Flags used in Russian-occupied Ukraine

This is a list article about flags that have been used in areas of Ukraine controlled by Russia or pro-Russian forces during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Donetsk People's Republic
Pro-Russian protests in Donetsk on 7 April 2014. The DPR first flag variant is seen displayed amongst other flags such as the Russian, Belarusian and Donetsk Oblast ones.

The flag of the Donetsk People's Republic is claimed by the separatist authorities to be based on the flag of the Donetsk–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic, whom they consider the "People's Republic's" predecessor.[1] However, there is no evidence of any such flag in 1918, and it is most likely based on the flag of the International Movement of Donbass, an anti-separatist pro-Soviet organisation started at Donetsk University in August 1989 with the goal of opposing Ukraine's independence.[2][3]

The black is commonly thought to represent the Black Sea or the coal industry in the Donbas region. The original DPR flag also featured a coat of arms of the republic that said "Donetsk Rus'" (Донецкая Русь) in the centre. It was identical to the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk Republic political party, while also retaining the words "Donetsk Republic" (Russian: Донецкая Республика). A more simplified white double-headed eagle variant was used more commonly by initial pro-Russian protesters since 7 April 2014 and then by separatists of the Donbas People's Militia.

By October 2014, a second main flag which carried the words "Donetsk People's Republic" (Донецкая Народная Республика) was created with an updated doubled-headed eagle that looked less similar to the Russian coat of arms. This flag appeared to be more prominently used by the state, even appearing on ballot boxes during the 2014 Donbas general elections. The simplified black, blue and red tricolor without inscriptions or coats of arms started being adopted by the state and military forces after 2017.

  • First flag of the Donetsk People's Republic, based on the political party Donetsk Republic[specify]
    First flag of the Donetsk People's Republic, based on the political party Donetsk Republic[4][5]
  • First flag variant displayed on 7 April 2014
    First flag variant displayed on 7 April 2014
  • Alternative state flag variant between April – June 2014
    Alternative state flag variant between April – June 2014
  • Second flag of the Donetsk People's Republic (October 2014 – 2017)
    Second flag of the Donetsk People's Republic (October 2014 – 2017)[6]
  • Current flag of the Donetsk People's Republic
    Current flag of the Donetsk People's Republic[7]

Colors


Colors scheme		 Black Blue Red
CMYK0-0-0-10092-69-0-180-85-82-13
HEX #000000 #0E3FD1 #DC1F26
RGB 0-0-0 14-63-209 220-31-38

Luhansk People's Republic

There have been several flags used to represent the Luhansk People's Republic. The first flag featured a similar design to the flag used by the Donetsk People's Republic, the main differences being that the top stripe was light blue or azure, a color used in the 1950–1992 flag of the Ukrainian SSR, instead of black. It featured a different coat of arms, and it contained the words "Lugansk Republic" (Луганская Республика) in Russian. The original shade of light blue used for the top stripe may have been inspired by the shade of blue used in the flag of the city of Luhansk. The second was adopted at some point in October 2014, with an abbreviation of the state's local name replacing the aforementioned text. On 2 November 2014, the Republic adopted a new flag that resembled the previous flags but lacked the coat of arms.

  • First flag of the Luhansk People's Republic displayed on 9 May 2014
    First flag of the Luhansk People's Republic displayed on 9 May 2014[8][9]
  • Variant of the first flag of the Luhansk People's Republic, used mostly by the state before October 2014
    Variant of the first flag of the Luhansk People's Republic, used mostly by the state before October 2014[10][11]
  • Second flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (October 2014 – 2017)
    Second flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (October 2014 – 2017)[12][13]
  • Third flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (2017)
    Third flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (2017)
  • Current flag of the Luhansk People's Republic
    Current flag of the Luhansk People's Republic[14]

Colors

The colors of the flag of the Luhansk People's Republic are determined by the "Law on the State Flag of the Luhansk People's Republic".[15]


Colors scheme		 Azure Blue Red
CMYK60-21-0-0100-65-0-340-100-100-5
HEX #64C8FF #0039A6 #F00000
RGB 100-200-255 0-57-166 240-0-0

Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast

Kherson Oblast is an entity which Russia claims to be one of its federal subjects.

At the signing of the agreement on the accession of the Kherson Oblast to Russia, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian-installed head of the region Volodymyr Saldo, the flag of the Kherson region was seen, but in the middle of white stripe, there is the 1803 coat of arms of Kherson supported by golden oak branches and blue ribbons, and surmounted by the Imperial Crown.[16]

  • Flag of Russian-administered Kherson Oblast
    Flag of Russian-administered Kherson Oblast
  • Coat of arms of Russian-administered Kherson Oblast
    Coat of arms of Russian-administered Kherson Oblast
  • Coat of arms used in Russian-administered Kherson Oblast until 30 September 2022
    Coat of arms used in Russian-administered Kherson Oblast until 30 September 2022

Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Zaporozhye Oblast is an entity which Russia claims to be one of its federal subjects.[17]

In the early months of the occupation, the coat of arms used by the occupational forces was originally a re-worded version of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast.[18][19] Though on 25 May 2022, it was replaced by the 1811 coat of arms of Aleksandrovsk, which was previously adopted by the city of Zaporizhzhia in 2003, with the magenta color associated with Cossacks replaced with red due to "historical" reasons.[20]

At the signing of the agreement on the accession of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast to Russia, signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian-installed head of the region Yevgeny Balitsky, the flag of the Zaporizhzhia region was presented as a bi-color field in green and red, and the 1811 coat of arms of Aleksandrovsk (Zaporizhzhia at the time) in the middle.[21]

Historical separatist movements

Kharkov People's Republic

The Kharkov People's Republic (Russian: Харьковская Народная Республика) was a short-lived self-proclaimed state in Kharkiv, Ukraine. It was declared by separatists during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The separatists were led by Yevhen Zhylin.[22] It was created on 7 April 2014 when pro-Russian protesters stormed government buildings in Kharkiv and declared the Kharkov People's Republic. It was dissolved when Ukrainian authorities regained control of Kharkiv several days later.[23][24][25]

  • Proposed flag of the Kharkov People's Republic
    Proposed flag of the Kharkov People's Republic[26]
  • Unofficial variant of the Kharkov People's Republic
    Unofficial variant of the Kharkov People's Republic
  • Flag used in Russian-occupied Kharkiv Oblast
    Flag used in Russian-occupied Kharkiv Oblast[27]
  • Coat of arms used in Russian-occupied Kharkiv Oblast
    Coat of arms used in Russian-occupied Kharkiv Oblast

Novorossiya

Novorossiya was an unrecognised confederation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, claiming the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. However, on May 20, 2015, the leaders of the Federal State of Novorossiya declared that they would halt the confederation 'project.'[28]

  • Flag used by supporters of Novorossiya
    Flag used by supporters of Novorossiya
  • Flag of Novorossiya with the coat of arms
    Flag of Novorossiya with the coat of arms
  • Proposed flag of Novorossiya, proposed by Oleg Tsarev
    Proposed flag of Novorossiya, proposed by Oleg Tsarev
  • Coat of arms of Novorossiya
    Coat of arms of Novorossiya

The battle flag is based on the naval jack of the Imperial Russian Navy. Oleksandr Chalenko, who worked as a political journalist in Kyiv, described the flag and explained its symbolism in an item published by Izvestia on 20 March 2014:[29] "It's a red flag with a blue Saint Andrew's cross. The flag of the Russian Navy. Of the Navy, which played a prominent military role in the emergence and establishment of historical Novorossiya."

A white-yellow-black tricolor was presented on 13 August 2014 by Oleg Tsarev as a potential state flag for the confederation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.[30] This resembled an upside-down Romanov flag, which was the national flag of the Russian Empire from 1858 to 1883.

Some have noted that the flag's design resembles the Confederate States of America's navy jack and battle flag, known also as the "Dixie flag".[31][32] Ukrainian political analyst Mikhail Pavliv is credited with having created the flag; Pavliv explains that he had simply stumbled upon the flag online somewhere, and that the leader of the New Russia Party, Pavel Gubarev, later picked it up. However, Gubarev has stated that the inspiration for the flag came from banners used by Cossacks in the 18th century. Vexillologically, the flag is a combination of the flag of the Semirechye Cossacks and the St. Andrew's Flag.

See also

References
  1. "The DPR became a legal successor of the Donetsk-Krivoy-Rog Republic". novorossia.today. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  2. James Ivan Clem: The Life of the Parties: Party Activism in Lʹviv and Donetsk, Ukraine, Ann Arbor (MA): University of Michigan Press 1995, p. 52.
  3. Edwards, Maxim (9 June 2014). "Symbolism of the Donetsk People's Republic". openDemocracy. Retrieved 3 June 2017. But Vladimir Kornilov, the world's leading – and only – specialist on the short-lived state (and author of The Assassinated Dream, a book on its history), does not agree. The myths that grew around the Republic, [Kornilov] added, led to distorted views of its history, and 'pictures of some flag which was never actually used.' In fact, the flag used by the Donetsk People's Republic is, with alterations, that of the International Movement for Donbas or the Interdvizheniye Donbasa, an organisation whose roots started only in August 1989, in a lecture theatre of Donetsk University.
  4. "Symbolism of the Donetsk People's Republic". openDemocracy.
  5. "Donetsk County (Ukraine)".
  6. "DPR Approved National Symbols (Russian title: ДНР утвердила национальную символику)".
  7. "Symbols and the Hymn of the Donetsk People's Republic (Russian title: Символика и Гимн Донецкой Народной Республики)". DNR.ru (Official Donetsk People's Republic site). 30 June 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30.
  8. Raeside, Rob (16 November 2019). "Lugansk People's Republic (Ukraine)". Flags Of The World. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022.
  9. "'Luhansk People's Republic' announces total mobilization". Kyiv Post. Interfax-Ukraine. 24 July 2014. ISSN 1563-6429. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  10. "Ukraine: Lugansk People's Republic leader steps down". Ruptly. 14 August 2014.
  11. Ополченцы сообщили, кто их представит на консультациях по Украине [The militias announced who will represent them at consultations on Ukraine]. Информационное агентство "Новороссия" [Novorossiya Information Agency] (in Russian). 2017-07-17. Archived from the original on 2014-07-20. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
  12. "Официальный сайт Луганской Народной Республики". Archived from the original on 2014-11-03.
  13. "В Луганске вновь зажжен Вечный огонь". Lugansk Online. October 31, 2014. Archived from the original on November 3, 2014.
  14. "ru:ЗАКОН О Государственном флаге Луганской Народной Республики" [LAW On the State Flag of the Lugansk People's Republic]. Луганский Информационный Центр [Lugansk Information Center] (in Russian). 26 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2022. Настоящим Законом устанавливаются Государственный флаг Луганской Народной Республики, его описание и порядок официального использования. [This Law establishes the State Flag of the Luhansk People's Republic, its description and the procedure for official use.]
  15. Луганский Информационный Центр — ЗАКОН О Государственном флаге Луганской Народной Республики
  16. "Подписание договоров о принятии ДНР, ЛНР, Запорожской и Херсонской областей в состав России". Президент России (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  17. "Подписание договоров о принятии ДНР, ЛНР, Запорожской и Херсонской областей в состав России". Президент России (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  18. "Occupiers in Zaporizhzhia oblast steal the ZRMA's symbols and ID number to make a fake seal". imi.org.ua. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  19. "Администрация Запорожской области". 2022-07-28. Archived from the original on 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  20. Новости, Р. И. А. (2022-05-25). "Запорожская область вернула герб времен Российской империи". РИА Новости (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  21. Новости, Р. И. А. (2022-05-25). "Запорожская область вернула герб времен Российской империи". РИА Новости (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  22. "In pictures: Pro-Russians proclaim 'people's republic'". BBC News. 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  23. Jarábik, Natalia Shapovalova, Balázs. "How Eastern Ukraine Is Adapting and Surviving: The Case of Kharkiv". Carnegie Europe. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  24. "Who's who: These are the key figures and groups in Ukraine's political crisis". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  25. "Waiting for War". The New Yorker. 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  26. "Kharkiv County (Ukraine)".
  27. "На освобожденных территориях Харьковской области утвердили герб и флаг - ТАСС".
  28. Russian-backed 'Novorossiya' breakaway movement collapses, Ukraine Today (20 May 2015)
    (in Russian) The "New Russia" is closed, Gazeta.ru (20 May 2015)
  29. Chalenko, Oleksandr (20 March 2014). "Что такое Новороссия?" [What is Novorossiya?]. Известия [Izvestia] (in Russian). eISSN 1563-6313. ISSN 0233-4356. OCLC 1076768530. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022. Это красный флаг с синим Андреевским крестом. Флаг российского флота. Флота, который сыграл выдающуюся военную роль в деле появления и утверждения исторической Новороссии.
  30. LifeNews: Oleg Tsarev presented the new flag of Novorossiya
  31. Babiak, Mat (22 May 2014). "Welcome to New Russia". Ukrainian Policy. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  32. "Ukraine News One: 'Novorossiya' flag appears uncannily like 'Dixie' (VIDEO)". kyivpost.com. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.