Naval ensign of the Russian Federation. Gubakhinsky Union of Veterans of Combat Operations and Military Service

A. STERN FLAGS, GUYS AND PENDANT.

1. Naval flag.

It is a white cloth with two diagonal blue stripes.
The dimensions of the flag: the ratio of the width of the flag to its length is one to one and a half; the width of the blue stripe is equal to 1/10 of the length of the flag.

3. Order naval flag.

It is a naval flag, on which the image of the order is placed in the roof.
The size of the roof is 1/4 of the flag

5. Guys and the fortress flag.

It is a red cloth with a white vertical cross, on which is superimposed a blue diagonal cross, edged with a white stripe.
The ratio of the width of the flag to the length is one to one and a half, the width of the blue stripe to the length of the flag is 1/10.
The ratio of the width of the white stripe of the vertical cross to the width of the cloth is 1/20, the white edging of the diagonal cross is 1/40.

7. Flag of the ships (boats) of the Auxiliary Fleet of the Navy.

The size of the naval flag placed in the roof is 1/4 of the entire panel.

9. Flag of search and rescue ships (boats) of the Navy.

It is a blue cloth with an image of a naval ensign in the roof.
In the center of the right half of the flag, in a white circle bordered by a black border, there is an image of a black diving helmet.
The ratio of the flag's width to length is one to one and a half.
The diameter of the circle, together with the border, is equal to 1/2 of the width of the flag.
The size of the naval flag in the roof is 1/4 of the entire panel.

11. Flag of the Chief of the Main Staff of the Navy.

It is a naval flag, in the center of which are placed two intersecting red Admiralty anchors framed with a golden laurel wreath.
At the bottom of the wreath is a golden ribbon with fluttering ends.
largest diameter laurel wreath equals 6/7 of the flag's width.
The height of the anchor is 3/5 of the width of the anchor.
The width of the wreath is 1/14 of the width of the flag; the width of the ribbon is 1/28 of the width of the flag.

12. Flag of the commander of the fleet.

It is a red cloth with an image of a naval ensign in the roof. Three white stars are placed on the red field of the cloth: two are placed on the red vertical half of the flag, and one is under the roof.
The ratio of the flag's width to length is one to one and a half.

The diameter of the white stars is 1/4 of the width of the flag.
The stars are located at the same distance from each other, while the stars located in the right half of the flag are placed in the centers of the quarters of the cloth, and the star under the roof is on the same level with the lower star.

14. Flag of the commander of a formation of ships.

It is a red cloth with a naval flag in the roof. One white star is placed in the center of the right half of the flag.
The ratio of the flag's width to length is one to one and a half.
The size of the naval flag in the roof is 1/4 of the entire panel.
The diameter of the white star is 1/4 of the width of the flag.

16. Braid-pennant of the commander of the division of ships (vessels).

It is a reduced size naval ensign with a conical panel and blue pigtails.
The ratio of the length of the braid pennant to the width of the flag is 5:1.
The length of the cut of the braids is equal to the length of the flag.
The dissolution of the braids is equal to 1/2 of the width of the flag.

Many mistakenly believe that the Andreevsky flag is the naval flag of the Russian Federation. This is a wrong opinion. St. Andrew's flag is any flag, among the elements of which is the St. Andrew's Cross. Such a misconception arises due to the fact that exactly the version of its image that is used on the naval flag is considered the classic St. Andrew's flag. The recognizable flag of Great Britain, the flag of Scotland and many other flags, including the guis of the Russian Navy, also have this cross as the basis for the entire design. But in this context, we will focus on the naval flag of the Russian Federation.

The history of the Andreevsky flag as the basis for the naval flag of the Russian Federation.

The classic St. Andrew's flag is a standard rectangular canvas, from the center to the corners is the St. Andrew's Cross. The background color of the cloth is usually blue, and the cross itself, as already mentioned, is diagonal, white color. Color inversion is possible (this option is used on the flag of Scotland). The St. Andrew's Cross is an independent symbol that refers to the crucifixion of St. Andrew the First-Called. As the New Testament says, the Apostle Andrew was crucified on two boards crossed and obliquely located in relation to the ground, which explains the fact that the design of the cross on the flags is also diagonal. What is interesting and noticeable by which organizations use the St. Andrew's Cross on their flags, all of them in one way or another are related to the sea and water in principle. This is the fleet Russian Empire and the Russian Federation, these are countries whose fleet has always been very powerful, and whose borders are guarded by the sea - Jamaica, Great Britain. This feature is explained by the fact that Andrew the First-Called is considered the patron of maritime activities.

The first organization that began to use this symbol on its attributes was Scotland. At the time of the adoption of such symbols, Scotland was still a separate kingdom (832). Of course, this year is very approximate, since it is problematic to accurately verify this fact due to the lack of accurate documentary evidence. According to legend, during the war with the Angles, the Scottish king, in despair, swore that if the Scots won, he would declare Andrew the First-Called patron of his kingdom. At the same moment, the outlines of the St. Andrew's Cross clearly appeared in the sky. In that battle, the Scots, however, won and fulfilled their promise, including by approving such a flag. But perhaps the most famous use of the cross in symbolism is the British flag. The way everyone knows him, he also owes the flag of the Scottish kingdom. In the 17th century, a king, a Scot by birth, ascended the English throne. In honor of the unification of England and Scotland, a new flag was established. Later, as you know, other lands joined this union, in the end, the flag acquired a modern look.

In Russia, flags with the St. Andrew's Cross existed during the time of the Russian Empire after their establishment by Peter the Great. These were guises, fortress flags. The ruler adopted the cross from the symbols of the Dutch fleet during his visit to Europe. During the USSR appearance The flag has completely changed, the St. Andrew's Cross was abandoned in favor of Soviet symbols. In 1992, after the collapse of the USSR and the creation of the Navy of the Russian Federation, the element of the cross was returned to use again. Currently, the St. Andrew's Cross is depicted by the guis of the Russian Navy, the fortress flag, the flag of the Coast Guard of the Border Troops of the Russian Federation, the naval flag of the Russian Federation. On these flags, except for the last one, the cross is not used in classical form, which manifests itself in other colors and proportions.

St. Andrew's flag as the naval ensign of the Russian Federation.

The very first Russian naval flag was not even the Andreevsky flag at all. It was the flag of the ship "Eagle". The exact drawing of this flag is not known. Many assumptions are put forward, most of which ultimately boil down to the fact that the flag most likely contained white, red and blue (or blue) colors, its design was based on stripes. The location of the stripes relative to each other, their proportions are not exactly known. Until 1699, there were several more versions of the naval flag, the appearance of some is not thoroughly known. In that year, Peter the Great, by his decree, established the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, which already used the element of the St. Andrew's Cross. After that, the ruler decided to introduce it into another official symbolism - the guis and the naval flag. Interesting fact: the naval ensign was not always referred to as such. During the time of Peter the Great, for example, it was called the First Admiral's Flag.

The Russian Empire ceased to exist during civil war at the beginning of the twentieth century. From 1918 to 1924, the St. Andrew's Cross was still present on the naval flag, sometimes with other elements (for example, with a white deer in the center of the cross). In 1924, flags with the element of the cross finally ceased to exist due to the recognition of Soviet Russia by foreign states.

In 1992, the Russian Federation again introduced elements of the St. Andrew's Cross into its symbolism. The stern ensign of the ships of the imperial fleet was taken as a sample. However, the color of the cross was changed from deep blue to light blue. In this form, the flag lasted until 2001, in which the color was changed again, this time to the original blue. The background of the flag is white. Preserved from the time of the Great Patriotic War and Guards Naval Flag. It was worn by those ships and their formations that were awarded the title of Guards. The flag was supplemented with a St. George ribbon, located just below the center of the flag from the outer edge of one strip of the cross to the outer edge of the second along the entire length. There are also the Order Naval Flag and the Guards Order Naval Flag. This symbolism is worn by those ships that were awarded the Order of the Russian Federation. In the upper left corner of the usual naval flag is the image of the order itself. The Guards Order flag also has a St. George ribbon.

Of course, anyone who served in the Navy of the Russian Federation is proud of this. And for any Russian person, in principle, the symbolism of the St. Andrew's Cross is to some extent sacred. Peter the Great successfully combined the fleet and this symbol, which even modern legislators recognized, allowing the St. Andrew's flag to return as a naval one almost 80 years after its abolition.

And his story is as follows: among the apostles of Jesus there were two fisherman brothers Peter and Andrew, about the latter in question in the song "Walks on the Water", popular in the 90s of the last century. After the crucifixion of Christ, he traveled, preached the Christian doctrine and was executed in Greece. He was martyred on a cross, the shape of which is the intersection of two beams driven into the ground at an angle and forming an acute angle. Therefore, two intersecting lines are a symbol of the Apostle Andrew.

The proportions of the sides of Andreevsky are 2 to 3, and the width of the blue stripes is 1/10 of the length.

Why Apostle Andrew

And although the legend remains a legend, it is because of her that Andrei the First-Called is one of the patrons of Russia. The second fact connecting the apostle with the fleet is his profession - he fished in the Sea of ​​Galilee. And since part of the fish was for sale, he initially patronized all maritime trade, and only after that the St. Andrew's Cross adorned the flags of warships.

Peter I honored Andrew the First-Called, and it was he who, by his decree, approved the type of stern flags in 1720.

St. Andrew's Cross on other Flags

On December 1 (11), 1699, Tsar Peter I Alekseevich established the Andreevsky flag as the official flag of the Russian navy. The main ship banner of the Russian Navy is a white, rectangular panel, crossed diagonally from corner to corner with two blue stripes that form an oblique cross. The tsar explained his choice by the fact that it was from the Apostle Andrew the First-Called that Russia first received holy baptism, and he became its heavenly patron, and thus Peter wanted to perpetuate the name of the saint.

The symbolism of the St. Andrew's flag has deep roots. One of the disciples of Jesus Christ was Andrew - the brother of the Apostle Peter (Cephas, former Simon), the patron saint of Tsar Peter I. According to the Gospel, both brothers fished on the Lake of Galilee, that is, they were directly related to the sea. Andrew was the first to be called by Jesus Christ as a disciple and therefore was called the First-Called. According to some sources, Andrei was sent for missionary work to Scythia (Northern Black Sea). A number of Russian sources report on the journey of the apostle from the Crimea to Rome via Ladoga. It is said that Andrew made a stop on the hills near the Dnieper, where Kiev would be founded, and informed his disciples that the grace of God would shine here and a great city would be founded. He climbed the hills, blessed them and erected a cross. Then he visited and northern lands Russia, marveling at the custom of the Slavs, who, while washing in baths, beat themselves with "young rods", poured kvass and ice water. Some sources report on the further journey of the Apostle Andrew to the north, where he put a cross near the present village of Gruzino on the banks of the Volkhov, to Lake Ladoga and a visit to the island of Valaam. At the same time, it should be noted that many authors, including Orthodox church historians, question the existence of this journey.

One thing is certain, the Apostle Andrew became famous as a tireless traveler and preacher of Christianity. The missionary's activity was closely connected with the sea. The Golden Legend (a collection of Christian legends and the lives of saints written in the 13th century) reports the salvation and even the resurrection of 40 travelers who were heading to the apostle by sea, but were killed by a storm (in another version, the sea is calmed by prayer). This can explain the veneration of Andrew the First-Called as the patron saint of sailors. His life was completed by martyrdom - crucifixion on an oblique cross (which received the name of the apostle).

The veneration of the Apostle Andrew in the Russian state and the special attitude of Tsar Peter Alekseevich towards him was also expressed in the fact that in 1698 the first Russian order was established - the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. The main part of the order was the image of the Apostle Andrew, crucified on an oblique cross. St. Andrew's Order on a blue ribbon until 1917 remained the main and most revered award in the Russian Empire (since 1998, the highest award of the Russian Federation). It should also be noted that the symbolism of the St. Andrew's flag came from Peter's father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who established a special flag for the Eagle ship built under him - a white-blue-red flag with a double-headed scarlet eagle.

Having become king, Peter Alekseevich paid great attention to the development of flag drawings. Russian fleet. So, in 1692, two sketches were created. One - with three horizontal stripes and the signature: "white", "blue", and "red". The second drawing - the same colors are indicated with the St. Andrew's Cross "superimposed" on them. In 1693 and 1695, the flag of the second project was listed in a number of European atlases as the "flag of Muscovy". I must say that in search of the final version of the naval flag of Russia, the tsar went through about 30 projects over two decades. In August 1693, Tsar Peter raised St. Peter" a flag of three horizontal stripes (white, blue and red) with a golden eagle in the center. From this moment on, one can trace the development of the naval flag of the Russian state. Unfortunately, there is no information about the banners under which the boats of Russian soldiers sailed in the first millennium of our era, the ships of Novgorod merchants and ushkuiniki sailed. Although it can be assumed that the Russian battle banners were red from the earliest antiquity.

In 1696, during the second siege of the Turkish fortress of Azov, Russian ships carried a flag with a blue straight cross and quarters of white and red at the stern. However, the very next year, Tsar Peter established a new navy flag of three horizontal stripes - white, blue and red, actually returning to the 1693 version. Under this flag, in 1699, the ship "Fortress" went to Constantinople with the first official diplomatic mission of the Russian navy. At the same time, the Russian sovereign, who had just returned from a trip to Western Europe, continued to search for a drawing of the naval flag of Russia. In the autumn of 1699, for the first time, the “St. Andrew's” oblique blue cross appeared on a white-blue-red cloth - a sign of the patron saint of Russia, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. He was also placed by the king in the white head of the tricolor pennant known since 1697, which existed under the name "ordinary" until 1870.

In 1700, Tsar Peter examines the engravings and drawings of the 58-gun ship "Goto Predestination" ("God's foresight"). In the engravings by Adrian Schonebeck and in the watercolors by Bergman, the warship is depicted with six different flags! One of the views depicts a flag, in the cloth of which nine horizontal stripes of white, blue and red colors are successively located; on the other - a white-blue-red flag with three horizontal stripes (1697 version); on the third - a flag of seven stripes, on the wide white central strip of which is placed a black St. Andrew's cross, above this strip are narrow white, blue and red, and below it are narrow blue, white and red stripes. However, the tsar believes that the flag of 1697 is outdated, and the nine-stripe cloth is hard to read and, moreover, is very similar to the Dutch flag of the rear admiral. The king is satisfied with the flags on the drawings: white, blue and red with St. Andrew's blue cross in the upper quarter of the flag near the hoist. This system was similar to that adopted in the British Navy. At the same time, flags of the galley fleet were established, which differed from ship flags in the presence of braids (the ends of the flag in the form right triangles). In addition, white, blue and red pennants began to be raised on the masts of ships, in the white head of which was placed a blue St. Andrew's cross. The blue and red flags and pennants, which were sometimes abolished and reintroduced into circulation, generally lasted until 1865. The white flag received a new design already in 1710 - the blue St. Andrew's cross was moved to the center of the panel and seemed to hang in it, without touching the ends of the flag. The St. Andrew's flag adopted its familiar image in 1712: a white flag with a blue St. Andrew's cross. In this form, this flag existed in the Russian Navy until November 1917.

Since 1720, the guis began to be raised on the bowsprit of the ships of the Russian fleet - a special flag that was previously used as the flag of sea fortresses and was called the "keyser flag". The red cloth was crossed not only by an oblique blue cross, but by a straight white cross. It is believed that he appeared in 1701. Until 1720, Russian ships carried a smaller copy of the stern ensign as a guis. The word "guis" has an interesting one: it comes from the Dutch "gyoz", that is, a beggar. So in the 16th century, the inhabitants of the Netherlands who rebelled against Spanish rule were called. The largest group of gueuzes fought at sea ("sea gueuzes") and for the first time began to use this flag.

The supremacy of the white flag, with a blue St. Andrew's cross, was finally enshrined in the Charter of 1797: "If the ships are not ranked anywhere, they fly white flags." At the same time, Russian ships Black Sea Fleet from its foundation until 1918 they sailed only under the white flags of St. Andrew. Colored - blue and red flags, were abolished during the reigns of Anna Ioannovna and Catherine the Great. In the roofs (the upper quarter of the flag at the pole) of the blue and red flags from 1797 to 1801 (during the reign of Pavel Petrovich), not the St. Andrew's flag was placed, but a guis, which for Emperor Paul I, who from childhood held the rank of Admiral General, had special meaning as a personal sign. It should be noted that it was Tsar Pavel Petrovich who turned the old flags and banners from items of clothing allowance into military relics. In addition, during the reign of Emperor Paul, some Russian ships for some time raised a red flag with a white cross of Joannites. This flag was created as a stern sign of the Maltese squadrons created by the newly-made head of the Order of Malta. On December 16, 1798, Paul I was elected Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and planned to create a fleet based in Malta to ensure the interests of the Russian Empire in the Mediterranean and in southern Europe. The flag was abolished after the death of Pavel Petrovich.

In the 19th century, several more new fodder flags will appear in the Russian Empire. So, back in 1797, the ships of the Naval Cadet Corps received a special stern flag, where the coat of arms was placed in the center of the St. Andrew's flag in a red oval educational institution. And on the main mast, the ships of this educational institution began to raise "ordinary" pennants with tricolor braids. Since 1827, ships of training marine crews have been given the right to raise a special flag, where there was an image of a cannon and an anchor (they were also placed in a red oval). Received their stern flags and hydrographic vessels of the Russian imperial fleet. In 1828, a flag "for sailing" was established, on the St. Andrew's flag in the center there was a drawing of a black compass coil with a gold anchor pointing north. True, already in 1837 this flag was replaced by the flag of the hydrograph general established in 1829. It had the same black compass coil, but with a small blue cover. In addition, in the years 1815-1833. there was also a stern flag for the ships of the Vistula military flotilla(Flag of the military courts of the Kingdom of Poland). It was the St. Andrew's flag with a small red roof, in which a white Polish eagle was placed. This flag was abolished after the defeat of the Polish uprising of 1830-1831.

Until 1797, auxiliary ships of the navy of the Russian Empire carried a tricolor flag at the stern, and a guis on the bowsprit. From 1794 to 1804 auxiliary vessels were distinguished by a military pennant. And since May 1804, they received a special flag with a white or blue panel, with a roof of national colors (white-blue-red) and crossed anchors under it. In addition, the armed transport carried a military pennant at the same time. All these flags were abolished in 1865.

St. George pennant - a tricolor pennant with the St. Andrew's flag in the head, on the center of the cross of which is superimposed a red shield with the image of the patron saint of the military, St. George the Victorious, was established in 1819. He began to distinguish the guards crew, which earned this honor in the battle of the city of Kulm in 1813. Other differences that distinguished senior officials were the St. George admiral's flag (it had the cloth of the St. Andrew's flag, but with the red shield of St. George the Victorious), St. George's braid pennant and the rear admiral's boat flag. In addition, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. in battles with the Turks, the 74-gun battleship“Azov (hero of the Battle of Navarino) and the 18-gun brig Mercury (defeated two Turkish battleships), they were marked with Admiral St. George flags, which were raised as stern. In the entire subsequent history of the Russian Empire, no other warship of the Russian fleet has received such an award.

With the development of the country, there were changes in the flags of the navy. In 1865, blue and red flags and pennants were canceled due to uselessness. Also canceled and all, except for Andreevsky, stern flags. In 1870, the boat flags became admirals' topmast flags, the "ordinary" pennant was eliminated, under which ships sailed that were not assigned to any part. St. George's pennant received instead of tricolor, white braids. In the same year, the blue flag, which had the image of the St. Andrew's flag in the roof, became the stern flag of the auxiliary ships of the Russian Navy. In addition, as the armed forces develop, flags of naval fortress ships, new flags of officials, ships of individual units, ships of a separate Border Guard Corps, and naval aviation flags appear.

The 1917 revolution brought new symbols. Next to the Andreev flags, red flags began to be raised. Since the spring of 1918, the raising of the Andreevsky flag on ships Soviet Russia has been terminated. At the end of 1924, the Andreev flags were also lowered on the ships of the White fleet in Bizerte (the ships were laid down by the French, they would soon “put them on pins and needles”). The guis and the fortress flag, with some changes - in the central part of the cloth in a white circle depicted a red star with a hammer and sickle in the middle, existed until 1932. In addition, during the Second World War, the symbols of the St. Andrew's flag were used by the collaborationist units of General Vlasov.

On January 17, 1992, the Russian government adopted a resolution that returned the status of the Russian Naval Flag to the St. Andrew's flag. As a result, the pre-revolutionary St. Andrew's flag and guis were restored to the Russian Navy and are still in operation.

Navy Day is one of the most beloved folk holidays. Not the last role in this is played by the visual component: sailors in beautiful full dress, majestic ships on the roadsteads, flags fluttering in the wind.

Behind every naval tradition is a difficult experience and a unique historical path Russia. The same can be said about the symbols of our fleet and the main one - St. Andrew's flag. About its history, about the meanings and images that the blue oblique cross on a white field represents, TASS was told by a doctor of historical sciences, a senior researcher at the research institute ( military history) Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Mikhail Monakov.

At the origins of tradition

The custom of hoisting flags on ships originated when the fleet was sailing. Then any exit to the sea could be the last - the ships died from irresistible natural forces, wars at sea were fought for decades, and in between them pirates hunted on the sea routes. Even then it had not only functional, but also the most important political and ritual significance. The appearance of the flag, its symbolism was supposed to influence the minds and moods of the sailors in such a way as to maintain their faith in the patronage of higher powers, in the power of their sovereign and their country, to convince that the person overshadowed by him is stronger than any enemy and sea elements.

The practical significance of flags in the era of sailing and at the beginning of the era of the steam fleet is obvious. Then there was still no “friend or foe” identification equipment, ships did not see each other beyond the horizon, which is why the probability of a sudden meeting with the enemy or “gentlemen of fortune” was high

Mikhail Monakov

Therefore, until a certain time, even "merchants" - commercial ships - went armed. At sea, they approached with some apprehension: before deciding on this, it was necessary to establish whether such a meeting would lead to serious consequences. Indeed, even between formally non-belligerent states, relations were sometimes such that, if the opportunity arose, they did not hesitate to seize ships and vessels from each other. It was possible to evade a dangerous approach, break away and escape pursuit, only in time to distinguish the flag of an oncoming ship.

Birth of the flag

Until the end of the 17th century, state symbols in Russia were in their infancy. Its use was limited, and it was not used to indicate the ownership of private cargo and fishing vessels that sailed along the inland routes and seas of the Russian North.

The regular navy in Russia appeared thanks to Peter the Great and his associates. In parallel with the creation of the fleet, its symbols were also formed.

From Western Europe in Russia came the separation of the flags of the military and commercial fleet in appearance and status. Today, on this basis, states can be distinguished whose maritime traditions date back to the Middle Ages, the code of chivalry and knightly symbols. At the top of this list is the UK. A similar division exists in maritime states historically associated with the British crown, and in some other countries, for example, in Japan, whose fleet is in late XIX century was built according to the British model.

The Netherlands, France and the United States do not have such a division - both on ships and on civilian ships, the state flag is used as the main symbol of nationality.

Reliable and time-bound sketches of flags, on the basis of which the appearance and main elements of the symbolism of the Russian state flag, the flags of the military and merchant fleet were subsequently formed, date back to 1698–1699. It was then that Peter the Great returned from England, where he studied maritime affairs.

Mikhail Monakov

Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences

There is reason to believe that a slightly modified Dutch one was taken as a sample of flags made for Russian ships and vessels that participated in the first and second Azov campaigns. Three colors - white, blue and red - are present in the state symbols of many countries. This is a very bright combination, easily perceived visually and memorable.

"The flags of Russian ships were tricolor, but how were these colors arranged in the form of some geometric shapes, vertical or horizontal stripes, we cannot reliably judge. In an engraving by the Dutchman Adrian Schhonebeck, Russian ships carry stern and bow flags, crosses (presumably blue) divided into rectangles (presumably white and red), located in checkerboard pattern. But these engravings were not made from nature, but according to the verbal descriptions of the participants in the campaign, and they cannot be trusted," explains Monakov.

The first images of the St. Andrew's Cross on naval flags also appear no earlier than 1698. Obviously, they are associated with the first award of the Russian Empire - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, which was established by Peter. The basis of the symbolism of this order is a blue or azure oblique cross, on which the apostle was allegedly crucified, who was the first to accept the teachings of Jesus Christ and followed him.

In the British flag, or, as it is called, the "Union Jack", which Peter also liked very much, three crosses are connected - the British George (red on a white field), the Scottish St. Andrew's (white on a blue field) and later - the oblique red cross of St. honored in Ireland.

The first sketches of the Russian St. Andrew's flag, attributed to Peter the Great, indicate that the tsar tried to impose an oblique blue cross on the tricolor, but such an image was very difficult to read.

And then the first Russian emperor took the path of minimalism - he left the azure St. Andrew's cross on a white field. It was a very functional approach - to make the flag highly visible, readable and at the same time different from others.

Creating a legend

Flag system Russian state created over a period of approximately 20 years. It was first described in the "Naval Military Regulations", which was published in 1720. "The introductory chapter of this charter opens with the words "The fleet is a French word." But then comes the prehistory of the Russian fleet. The following was implied: although this fleet was created not so long ago, its history and traditions are no less ancient and glorious than those of the leading maritime powers of that time," explains Monakov.

This chapter of the "Naval Charter" says that the first attempt to create a regular fleet in Russia was made under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great, but much earlier, several centuries before the creation of the British fleet, the Russians went to sea on their ships participated in naval battles. It is obvious that all this correlated with the idea of ​​Elder Philotheus that "Moscow is the Third Rome, and there will be no fourth."

The basis of the state ideology of any European country of that time was Christianity. Russia accepted it in the 9th century, however, according to the legend about Andrew the First-Called, already in the 1st century he brought it to the lands Eastern Slavs and, preaching the teachings of Christ, went from the place where Kiev subsequently arose to the island of Valaam on Lake Ladoga.

"In the circle of Peter's associates was Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich - one of the largest figures in Russian Orthodoxy of the late 17th - early 18th centuries. According to some sources, he is a co-author of the introductory chapter to the "Naval Charter." I admit that it was he who inspired Peter the idea of ​​making the symbol of the Military -Marine Fleet of Russia St. Andrew's Cross," Monakov notes.

Guys history

V early XVIII century into the Russian system state symbols a modified replica of the British "Union Jack" entered - this is the bow ship's ensign - guis.

From a practical point of view, its appearance is explained by the fact that at a certain angle the stern ensign of a ship sailing under full sail was not visible. At first, they began to duplicate it with the same flag raised on the bow flagpole, and then, obviously, in order to emphasize the special role of the stern flag, they began to use a guis instead of the bow Andreevsky. Being raised on the main mast (the highest on a sailing ship), it acted as a "keyser flag" - a symbol of the power of the commander in chief of the fleet, and was also used as a flag for sea fortresses.

The "royal" standard - a rectangular panel with a black eagle on a yellow background - became the symbol of supreme power. It was raised when a royal was present on board.

Before late XVIII for centuries, the guis and the St. Andrew's flag were raised on all ships and vessels of the Russian fleet, regardless of their size and weapons. Later, the guis became the exclusive property of the largest and most powerful of them - ships of the first and second ranks. Initially, they carried this flag on the move, and then they began to raise it only while anchoring, barrel or mooring.

Mikhail Monakov

Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences

In battle, in addition to the main (stern) flag, which, on the move, the ships of the domestic fleet carried on a hafel (a yard that was installed in the diametrical plane, perpendicular or at an angle to the mast), topmasts were raised on masts free from other flags and pennants. Thus, if one of the St. Andrew's flags was shot down in battle, at least one of them remained, and the ship could not find itself in a situation that outwardly resembled a surrender.

St. George's flag

In Russia, there was a special - honorary version of the St. Andrew's flag, but over the two centuries of the pre-revolutionary history of the Russian fleet, only two ships deserved it, the teams of which in battle showed mass heroism and high military skill.

Outwardly, it looked exactly the same, but in the center of the azure oblique cross was placed the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow - St. George, striking a snake, on a scarlet (red) field. This flag was established in 1813 and presented to the Naval Guards crew, which fought as part of the Guards Corps in 1812 and in the Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army in 1813-1814. By decree of Emperor Alexander the First, the crew was awarded for the victory in the battle of Kulm.

Subsequently, the emperor ordered to raise St. George's Andreevsky flags on all ships assigned to the Guards crew. The first to receive it was the battleship Azov, which distinguished itself in the Battle of Navarino. It is noteworthy that at that time the young lieutenant Pavel Nakhimov, midshipman Vladimir Kornilov and midshipman Vladimir Istomin served on it, and one of the greatest Russian admirals, the discoverer of Antarctica Mikhail Lazarev, commanded the Azov

Mikhail Monakov

Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences

The second ship to receive St. George's flag, was the famous brig "Mercury", captured in the painting by Ivan Aivazovsky. In 1829, under the command of lieutenant commander Alexander Kazarsky, this 20-gun brig dared to engage in battle with two Turkish ships of the line, each of which had 80 guns.

Then the St. George's flag was inherited by the cruisers "Pamyat Azov" and "Memory of Mercury" named after these two heroic ships.

Color flags

During the holiday, each ship from bow to stern is traditionally decorated with signal flags (coloring). Initially, they were intended for communication between ships in battle or a campaign - the transmission of signals with which the flagship controlled his squadron. First, they were raised flagship, and then the signal was rehearsed (repeated) by the ships ahead and following in the wake.

If the connection was numerous, rehearsal ships were assigned to speed up the transmission of flag signals. They went out of order, went in a parallel course, repeated the signals behind the flagship, and in this case they could be observed simultaneously from several ships of the squadron, which significantly reduced the time for fulfilling the orders of the commander

Mikhail Monakov

Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences

Usually the signals were three-flag. Centuries-old maritime experience suggests that a person on a neighboring ship is not able to perceive more than three characters quickly and unambiguously. In the domestic fleet, each signal flag has a name and meaning that coincides with the name and meaning of the corresponding letter of the Old Slavonic alphabet: "az", "beeches", "lead" and so on.

Over time, these bright flags, which were used for their intended purpose and on solemn occasions (for example, at the highest reviews), began to be used as a festive decoration for ships - coloring flags. At the same time, a strict rule says that then they are "collected" without any system, so that there is no accidental combination of them that could be interpreted as a signal to be executed. Those that outwardly resemble the flags of other states are also excluded (there are such flags in the set of signal flags).

At night, the coloring flags are replaced by festive illuminations. This custom has existed since after sunset, during public holidays, garlands of lanterns suspended on masts were lit on warships, and luminous images in the form of the state emblem or imperial monogram were placed between them.

Traditions are alive

All the main maritime symbols passed from the sailing fleet to the steam fleet almost unchanged. He also inherited a special military ritual - the raising of the stern St. Andrew's flag and the guis (on those ships to which it is assigned by rank). Previously, this ceremony was held simultaneously with sunrise, but now according to the schedule, at eight in the morning.

The morning flag-raising ceremony has always been very solemn. In some ways, it was akin to the liturgy, which on the ships of the old fleet began with the words: "To prayer! Hats off!" And before the raising of the flag, the command sounded: "Hats off! Raise the flag!"

After the revolution, the Andreevsky flag was canceled, but the guis served in an almost unchanged form for some time. The most interesting thing is that the appearance of the first naval flag of the RKKF (or the Naval Forces of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army of the USSR - TASS note), which existed before 1935, echoes the guis - there are elements of both the St. George Cross and St. Andrew's.

It is also noteworthy that the Soviet naval flag, introduced in 1935, has the same basic colors - white and blue - as the Andreevsky flag. Only bright red elements have been added - a star, a sickle and a hammer.

"The modern ritual of raising and lowering the flag on Russian warships is different from the rituals in the navies of other countries. These are echoes of the old, imperial fleet. Wearing the flag at sea on the hafel, and not on the stern, is also a Russian tradition," adds Monakov.

When in 1992 on Russian ships raised the St. Andrew's flag again, it became a symbol of the inseparability of the pre-revolutionary and Soviet traditions of the Russian Navy. Today, the status of this flag has become even higher - it is legally equated with a battle banner, being a symbol of heroism, valor and honor of many generations of Russian sailors.

Prepared Anna Yudina