FLAG OF BELARUS: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The flag of Belarus is the official symbol that identifies the Republic of Belarus. It is made up of the colors red and green. On its left side there is a pattern created in 1917 traditionally used in clothes and rusnik.

The color red symbolizes the nation's past and commemorates the Battle of Grunwald. Furthermore, it also signifies the Red Army combat that took place in WWII. For its part, the color green symbolizes the forests of Belarus.

Source: pixabay.com.

This flag was adopted on June 7, 1995 after a referendum held with the aim of choosing the new national symbols. The opposition at the time questioned the legality of this process.

Belarus had, before 1918, the white-red-white flag. Its use was banned by the Soviet administration in 1939.

In 1919, the Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic established a new design in the country's first constitution. After several modifications and after the independence of the country from the Soviet Union, in 1995 the current flag of the nation was established.

History

The white-red-white flag

The white-red-white flag was used unofficially before 1918 in West Belarus. Its design was inspired by the coat of arms of the Belarusian lands, which had a white knight on a red background. These colors were used in the heraldry of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the Polish-Lithuanian Confederation.

In the Belarusian People's Republic (1918-1919), variations of the white-red-white flag were used. Between 1919 and 1925 the banner was kept in the same colors, but with black stripes at the top and bottom of the red area.

Old flag in use in 1918, unofficially in West Belarus until 1939, between 1942 and 1944 under German occupation and again between 1991 and 1995.

The origin of the flag is due to the name "White Russia". It is also claimed to commemorate the defeat of the Germans of the Teutonic Order at the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. Armed units from Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania fought in this order. A Belarusian raised his bloody bandage as a banner of victory.

The white-red-white flag was used by the Belarusian national movement in Western Belarus, part of the Second Polish Republic, between 1921 and 1939. When Belarus was reunified in 1939, the Soviet administration banned the flag in Western Belarus.

This flag was also used by organizations such as the Belarusian Union of Peasants and Workers, the Belarusian Christian Democrats and the Belarusian School Society. The country's special battalion in the army of the Republic of Lithuania also used such a flag.

Uses of the white-red-white flag after its ban

The Nazi occupational administration allowed, in 1941, the use of the flag. The white-red-white banner was used in insignia of the Belarusian volunteers of the Heer and the Waffen-SS. In addition, he was employed by the Belarusian Central Rada, the Belarusian pro-Germanic government between 1943 and 1944.

At the end of World War II, the Belarusian diaspora in the West and the small anti-Soviet resistance groups in Belarus used this flag. At the end of the 80s, the flag symbolized romantic nationalism and democratic changes in the country. Currently, it is a symbol of opposition to the Lukashenko government.

Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic

In 1919 the Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic arose, in which a red flag was used. This republic only lasted 7 months.

Flag in force during the existence of the Lithuanian-Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919).

Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic

When the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was formed, a design with the gold ССРБ acronym in the upper left was established in the country's first constitution. In the 1927 constitution, the initials were changed to БССР.

Flag of Belarus (1919 to 1927)

(1927 to 1937)

In 1937 the red star, hammer and sickle were added above the letters and the ratio of 1: 2 was determined. It remained in use until 1951.

(1937 to 1951)

The flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted after the decree of December 25, 1951. In 1956, this model was modified with small details, when details were specified to make the sickle, hammer and star.

Flag of the Byelorussian SSR (1951-1991).

The main part was red in representation of the October Revolution. At the top left was the golden hammer and sickle with a red star above them. The hammer symbolized the worker and the sickle represented the peasant.

Soviet meanings

The red star represented the Communist Party. It is also said that it symbolized the five social groups. These were the workers, youth, peasants, military and students. It could also mean the five continents or the five fingers of the worker's hand.

The green part symbolized the Belarusian forests. On the left side there was a pattern in white on the red background, a traditional design of Belarus and used in the rusnik, ceremonial towels of the nation.

These specifications were confirmed in article 120 of the Constitution of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic.

1995 referendum

On May 14, 1995 a referendum was held to decide on the new national symbols. Belarus was already an independent country, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The legality of this referendum was questioned by the opposition. The new flag was approved with 75.1% of the votes. On June 7 of that year the new flag was made official and to this day it remains in force.

Flag in force from 1995 to the present

Two months before the referendum, the president proposed a banner that consisted of two green stripes of equal width and a wider red one. In addition to this, other designs were proposed to choose from in the referendum.

Meaning

The flag of Belarus is made up of a red upper strip that occupies two thirds of the rectangle and a green strip that occupies a third of it.

In addition, it has a vertical pattern on its left side in white and red colors. 1: 2 is the balance between width and length of this decorative box.

The color red symbolizes much of the country's historical past. It commemorates the Battle of Grünwald and the Red Army that fought in World War II. This is because red was the color used by the Soviet armed forces in these combats.

Green represents the abundant forests of Belarus. It also identifies with the aspirations of the nation's people for a hopeful future.

For its part, the pattern on its left side is a traditional type design that was created in 1917 by Matrena Markevich inspired by local flowers and silver.

It is used in clothes and in the traditional rusnik. This is a towel used in religious services, funerals, and other social functions. This pattern is a symbol of the cultural past and the unity of the nation.

References

1. Azcárate, V. and Sánchez, J. (2013). Geography of Europe. UNED. Recovered from books.google.co.ve
2. DK Publishing (2008). Complete Flags of the World. New York, United States: DK Publishing. Recovered from books.google.co.ve
3. Fedor, J., Kangaspuro, M. and Zhurzhenko, T. (2017). War and Memory in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Recovered from books.google.co.ve
4. Smith, W. (2013). Flag of Belarus. Encyclopædia Britannica. Recovered from britannica.com.
5. Presidency of Belarus. (sf). National symbols. Presidency of Belarus. Recovered from: president.gov.by.