Russia flag：Flag of Russia | History

flag of Russiahorizontally striped white-blue-red national flag. Its width-to-length ratio is 2 to 3.

Tsar Peter I the Great[1] had ambitious plans to transform Russia[2] into a modern state. Building a Russian navy was part of that program, and he visited the Netherlands to learn about the most advanced shipbuilding concepts and techniques. The flag he chose for merchant ships in 1699 reflected the Dutch red-white-blue tricolour[3]: the Russian flag differed only in having the stripes arranged white-blue-red. These colours are sometimes given traditional Russian symbolism—one such interpretation recalls the red shield of the Grand Principality of Moscow, with its representation of St. George cloaked in blue and mounted on a white horse. Reference was also made to the quartered flag of white and red with a blue cross that had been flown on the 1667 Oryol, the first Russian warship. The new flag became very popular, so much so that during the 19th century the b...