Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, for a brief time, many Soviet era flags were still in use until new designs replaced them in the early 2000s. The new flags of the Russian Armed Forces are heavily inspired by the regimental banners and flags of the late Imperial Russian Army and Navy.
The Aerospace Forces are a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, it has three arms, the Russian Air Force, the Air Defense Forces, and the Russian Space Forces. The Air Defense Forces does not have a flag.
| Obverse (Front) |
Reverse (Back) |
Date |
Use |
Description
|
 |
 |
2000–2003 |
Banner of the Armed Forces |
The first banner of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was introduced on 8 December 2000, later confirmed by Federation Council on 20 December and signed by Vladimir Putin on 29 December. It was a plain red field, it symbolized the traditional red color of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union.
|
 |
 |
2003– |
The present banner of the Armed Forces of Russian Federation is introduced under a resolution by State Duma in June 2003. This banner consists of two double-headed eagles, on the obverse side is the coat of arms of the Russian Federation, and on the reverse side is the middle emblem of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The banner follows the principles and format of historically older Russian military flags that were last used prior to the Russian Revolution in 1917. It also contains four stars in each corner of the banner to symbolize the heritage of the Soviet Armed Forces. The reverse side also contains two pieces of text written in old style Slavic typeface, the top side of the banner contains the inscription "Fatherland" ("Отечество") and on the bottom side the inscription reads "Duty [and] Honor" ("Долг Честь").[1]
|
 |
 |
2002– |
Banner of the Ground Forces |
The banner of the Russian Ground Forces was introduced by decree No. 141 on February 4, 2002, by Vladimir Putin. It is similar to the above banner, but doesn't have stars and inscriptions, on the reverse side is the middle emblem of the Russian Ground Forces.
|
 |
 |
Banner of the Air Force/Aerospace Forces |
The banner of the Russian Air Forces was introduced by decree No. 141 on February 4, 2002, by Vladimir Putin.[2] It became the banner of the newly created Aerospace Forces branch, which saw the merger between the Russian Air Forces and the Air Defence Forces on August 1, 2015.
|
 |
 |
2000– |
Banner of the Navy |
The ensign of the Russian Navy is used as the banner of the Russian Navy. On December 29, 2000, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a federal law making the naval ensign of the Russian navy the official banner of the Russian Navy.[3]
|
This section covers flags of the various government paramilitary organizations which are not part of the Russian military, but are structured similarly by ranking system, uniforms, and are equipped with both light and heavy arms.
| Flag |
Date |
Use |
Description
|
 |
1668–1693 |
Civil ensign of the Tsardom of Russia |
Ensign of the Oryol ship.
|
 |
1696–1721 |
Peter the Great's tricolour was the merchant flag of the Russian Empire. However, the flags used by the Russian Army were regimental flags with the Double-Headed Eagle, the official Imperial symbol, in the centre. The Imperial Standard was the black Double-Headed Eagle displayed on a golden banner, which represented the Empire and the Emperor, the absolute ruler of Russia.[4] When the black-yellow-white flag was in use between 1858 and 1896, the white-blue-red flag was still used as a merchant ensign.[4]
|
| 1721–1896 |
Civil ensign of the Russian Empire
|
 |
1858–1896 |
State flag of the Russian Empire |
On 11 June 1858, by decree of Alexander II, the heraldic colors of the empire were approved for flags, banners and other items (draperies, rosettes, etc.). It became the first State flag of Russia in 1865. The white-blue-red flag was reintroduced in 1883 but the black-yellow-white remained in use until it was fully replaced in all circumstances in 1896.[5][6][7][8][9]
|
 |
1896–1917 |
On 28 April 1883, Alexander III amended the 1858 decree "on flags for decorating buildings on solemn occasions" to be replaced exclusively with the white-blue-red colours. This meant that the white-blue-red flag was now to be used on land in addition to at seas. It fully replaced the black-yellow-white flag when it became the only official National flag in time for the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896.
|
| 1917–1918 |
National flag of the Russian Republic |
The Russian Provisional Government and the Russian Republic kept using the same flag after the monarchy was overthrown in the February Revolution. During the Russian Civil War, it was also used by the Russian State in 1918–1920 and the White Guards overall until their defeat in 1923.
|
| 1918–1920 |
National flag of the Russian State
|
 |
1918–1937 |
State flag of the Russian SFSR |
The first flag of the RSFSR was established by decree on 13 April 1918. However the law never provided an official drawing or depiction. Instead, a simple red flag was commonly used. The description of the decree stated that the "flag of the Russian Republic is set on a red banner with the inscription: Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (Russian: Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика)." The decree however did not specify the exact shade of red used on the flag, nor the exact placement and size of the inscription, the ratio of the flag itself and the colour and font of the words. There is no evidence to suggest such a flag was ever produced and used. Later that year, on 17 June 1918, a decree was established on the new state flag of the RSFSR. This time, the law provided an official image for the flag. The ratio of the flag was 1:2, located in the upper left corner, the letters "R.S.F.S.R" appeared in old Slavonic font and were surrounded by a golden border.
|
 |
1937–1954 |
Red banner with stylized "RSFSR" abbreviation in gold Cyrillic letters in the honour canton.
|
 |
1954–1991 |
The flag of the Soviet Union with a blue band at the hoist.
|
 |
1991 |
Used by protesters during the August Coup and proclaimed national flag on 22 August 1991, then formally adopted as the state flag on 1 November.
|
| Banner |
Date |
Use |
Description
|
|
1380
|
Banner of Dmitry Donskoy at the Battle of Kulikovo
|
Calvary Cross on a Red Pennant.
|
|
Flag of the Rus' Army at the Battle of Kulikovo.
|
An image of Jesus Christ portrayed on a red flag, with the inscription “IC XC NIKA” (an abbreviated Greek expression meaning “Jesus Christ conquers”) on all corners surrounding an icon of the Image of Edessa. Nowadays used as a "Russian Orthodox flag".
|
|
c. 1385
|
Banner of the Novgorod Republic
|
Banner used by the Novgorod Republic, depicting a white castle on a red field.
|
|
1552
|
Banner of the Most Merciful Savior
|
Banner used by Ivan IV during the Siege of Kazan.
|
|
1610s
|
Banner of Dmitry Pozharsky
|
Battle banner of the Second Volunteer Army depicting appearance of Archangel Michael to Joshua.
|
 |
1696 |
Armorial Banner of Peter the Great |
The armorial banner of Peter the Great was created in 1696. Made from red taffeta with a white border, the banner depicted a golden eagle hovering over the sea. On the chest of the eagle in the circle is the Savior, next to the Holy Spirit and the holy apostles Peter and Paul. The banner was likely made for the second Azov campaign.
|
| Flag |
Submitted |
Planned use |
Description
|
   |
1914 |
National flag of the Russian Empire |
A tricolour of horizontal stripes, white, blue and red, with a yellow canton with the coat of arms. Introduced as a flag for private use on the outbreak of World War I on 8 September 1914 with introduction as a national flag planned for after the war, hence never officially adopted.[15]
|
|
1917, 1918
|
State flag of the Russian SFSR
|
Two black-and-white images of the first state flag of the RSFSR are known from published sources. According to one of them, which appears to be the most reliable, the flag had a width-to-length ratio of 12:19, and bore the full name of the republic written in five lines of capital letters. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that this image represents only a drawing of the canton of the state flag.
|
|
1917, 1918
|
 |
1948, 1949 |
A proposal for the state flag of the RSFSR was created by artist Alexey Kokorekin [ru]. It added white and blue horizontal stripes at the bottom, both two stripes took 1⁄6 of the flag's height.
|
 |
c. 1949 |
Another proposal with the traditional Russian tricolour at the bottom.
|
|
1947
|
Another proposal by Petr Bakhmurov
|
 |
c. 1950 |
Another proposal for the state flag of the RSFSR was created by Mikhail Rodionov. It consisted of a traditional tricolour flag and a hammer and a sickle in the middle of the flag. Because of his proposal, he was accused of anti-Sovietism in 1950, at the Leningrad affair case.[16]
|
  |
1994; 1997 |
State flag of the Russian Federation |
Project flags of Russia after the dissolution of the USSR with communist symbols slightly modified, submitted multiple times in the State Duma by Communist and Agrarian deputies.[17][18][19]
|
 |
2007 |
Symbol of Victory Banner |
As described in a bill from 2007 vetoed by Vladimir Putin's presidential decree.[20] The flag was used on public display during celebrations of the Victory Day and other events related to past wars during the first decade of the 2000s, along with the state flag.
|
 |
2011 |
State flag of the Russian Federation |
On April 18, Vladimir Zhirinovsky with the LDPR party proposed to the State Duma the adoption of the Russian Imperial (Romanov's) flag as the official flag of Russia.[21]
|
 |
2022 |
On April 19, the CPRF proposed to the State Duma the adoption of the Soviet flag as the official flag of Russia.[22]
|
 |
Used by Russian anti-war protestors in opposition to the invasion of Ukraine, as well as by the Russian opposition to Putin and the Freedom of Russia Legion.
|
| Flag |
Date |
Use |
Description
|
 |
2003– |
Flag of Abakan |
Two red and blue horizontal stripes and a white background with the emblem to the hoist.
|
 |
1996– |
Flag of Alchevsk |
|
 |
2005– |
Flag of Anadyr |
A blue background with a white wavy strip and a yellow bear holding a red fish.
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Anapa |
A sun with a brick wall on the bottom of the sun and what appears to be waves.
|
 |
1997– |
Flag of Astrakhan |
A crown above sword on a white background with a blue wave pattern at the bottom.
|
 |
2021– |
Flag of Barnaul |
The arms of the city of Barnaul on a blue background.
|
 |
1999– |
Flag of Belgorod |
Two horizontal stripes: top - blue and bottom - white. In the roof there is an image of the figures of the coat of arms of the city.
|
 |
1998– |
Flag of Birobidzhan |
|
 |
Flag of Blagoveshchensk |
|
 |
2016– |
Flag of Bryansk |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Buy, Kostroma |
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Cheboksary |
|
 |
2002– |
Flag of Chelyabinsk |
A Bactrian camel in front of a wall on a green and yellow background.
|
 |
Flag of Cherepovets |
A blue pall on a golden background.
|
|
2001– |
Flag of Cherkessk |
|
 |
2006– |
Flag of Chita |
A triband of green, white and red with a yellow triangle at the left.
|
 |
Flag of Elista |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Eveno-Bytantaysky National District |
|
 |
1997– |
Flag of Gorno-Altaysk |
|
 |
2010– |
Flag of Grozny |
|
 |
2014– |
Flag of Henichesk |
|
 |
1996– |
Flag of Irkutsk |
A black "Babr" or siberian tiger holding a squirrel in its mouth standing on a grassy island on a white and blue background.
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Istra District, Istrinsky District |
A sun with a face on a blue background.
|
 |
2003– |
Flag of Ivanovo |
A woman using a spindle on an all blue background.
|
 |
2000– |
Flag of Izhevsk |
A white and blue bicolor with a pair of leaves, an arrow, and what appears to be a pair of wire cutters.
|
 |
1996– |
Flag of Kaliningrad |
A coat of arms in front of a ship on an all blue background.
|
 |
2000– |
Flag of Kaluga |
|
 |
2004– |
Flag of Kazan |
A zilant walking on a mostly white background with a thin green line at the bottom.
|
 |
2019– |
Flag of Kemerovo |
|
 |
1999– |
Flag of Kerch |
|
 |
2007– |
Flag of Khabarovsk |
|
 |
2002– |
Flag of Khanty-Mansiysk |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Khangalassky District |
|
 |
1995– |
Flag of Kherson |
A blue background with two white stripes, in the middle there is the arms of the city.
|
 |
2010– |
Flag of Kirov |
A hand holding a bow beneath a cross on an all yellow background.
|
 |
2002– |
Flag of Kostroma |
|
 |
2006– |
Flag of Krasnodar |
|
 |
1995– |
Flag of Krasnoyarsk |
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Kurgan |
Two horizontal stripes, green and white, and on the green stripe, there are white-colored triangular kurgan mounds.
|
 |
2008– |
Flag of Kursk |
A white flag with a blue diagonal band charged with birds.
|
 |
2016– |
Flag of Kyzyl |
|
 |
2005– |
Flag of Lipetsk |
A linden tree depicted on a green hill on a yellow background.
|
 |
1999– |
Flag of Magadan |
|
 |
2010– |
Flag of Magas |
|
 |
2004– |
Flag of Magnitogorsk |
A black triangle on a silver-colored background.
|
 |
2006– |
Flag of Makhachkala |
|
 |
2008– |
Flag of Maykop |
|
 |
1995– |
Flag of Moscow |
Saint George with a lance riding on a silver horse stabbing a zilant on a dark red background.
|
 |
2011– |
Flag of Nalchik |
|
 |
2013– |
Flag of Namsky |
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Naryan-Mar |
|
 |
201?– |
Flag of Navashino |
|
 |
2016– |
Flag of Nazran |
|
 |
2006– |
Flag of Nizhny Novgorod |
A bright red deer on a white-colored background.
|
 |
Flag of Nizhny Tagil |
The coat of arm of Nizhny Tagil on a Maroon Background.
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Nolinsk |
A swan on an all blue background
|
 |
2000– |
Flag of Norilsk |
A polar bear holding a key on a vertically divided blue and red background.
|
 |
2018– |
Flag of Novokuznetsk |
|
 |
2007– |
Flag of Novorossiysk |
|
 |
1993– |
Flag of Novosibirsk |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Odessky District |
|
 |
2014– |
Flag of Omsk |
|
 |
2012– |
Flag of Orenburg |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Orsk |
|
 |
1998– |
Flag of Oryol |
The coat of arms of the city on a red background and a light blue stripe with the hammer and sickle in the canton
|
 |
2003– |
Flag of Ozyorsk |
|
 |
2004– |
Flag of Penza |
A dark yellow hoist with a green background. On a green background there are three golden wheat.
|
 |
1998– |
Flag of Perm |
A bear carrying a book beneath a cross on an all red background.
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Pervomaysk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast |
|
 |
2015– |
Flag of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Petrozavodsk |
|
 |
2010– |
Flag of Pskov |
A hand (presumably God) reaching from a cloud on a blue background. Under it is a leopard holding its hand up.
|
 |
1998– |
Flag of Rostov-on-Don |
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Ryazan |
A crown sitting above and to the left of a man holding a sword on an all yellow background.
|
 |
1992– |
Flag of Saint Petersburg |
An anchor and a hook crossing each other with a scepter in the intersection of the two, all on a red background.
|
 |
1998– |
Flag of Salekhard |
|
 |
2015– |
Flag of Samara |
A coat of arms above the name of the city in front of a horizontally divided red white and blue background.
|
 |
2011– |
Flag of Saransk |
|
 |
1997– |
Flag of Saratov |
A coat of arms in front of a horizontally divided blue and white background.
|
 |
2006– |
Flag of Sergiyev Posad |
The walls of a city with two axes floating above it on a blue background.
|
 |
2005– |
Flag of Shchukino District |
A blue hoist with a fish on top. On the bottom is a yellow background with a black atom.
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Smolensk |
|
 |
2006– |
Flag of Sochi |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Sokolsky District, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast |
|
 |
2014– |
Flag of Stavropol |
|
 |
2005– |
Flag of Surgut |
|
 |
2004– |
Flag of Suzdal |
A bird wearing a crown on a horizontally divided blue and red background.
|
 |
2009– |
Flag of Syktyvkar |
|
 |
2008– |
Flag of Tambov |
A blue background with a green border (presumably grass). In the center there is a beehive on top with three bees flying out (as if it were going in of on top), which resembles the coat of arms of Tambov.
|
 |
2007– |
Flag of Tobolsk |
|
 |
2005–[23] |
Flag of Tolyatti |
|
 |
2019– |
Flag of Tomsk |
A rearing horse on a dark green background.
|
 |
2001– |
Flag of Tula |
|
 |
1999– |
Flag of Tver |
|
 |
2008– |
Flag of Tyumen |
|
 |
2007– |
Flag of Ufa |
|
 |
2005– |
Flag of Ulan-Ude |
|
 |
2003– |
Flag of Ulyanovsk |
A vertical triband of blue, white, and blue, with a golden crown in the middle of the white stripe.
|
 |
2010– |
Flag of Veliky Novgorod |
|
 |
2015– |
Flag of Veydelevsky District |
|
 |
1996– |
Flag of Vladimir |
A lion holding a cross and wearing a crown on an all red background.
|
 |
2016– |
Flag of Vladivostok |
The coat of arms of the city in front of a blue saltire on a red background.
|
 |
1999– |
Flag of Volgograd |
The coat of arms of the city on a red background.
|
 |
2003– |
Flag of Vologda |
God reaching out from the clouds holding a sword and cruciger on a red background.
|
 |
2008– |
Flag of Voronezh |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Vyksa |
|
 |
?– |
Flag of Yakovlevsky District |
Two blue swords, one facing left and one facing right, is under a pile of blue rocks all on a white background.
|
 |
1996– |
Flag of Yakutsk |
|
 |
Flag of Yaroslavl |
The arms of the city on a blue background.
|
 |
2008– |
Flag of Yekaterinburg |
A furnace and well on a horizontally divided green, yellow and blue background.
|
 |
2011– |
Flag of Yoshkar-Ola |
|
 |
2004– |
Flag of Yurga |
A black rearing horse inside a yellow flame on a blue background.
|
 |
2005– |
Flag of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk |
The white outlined coat of arms of the city on a blue background, and on the bottom is two waves.
|
 |
2000– |
Flag of Zlatoust |
A yellow pegasus above a yellow stripe on an all red background.
|
 |
1998– |
Flag of Zvyozdny, Perm Krai |
|