FLAG OF GEORGIA: HISTORY AND MEANING - CULTURE VOCABULARY

The flag of Georgia is the national symbol of this Caucasian republic. It is made up of a white cloth that is divided by a red Cross of Saint George. In each of the rooms, a small red cross is present. This flag came into force again in 2004, after not having been used officially since the Middle Ages.

The symbol is popularly known as the flag of the five crosses. Its reinstatement was motivated by a popular intention that aspired to rescue the traditional symbol of the Kingdom of Georgia, which ruled the territory between 975 and 1466. Before this flag there was a maroon flag, which was the one used since the country's independence in 1991.

Georgia flag. (User: SKopp, from Wikimedia Commons).

Throughout its history, Georgia has had multiple flags that have corresponded to the different political systems that have been established in its territory or also to the foreign powers that have dominated it. Its current flag, despite its age, is still a symbol of Christianity, as it has five crosses inside.

History of the flag

The present Georgia was for centuries at the mercy of the influence and the pretense of conquest on the part of European empires. However, in the 10th century the first Kingdom of Georgia was formed, which a few centuries later ended up dismembering into three pieces. Hence arise the current Georgian symbols.

Later, the Russian influence made Georgia one more territory of their empire. After the fall of the Russian Empire, Georgia obtained a short-lived independence in which it was able to re-create its flag.

However, the Soviet Union annexed the territory and it was not until 1991 that the country regained its sovereignty and its symbols. The current flag was adopted again in 2004.

Principalities

Georgia had become a battlefield between the Roman Empire and Persia. From this came an Islamic invasion, which ended in the 9th century. However, during this process the multiple antecedents to the Georgian state can be seen.

From them, the first flags that were waved in the place arise. One of the first was that of the Principality of Iberia, a medieval regime that lasted between 588 and 888. In this period the Christian Church of Georgia was definitively formed, and this was reflected in its flag.

The flag of the principality consisted of a red cross of St. George on a white background. This was also used in the later regime, of the Principality of Tao-Klarjeti, which ruled in Georgia between 888 and 1008. The origins of this pavilion date back to the 5th century BC.

Flag of the Principality of Iberia and the Principality of Tao-Klarjeti. (Ec.Domnowall (SVG vectorization), via Wikimedia Commons).

Kingdom of Georgia

The ruling monarchy in the Principality of Iberia achieved the unification of much of the territory. For this reason, in the year 1008 Bagrat III proclaimed himself king of Georgia, thus founding the new state. Over the centuries to come, the country consolidated unification with the conquest of different regions and became an influential state among Eastern Christians.

The history of the flags of the Kingdom of Georgia was extensive. At first, as is logical, the white flag with the red cross continued to be used. However, Queen Tamar who ruled until 1213 used a flag with the red cross and a star on a white square.

The first pavilion similar to the current one that is recorded was in 1367 through a map made by Domenico and Franceso Pizzigiano. It includes a flag with small red crosses in each quarter of the flag.

This was the symbol used by the Kingdom of Georgia until its dissolution in 1466. Historically, the symbol stood as a representative of the Georgian state and unity.

Flag of the Kingdom of Georgia (1367-1466). (Ec. Domnowall, via Wikimedia Commons).

Three kingdoms

The Kingdom of Georgia faced many weaknesses from external invasions. In the first place, the Mongols were in charge of attacking Georgian territory at first.

Following the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and the growing strength of Persia, the Bargiatoni dynasty in Georgia split into three, between 1490 and 1493.

In this way, three different kingdoms were created. These were Kartli in the central part, Imericia in the west and Kartli in the east. In addition, five principalities with feudal regimes emerged. The kingdoms adopted different banners to identify themselves.

Banners and flags of the three kingdoms

The Kingdom of Kartli opted for a red banner. It includes two animals carrying a sword and a scepter accompanied by a Christian cross.

Banner of the Kingdom of Kartli. (1466-1762). (User: Jolle, undefined).

For its part, the Kingdom of Imericia adopted a cyan-colored banner. In it, again an animal with horns and a cross were included, in addition to a crown and a crescent.

Standard of the Kingdom of Imericia (1460-1810). (JolleDerived work: Carnby, via Wikimedia Commons).

Finally, the Kingdom of Kajetia was the only one that adopted a flag with similar characteristics to the one previously used in the Kingdom of Georgia. This was a white cloth with the missing triangle on the right side. On its left side, the symbol included a kind of fleur-de-lis in red.

Flag of the Kingdom of Kajetia. (1465-1762). (Samhanin, from Wikimedia Commons).

Kingdom of Kartli-Kajetia

Centuries after Persian and Russian influences and self-government attempts, the kingdoms of Karli and Kajetia were united by dynastic succession in 1762.

However, this did not mean that their territory was no longer disputed, as the Iranians tried to continue to have control over the territory even through invasions, but the Russian influence was becoming stronger.

This kingdom was short-lived. After invasions by the two great powers and faced with the Iranian threat to re-conquer Tbilisi, the capital of the kingdom, as it did in 1796, Russia took the reins. That caused the Russian Empire to invade the territory in 1800 and formally annex it the following year.

The Kingdom of Kartli-Kajetia used a flag. This consisted of a black cloth on which a white Cross of Saint George was superimposed.

Flag of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kajetia. (Althiphika, from Wikimedia Commons).

Russian empire

Russian annexation was heavily fought within Georgian territory. However, the Imperial forces were much stronger and quelled all attempts at rebellion. Even the Russian Empire also invaded and annexed the Kingdom of Imericia, which had preserved its independence until 1810.

Present-day Georgia remained part of the Russian Empire for over a hundred years. The area evolved in different ways in that period, because although urban middle classes were formed, there were many problems with workers and peasants, especially in recent years. The Russian Empire, in addition, imposed its culture and customs on a historically alien territory.

The flag used by the Russian Empire is the traditional tricolor of that country. This is made up of three horizontal stripes of the same size in white, blue and red. Sometimes the imperial shield was added.

Imperial Flag of Russia. (By Osipov Georgiy Nokka, from Wikimedia Commons).

Federal Democratic Republic of Transcaucasia

Europe, in the framework of the First World War, experienced the collapse of centuries-old political systems. The Russian Empire was one of them, because the country's monarchy was deposed in February 1917 after the formation of a provisional government.

This generated a complicated situation in the Caucasus, before which the Transcaucasus Commissariat was created, an association of political forces that functioned as a central government.

However, the October Revolution in Russia, which ended the Bolshevik triumph, changed the landscape. This movement was not welcomed in the Caucasian regions, with the exception of Azerbaijan, which tried to form the Baku Commune.

The territories of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia were constituted in the Federal Democratic Republic of Transcaucasia, part of Soviet but autonomous Russia. It tried to defend itself against the Turkish threat of invasion. Faced with the denial of Moscow, the republic declared itself independent on April 9, 1918.

The flag of this ephemeral country was a tricolor of three horizontal stripes. These were colored yellow, black, and red, in decreasing order.

Flag of the Federal Democratic Republic of Transcaucasia. (1918). (Aivazovsky, from Wikimedia Commons).

Democratic Republic of Georgia

The Federal Democratic Republic of Transcaucasia lasted less than five weeks as an independent state. The Russian invasions threatened to destroy the entire territory and the political visions of facing the conflict did not allow to elaborate a common strategy. Given this, Georgia was the first country to separate from the republic, becoming independent on May 26, 1918.

That entailed the birth of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, the first fully unified Georgian state since the fall of the Kingdom of Georgia in 1466.

The new country received help and recognition from Germany. which helped to find a pact with Turkey, a country to which important Muslim-majority regions were ceded.

The threat of the new Georgian state had different fronts. To begin with, they engaged in a war with Armenia, mediated by the United Kingdom, which feared the Bolshevik advance.

This was presented through internal revolts, and later, with the invasion of the Red Army. Georgia saw Armenia and Azerbaijan become Sovietized and could not resist this force.

Flag of the Democratic Republic of Georgia

The first Georgian state in many centuries adopted a completely new national symbol. This consisted of a garnet-colored pavilion designed by the painter Iakob Nikoladze, which included small horizontal stripes in black and white in the canton.

Garnet would be the national color, black represented the tragedies of the past and white, hope for the future.

Flag of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. (1918-1921). (Orange Tuesday, via Wikimedia Commons).

Soviet Union

The Soviet advance was unstoppable. The Red Army entered Georgian territory on February 11, 1921. By the 25th of that same month, Soviet Russia had occupied all of Georgia and annexed it to its territory. In this way, the Soviet rule of Georgia began, which lasted until 1991.

Georgia was constituted in different ways within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The territory, in addition to the Soviet flag, featured four different flags throughout this period.

Soviet Georgia flags

The first of them was the one that corresponded to the Transcaucasus Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, a Soviet entity created to group the three extinct states. This consisted of a red cloth with a hammer and sickle in the canton.

This was enclosed in a five-pointed star, around which the initials of the country were inscribed in the Cyrillic alphabet: ZSFSR.

Flag of the Transcaucasus Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. (1921-1936). (Aivazovsky, via Wikimedia Commons).

After the creation of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Georgian alphabet was recognized in the symbol. Her first flag was a red cloth that included, in Georgian characters, Sakartvelos SSR. This inscription was yellow.

Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. (1937-1951). (Дмитрий-5-Аверин, from Wikimedia Commons).

In 1951 the definitive change of flag of this Soviet political entity took place. On this occasion, the flag remained red, but important changes were made.

A hammer and sickle was relegated to the canton, in the middle of a light blue circle from which red rays emanate. In addition, from the central part of the canton a horizontal strip of the same blue color emerged.

Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. (1951-1990). (Dbenbenn, Nokka, from Wikimedia Commons).

In 1990, in the final hours of the Soviet Union, the RSSG re-adopted the flag of the Democratic Republic of Georgia.

Republic of Georgia

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the entire Iron Curtain that destroyed most of the communist regimes supported by the USSR, a major crisis was also generated in Georgia.

In this territory Perestroika was deeply applied, and it became the first republic of the USSR to organize multi-party elections.

Finally, on April 9, 1991, Georgia restored its independence. With it came the symbols used in the Democratic Republic of Georgia. The flag that was used on this occasion, although it maintained its design, changed in proportions.

Flag of the Republic of Georgia. (1991-2004). (Jon Harald Søby, via Wikimedia Commons).

Flag change

Georgia, since its second independence, has been a politically troubled country. In its first decade of emancipated life, Georgia suffered several coups. Since 1995 it has been governed by President Eduard Shevardnadze, who had previously served as USSR Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The medieval Georgian flag restitution proposal had many supporters. After regaining independence in 1991 it was used as a symbol, and also had the support of the Orthodox church.

In the country's parliament the necessary procedures to carry out the flag change were approved, but these were not promulgated by President Shevardnadze.

Having been rejected by Shevardnadze, the opposition parties began to adopt the flag of the five crosses as their own symbol. In 2003, the Rose Revolution occurred, a peaceful movement that deposed Shevardnadze.

On January 14, 2004, the flag of the five crosses entered into force as a national flag after the approval of President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Meaning of the flag

The Georgian national flag has a more historical than graphic meaning. In 2004, a symbol that was born in the Middle Ages was recovered and that, since then and in various stages, has identified the Georgian people.

Its symbology may represent Georgian unity. However, its five crosses are a clear symbol of Christianity, which is the majority religion in the country.

In more recent years, the flag acquired a meaning against economic poverty and political crisis, thus it became a symbol of protest.

References

Arias, E. (2006). Flags of the world. Editorial Gente Nueva: Havana, Cuba.
Koerner, B. (November 25, 2003). What's With Georgia's Flags? Slate. Recovered from slate.com.
President of Georgia. (sf). The Flag of Georgia. President of Georgia. Recovered from president.gov.ge.
Rayfield, D. (2013). Edge of empires: A history of Georgia. Reaktion books. Recovered from books.google.com.
Smith, W. (2011). Flag of Georgia. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Recovered from britannica.com.

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