Flag of Ukraine
The
flag of Ukraine was officially adopted for the first time in history in
1918 by a short-lived
Ukrainian People's Republic. At that time it had already turned into blue and yellow and sported a
Tryzub in the upper left corner. The insignia remained unchanged by the successive government of
Pavlo Skoropadsky and was later integrated into the
Flag of Ukrainian SSR by the
Bolsheviks.
Under
Soviet rule this flag was forbidden as a symbol of
nationalism. The
Ukrainian SSR had its
own flag. The flag was officially restored in
1992.
Blue and white banners were widely used by
Cossacks between XVI-XVIII century. However, it wasn't the only possible combination since normally cossacs would fly
Hetman's banners which were similar to the coats of arms of the nobility. However, yellow and blue were the colours common on coats of arms in
Galicia. In fact, the coat of arms of
Lviv to the day remains a golden lion on a blue field.
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Flag of Ukrainian People's Republic |
The true starting point of the current national flag of Ukraine can be set in 1848, when during the
Spring of the Nations a yellow and blue banner flew over the Lviv magistrate for the first time. Although this move didn't have significant consequences, the newly formed Ukrainian divisions in the Austrian army used yellow and blue banners in their insignia.
It has to be noted that although most Ukrainians identify their flag as "yellow and blue", the current flag in reality is blue and yellow. The whole transition is quite notable. Although in 1848 the flag was indeed yellow and blue (yellow on top, blue at the bottom), in daily work Ukrainian nationalists turned the flag to be able to explain its meaning to a common person. The common explanation of "blue sky above yellow field of wheat" was invented around that time, and, although it has nothing to do with the choice of colours and the history of the original yellow and blue banner, it certainly formed the flag as we know it today.
In the late 19th century, the Austro-Hungarian empire was much more tolerant toward the Ukrainian national movement than the Russian Empire concerning the flag. A lot of literary work was done there, thus spreading the idea to the rest of Ukraine.
Article 20 of the Constitution of Ukraine states: "...Π"Π΅ΡΠΆΠ°Π²Π½ΠΈΠΉ ΠΡΠ°ΠΏΠΎΡ Π£ΠΊΡΠ°ΡΠ½ΠΈ β" ΡΡΡΠ³ ΡΠ· Π΄Π²ΠΎΡ
ΡΡΠ²Π½ΠΎΠ²Π΅Π»ΠΈΠΊΠΈΡ
Π³ΠΎΡΠΈΠ·ΠΎΠ½ΡΠ°Π»ΡΠ½ΠΈΡ
ΡΠΌΡΠ³ ΡΠΈΠ½ΡΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Ρ ΠΆΠΎΠ²ΡΠΎΠ³ΠΎ ΠΊΠΎΠ»ΡΠΎΡΡΠ²."Translation: "National Flag of Ukraine is a banner of two equal-sized horizontal strips colored blue and yellow".
