power of Hetman P. Skoropadsky, the blue flag was proclaimed the national flag. The approval of these flowers as national ones was certified by the normative and constitutional acts of the Directory, as well as by the Western Ukrainian People's Republic.

The Ukrainian flags of the times of the Soviet Union radically differed from the previous ones. Originally it was a red canvas with a golden inscription: "URSR". In the post-war period, the socialist symbolism was changed. Thus, the flag of the Ukrainian SSR united two bands: the upper one - red, the lower one - blue. In addition, at the top of the canvas were depicted a sickle and a pentagonal star.

In 1990, the blue-yellow Ukrainian flag appeared at the town hall of Stria for the first time after a long break. Photos and news about this event immediately spread throughout the Ukrainian SSR. In September 1991, the national symbol already towered over the Verkhovna Rada. On January 28, 1992, the blue-yellow flag was given the status of a state flag.

The meaning of the colors of the Ukrainian flag

So far, scientists, politicians and ordinary citizens are discussing what symbolizes the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The official and generally accepted version boils down to the fact that yellow is the embodiment of the wheat field, and the blue one is the sky above it. However, such an interpretation can not fully reflect the meaning of each of the colors. The opinion that the yellow (golden) symbolizes the Creator, God, the supreme essence, deserves attention. Blue is all real, earthly. In addition, this color symbolizes the freedom of choice that each person has.

There is an interesting version that the shades of the flag of Ukraine are the two main elements. Yellow is fire, and blue is water. In this sense, it would be right to combine these colors on a modern flag in the reverse order. Some scholars argue that the elevation of blue over yellow violates the divine harmony of the two elements and causes a "catastrophe" in which water extinguishes the fire.