Flag of Novorossiya

The blue-red proposed flag of the self-proclaimed confederation of Novorossiya (or New Russia) is a variant of the battle flag which was adopted on 24 May 2014, with the addition of the coat of arms.

Novorossiya
UseNational flag
Proportion2:3
AdoptedMay 31, 2014 (2014-05-31)[1]
DesignA Saint Andrew's Cross of blue with a thin white border, on a red field.
Variant flag
UseNational flag
Proportion2:3
AdoptedAugust 13, 2014 (2014-08-13) (proposed)[1]
DesignA tricolor of white, yellow, and black
Variant flag
UseWar flag
Proportion2:3
Adopted
  • May 31, 2014 (2014-05-31) (as a national flag)[1]
  • August 13, 2014 (2014-08-13) (as a battle flag)

A white-yellow-black tricolor was presented on 13 August 2014 by Oleg Tsarev as a potential state flag.[2][3] This resembled an upside-down Romanov flag, which was the national flag of the Russian Empire from 1858 to 1883.

Novorossiya is an unrecognised confederation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, claiming the territory of the respective Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. On 20 May 2015 the leadership of the Federal State of Novorossiya announced the 'freezing' of the confederation 'project'.[4]

Battle flag

The battle flag is based on the naval jack of the Imperial Russian Navy. Oleksandr Chalenko, who worked as a political journalist in Kiev, described the flag and explained its symbolism in an item published by Izvestia on 20 March 2014:[5]

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.

On 15 May 2014 the Russian on-line newspaper Vzglyad noted that the then Governor of the Donetsk People's Republic, Pavel Gubarev, had announced the start of voting for a flag of the proposed state of Novorossiya.[6]

Following the proposition of the white-yellow-black tricolour as the national flag, the saltire was then adopted as the battle flag of the republic,[7] while a variant with the coat of arms is in use as de facto national flag since.

Flags of separatist movements in Ukraine

State flag

Each of the member states of the Novorossiya confederation also has a national flag of its own. Both sport pan-Slavic colours and bear resemblances to the flags of Russia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

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 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 Donets–Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic. However, there is no evidence of any such flag in 1918, and it is most likely based on Interdvizheniye Donbasa, an organisation started at Donetsk University in August 1989.[8]

The black is commonly thought to represent the Black Sea or the coal industry in the Donbas region. The blue is thought to represent water and red is freedom. However, there is no proof that such flag was used by the DKSR, which used the red flag as symbol. 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" (Донецкая Республика) in Russian. 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. After 2017, the current flag is adopted by the state and military forces, which is a simplified black, blue and red tricolor.

  • First flag of the Donetsk People's Republic, based on the political party Donetsk Republic[9][10]
  • First flag variant displayed on 7 April 2014
  • Alternative state flag variant between April – June 2014
  • Second flag of the Donetsk People's Republic (October 2014 – 2017)[11]
  • Current flag of the Donetsk People's Republic[12]

Luhansk People's Republic

Not much is known about the flags of 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 1950–1992 flag of Ukraine during Soviet rule, 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 and had a brighter red stripe.

  • First flag of the Luhansk People's Republic displayed on 9 May 2014[13][14]
  • Variant of the first flag of the Luhansk People's Republic, used mostly by the state before October 2014[15][16]
  • Second flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (October 2014 – 2017)[17][18]
  • Third flag of the Luhansk People's Republic (2017)
  • Current flag of the Luhansk People's Republic[19]

Donbass

The flag of the Donetsk Region (Ukrainian: Прапор Донецької області, Russian: Флаг Донецкой области), often referred to as the flag of Donbas (Ukrainian: Прапор Донбасу, Russian: Флаг Донбасса), is the official flag of the Ukrainian region of Donetsk. It was designed by Nina Shcherbak (Ukrainian: Ніна Щербак, Russian: Нина Щербак), a Donetsk artist. The flag was officially adopted on August 17, 1999.

The flag of the Luhansk Region, Ukraine is the official flag of the Ukrainian province of Luhansk.

The flag consists of a cobalt background with a side ratio of 1:1.5 (100 cm × 165 cm [39 in × 65 in]). In the top-left corner of the flag there is a circle, with a radius of 20 cm (7.9 in). The circle's center is 49 cm (19 in) from the left border of the flag and 39 cm (15 in) from the top border. Seventeen yellow and 14 white smaller stars, 4 cm (1.6 in) in size, surround it. The Luhansk Oblast's small coat of arms is located within the circle.

Similarity with the Confederate Naval Jack
The Confederate Naval Jack
See also: Modern display of the Confederate battle flag

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".[20][21] 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. According to Alexey Eremenko of The Moscow Times, no Cossacks ever used a flag resembling the one chosen.[22]

See also

References
  1. Политические партии Украины | Часть 1. А-О [Political parties of Ukraine | Part 1. A-O]. Russian Centre of Vexillology and Heraldry (in Russian). 1 December 2015. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022. 31 мая 2014 году из множества проектов (в том числе интернет-голосованием) выбран флаг "Новороссии" - красное полотнище с синим косым крестом, имеющим белую каёмку. Автор проекта - политолог Максим Павлин. [On May 31, 2014, the flag of "Novorossiya" was chosen from a variety of projects (including by Internet voting) - a red flag with a blue oblique cross with a white border. The author of the project is political scientist Maxim Pavlin.]
  2. Lenta.ru: Tsarev presented the new flag of Novorossiya
  3. LifeNews: Oleg Tsarev presented the new flag of Novorossiya
  4. Russian-backed 'Novorossiya' breakaway movement collapses, Ukraine Today (20 May 2015)
    (in Russian) The "New Russia" is closed, Gazeta.ru (20 May 2015)
  5. 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.
  6. Жителям юго-востока Украины предложили выбрать флаг Новороссии [The inhabitants of the south-east of Ukraine are invited to choose a flag for Novorossiya]. Взгляд [Vzglyad] (in Russian). 15 May 2014. OCLC 1051229635. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022. Народный губернатор Донбасса Павел Губарев объявил о начале голосования за флаг Новороссии – государства, которое планируется создать, объединив юго-восточные земли Украины. [...] На сайте информационно-аналитического портала «Новороссия» представлены 11 вариантов будущего флага государства. [The People's Governor of the Donbas, Pavel Gubarev, announced the start of voting for a flag for Novorossiya, a state planned to be founded which would unite the south-eastern area of Ukraine. [...] The website of the informational-analytical portal 'Novorossiya' presents 11 variants of the future flag of the state.]
  7. Tsarev, Oleg (13 August 2014). Заседание конкурсной комиссии на лучшую символику Новороссии состоялось [The meeting of the competition commission for the best symbols of Novorossia took place]. Олег Царев - ОФИЦИАЛЬНЫЙ САЙТ НАРОДНОГО ДЕПУТАТА УКРАИНЫ [Oleg Tsarev - OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PEOPLE'S DEPUTY OF UKRAINE] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  8. 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.
  9. "Symbolism of the Donetsk People's Republic". openDemocracy.
  10. "Donetsk County (Ukraine)".
  11. "DPR Approved National Symbols (Russian title: ДНР утвердила национальную символику)".
  12. "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 30 June 2018.
  13. Raeside, Rob (16 November 2019). "Lugansk People's Republic (Ukraine)". Flags Of The World. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022.
  14. "'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.
  15. "Ukraine: Lugansk People's Republic leader steps down". Ruptly. 14 August 2014.
  16. 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). 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  17. "Официальный сайт Луганской Народной Республики". Archived from the original on 3 November 2014.
  18. "В Луганске вновь зажжен Вечный огонь". Lugansk Online. 31 October 2014. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014.
  19. "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.]
  20. Babiak, Mat (22 May 2014). "Welcome to New Russia". Ukrainian Policy. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  21. "Ukraine News One: 'Novorossiya' flag appears uncannily like 'Dixie' (VIDEO)". kyivpost.com. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  22. Eremenko, Alexey (9 June 2014). "Ukrainian Rebels Channel U.S. Confederates". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
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