April 12, 2022

A Nation's Symbol: the Flag of Ukraine


A Nation's Symbol: the Flag of Ukraine
Solidarity with Ukraine. Pexels, Nataliia Pugach. 

One of a nation’s most vital symbols of patriotism is its flag, and with Ukraine's minimalist bicolor unfurling across the globe in a demonstration of solidarity, its origins are worth exploring.

To do this, it is important to know the history that created it. In other words, how did the bicolor flag of blue and yellow that represents Ukraine today come to be what it is today?

The first documented flag in Ukraine using blue and yellow appeared in 1410. Described by Jan Dlugosz, a Polish chronicler, the flag of 1410 was the flag of Lviv's land and was used in the Battle of Tannenberg.

The 1410 Flag of Lviv Land
The 1410 Flag of Lviv's land. Wikimedia Commons, Alex Tora.

The next major development of the flag appeared in 1649 and was used until 1764. The flag was known as the flag of arms of the Cossack Hetmanate, a Ukrainian Cossack state that occupied what is currently central Ukraine.

The Flag of Arms of the Cossack Hetmenate
Flag of Arms of the Cossack Hetmanate (1649–1764). Wikimedia Commons, Alex Tora.

On April 22, 1848, the Ukrainian flag that we know today first appeared. The yellow and blue horizontal bicolor became the national flag when it was adopted by the Main Ruthenian Council. The flag became a stronger symbol of the Ukrainian people during the fight for independence in 1917. The bicolor flag was flown on Ukrainian soil for the first time on March 29, 1917, in Kyiv. Shortly after, on April 1a mass demonstration of approximately 100,000 people displayed over 300 of the flags. On May 18, 1917, the flag flew at the First Ukrainian Military Congress.

The Official Flag of the Ukrainian's People Republic
The Official Flag of the Ukrainian's People Republic, adopted March 22, 1918. Wikimedia Commons, Pilgrim Whynot.

This design was officially adopted as the flag of the Ukrainian People’s Republic on March 22, 1918.

During the time of Soviet Ukraine, between 1922 and 1991, the previous flag of the Ukrainian People’s Republic was banned. Anyone that displayed the flag adopted in 1918 would be accused of anti-Soviet propaganda. The flag that came to be during Soviet rule was adopted as the flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on March 10, 1919. The flag changed appearance slightly until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, but all echo the flag of the USSR, with red being the main color. Below are some examples of the flags used within Soviet Ukraine:

Soviet Ukraine Flag used from 1949-1991
The Flag of the Ukrainian People's Republic (1949–1991). Wikimedia Commons, Ericmetro.
The Soviet Ukraine Flag of 1937-1949
The Flag of the Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets (1937–1949). Wikimedia Commons, SeNeKa.
The Flag of the Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets
The Flag of the Ukrainian People's Republic of Soviets (1917–1918). Wikimedia Commons, Gauravjuvekar.

Following the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, Ukraine regained its identity. In an urgency to claim independence, demonstrations were often held in Kyiv and western Ukraine using the bicolor yellow and blue flag, once adopted as the flag of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

Following Ukrainian independence gained on August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian flag was officially adopted in 1992, alongside other patriotic holidays and customs for the new nation.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Ukraininan flag has become famous the world over as a symbol of resistance. Many cities and nations across the world have displayed light shows on major monuments that represent the Ukrainian flag since the invasion began. Many government leaders and politicians have also been seen wearing small Ukrainian flags, showing support for the nation and its people.

You Might Also Like

Celebrities Standing With Ukraine
  • March 26, 2022

Celebrities Standing With Ukraine

Celebrity couple Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are being praised for raising over $35 million for Ukrainian refugees. 
Ukrainians Liberate a Mansion
  • March 23, 2022

Ukrainians Liberate a Mansion

"This property has been liberated." – A banner hanging from a Russian oligarch's mansion taken over by Ukrainian Refugees
A Prayer for Ukraine
  • March 08, 2022

A Prayer for Ukraine

In 2014, Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov wrote this beautiful short orchestral work, "Prayer for Ukraine." A German orchestra is sharing it as a symphonic symbol of solidarity and hope.
Blue and Yellow Lights
  • March 11, 2022

Blue and Yellow Lights

Many famous landmarks across the globe have been illuminated with blue and yellow lights, showing solidarity with Ukraine. 
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Frogs Who Begged...
November 01, 2010

Frogs Who Begged...

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955