Last modified: 2000-01-18 by dov gutterman
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by Antonio Martins 22 April 1999
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The Open Media Research Institute reported that on 3 September 1996 the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) had approved the country's national symbols as specified by the constitution [OMRI, #171, 1996]. Parliament also decided to organise a competition on the design of the state arms and the words of the national anthem. The 'tryzub' (trident) is the state arms, and the competition will decide the details of the design. The new constitution was adopted by Parliament 28 June 1996 (the date was declared a national holiday) and only confirmed the national symbols that were already in use [OMRI, #204, 1996]. OMRI offered no details on the action of the parliament, nor did they give any descriptions of the symbols. Article 20 of the constitution states that the 'The description of the state symbols of Ukraine and the order of their use is determined by law' [IFES]:
"ARTICLE 20.
The state symbols of Ukraine are the State Flag of Ukraine, the
State Emblem of Ukraine and the State Anthem of Ukraine. The
State Flag of Ukraine is a banner made from two equal horizontal
blue and yellow fields. The Great State Emblem of Ukraine shall
be determined in accordance with the Small State Emblem of
Ukraine and the Emblem of the Zaporiz'ke Viys'ko (Zaporizhzhya
Cossacks Army) by law, which shall be adopted by no less than two-thirds
of the Constitutional membership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The main element of the Great Emblem of Ukraine is the Sign of
the State of Prince Volodymyr the Great (the Small State Emblem
of Ukraine). The State Anthem of Ukraine is the national anthem
with the music of M.Verbytskiy and words, confirmed by law, which
shall be adopted by no less than two-thirds of the constitutional
membership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The description of
the state symbols of Ukraine and the order of their use is
determined by law, adopted by no less than two-thirds of the
constitutional membership of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The
capital of Ukraine is City of Kyiv."
Ukraine declared independence from the USSR on 24 August 1991. MPs celebrated the event by carrying a huge light blue and yellow flag through the assembly hall of the Parliament [Ukrainian Weekly, 1996]. Ukrainians approved the independence proclamation in a referendum held 1 December 1991. Provisional legislation [W. Smith, 1992] concerning the flag was adopted on 4 September 1991, with opposition from the Communists. This legislation therefore also made the Soviet era flag official, and the two flags were hoisted side by side (even on the same flag pole). The light blue over yellow flag was in proportions 1:2. The situation was changed 21 January 1992, when the light blue and yellow flag became the only flag of Ukraine. The proportions of the flag were then set to 2:3. The trident arms were adopted on 19 February 1992 [W. Smith, 1992].
by Antonio Martins 10
August 1999
A political proposal was made in Ucrania: flag half red and
half blue over yellow (add of yellow stripe in lower part in the
old soviet flag) but was rejected. Seems that the russians that
proclaimed a Russian republic in Ukrania used this flag. Some
republics has flags based in the old soviet ones (Belarus,
Transniester, Tadjikistan unoficial -without h&s, old
Mordovia...). I believe that yellow can be for avar, blue for
Kumukh, and red for the russians (communist?)
Jaume Olle' 8 August 1999
Red is the (traditional?) color to symbolize russians
regardless of communism. At our page about the Cossacks , Stuart Notholt says
abot the Don Cossack flag: " the colours blue, yellow and
red stood for the Don, the Kalmyks and the Russians respectively.
(however, at the same page he describes the blue in the Kuban
Cossack's flag as standing for russians... hm...).
Antonio Martins 10 August 1999
I seem to recall that the current Russian flag (which was of
course designed before communism was even an idea) has similar
means, the white for the White Russians, the blue for the
Ukrainians and the red for the Russians of what is now Russia.
David Kendall 10 August 1999