The Russian Navy ensign, also known as St. Andrew's flag (russian: Андреевский флаг;
Russian Pre-reform: ''Андреевскій флагъ''), was the ensign of
the Navy of the
Russian Empire (from 1712 to 1918), and is the naval ensign of the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
since 1992, and the banner of the
Navy of the Russian Federation since 2000.
The flag has a white background with two blue diagonal bands, forming a
saltire, called
St Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...
's Cross. The ratio of the flag's width to its length is 1 / 1.5, the width of the blue band is 1 / 10 the length of the flag.
The
Guard Ribbon and image of order awarded to the ship can be added to the flag.
History
In 1698
Peter I the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
established the first Russian medal, the
Order of St Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...
, which is to be awarded for military exploits and public service. When he became
tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
, he started to devise a flag for the
Russian Navy. The symbolism of the flag is a tribute to his father,
Alexey Mikhaylovich Romanov, who established a special flag for the first Russian
naval ship
A naval ship is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) used by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are damage resilient and armed with w ...
, the three-masted
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
.
From 1692 to 1712 Peter I personally drew eight proposed flags that have consistently been taken into the
Navy. Description of the flag's final version by Peter I:
Original Text (
Orthography and
font (ru) are also original):
Modern Russian:
{, style="font-family:Academy Old; font-size:1.0em; border-color:#000000; border-width:1px; border-style:solid; border-collapse:collapse; background-color:#F8F8EF; text-align:left"
, -
,
, -
, Флаг белый, поперек этого имеется синий Андреевский крест, коим Россию окрестил он.
After the
Russian revolution, the Russian Navy Ensign was changed, but it was used by the
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв� ...
up to 1924. The flag of St Andrew was reintroduced in the
Russian Navy in 1992, and is still used today.
References
See also
*
Alexander Gordon (general)
*
Patrick Gordon
Patrick Leopold Gordon of Auchleuchries (31 March 1635 – 29 November 1699) was a general and rear admiral in Russia, of Scottish origin. He was descended from a family of Aberdeenshire, holders of the estate of Auchleuchries, near Ellon. The ...
*
Thomas Gordon (Royal Scots Navy officer)
Admiral Thomas Gordon (c. 1658–1741) was a commodore of the Royal Scots Navy and Admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy.
Background
Gordon is believed to have been the son of Doctor Thomas Gordon and Jean Hay of Aberdeen, but his origins are ...
*
Flag of Scotland, similar but white on blue
*
List of Russian navy flags
This is a List of naval flags of the Russian Federation, from independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 onward, for Soviet naval flags see List of USSR navy flags.
Jack
Naval Ensign (National naval flag) Navy flag
Ensigns of auxilia ...
*
List of Soviet navy flags
This is a list of naval flags of the Soviet Union.
Jack
Ensign and flag
Ensigns of auxiliary vessels of the Navy
Flags of ships of Border Guard Force
Naval flag of the Interior Force
Flags of officials Flags of commande ...
*
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...
, fishing village on Malta with a similar flag
Russian Navy
Flags of Russia
Saltire flags
1712 establishments in Russia
1992 establishments in Russia
1712 in military history
1992 in military history
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...