Flag of Belarus
The flag of Belarus has a wide red stripe above a narrower green one, with a red-on-white folk pattern running down the side nearest the pole.
At a glance
- Adopted
- June 7, 1995chosen in a referendum in May 1995 and set by decree on 7 June 1995; in 2012 the ornament was made a little wider
- Shape (height : width)
- 1:2
- Capital
- Minsk
- Continent
- Europe
- Colours
- red
- green
- white
What it means
- Red: there is no official meaning in law; it is often described as freedom and the sacrifice of earlier generations, and linked to old battle banners and Second World War partisans
- Green: life, hope and spring, and the country's forests and fields
- Ornament: the country's old folk culture and its spiritual richness
Where it came from
The pattern by the pole is a traditional Belarusian ornament, like those woven on rushnyks, decorated towels used in ceremonies. It was designed in 1917 by Matrona Markevich and is based on local plants and flowers.
The flag's layout comes from the flag of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted in 1951. The 1995 flag removed the hammer, sickle and star and swapped the colours of the ornament.
History
In 1918 the short-lived Belarusian People's Republic used a white-red-white striped flag. Under Soviet rule several red flags followed. After independence in 1991, Belarus used the white-red-white flag again.
In May 1995 a referendum chose the current red and green design. The white-red-white flag is now not allowed by the government, but it is still used by opposition groups and many Belarusians abroad, including during protests in 2020.
Fun facts
- The folk pattern on the flag was first drawn over 100 years ago, in 1917.
- In 2015 a monument to the ornament's designer, Matrona Markevich, was put up in the town of Sianno.
- Belarus celebrates the Day of the National Emblem and Flag in May.
- The red stripe takes up two thirds of the flag's height.
Easy to mix up with
Lithuania: Lithuania has red and green too, but with a yellow stripe on top and no ornament
Madagascar: Madagascar is red over green with a white stripe by the pole, but no pattern
Questions
What does the flag of Belarus look like?
The flag of Belarus has a wide red stripe above a narrower green one, with a red-on-white folk pattern running down the side nearest the pole.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Belarus mean?
Red: there is no official meaning in law; it is often described as freedom and the sacrifice of earlier generations, and linked to old battle banners and Second World War partisans; Green: life, hope and spring, and the country's forests and fields; Ornament: the country's old folk culture and its spiritual richness.
When was the flag of Belarus adopted?
The current flag of Belarus was adopted on June 7, 1995. (chosen in a referendum in May 1995 and set by decree on 7 June 1995; in 2012 the ornament was made a little wider)
What colours are on the flag of Belarus?
The flag of Belarus uses red, green and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Belarus?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Lithuania. Lithuania has red and green too, but with a yellow stripe on top and no ornament
Famous landmarks in Belarus
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)