Battle flag of the Navy. Maritime flags
On December 1 (11), 1699, Tsar Peter I Alekseevich established the Andreevsky flag as the official flag of the Russian Navy. The main ship banner of the Russian Navy is a white, rectangular panel, crossed diagonally from corner to corner with two blue stripes that form an oblique cross. The tsar explained his choice by the fact that it was from the Apostle Andrew the First-Called that Rus' first received holy baptism, and he became its heavenly patron, and thus Peter wanted to perpetuate the name of the saint.
The symbolism of the St. Andrew's flag has deep roots. One of the disciples of Jesus Christ was Andrew - the brother of the Apostle Peter (Cephas, former Simon), the patron saint of Tsar Peter I. According to the Gospel, both brothers fished on the Lake of Galilee, that is, they were directly related to the sea. Andrew was the first to be called by Jesus Christ as a disciple and therefore was called the First-Called. According to some sources, Andrei was sent for missionary work to Scythia (Northern Black Sea). A number of Russian sources report on the journey of the apostle from the Crimea to Rome via Ladoga. It is said that Andrew made a stop on the hills near the Dnieper, where Kyiv would be founded, and informed his disciples that the grace of God would shine here and a great city would be founded. He climbed the hills, blessed them and erected a cross. Then he visited the northern lands of Rus', marveling at the custom of the Slavs, who, while washing in the baths, beat themselves with “young rods”, douse themselves with kvass and ice water. Some sources report on the further journey of the Apostle Andrew to the north, where he put a cross near the present village of Gruzino on the banks of the Volkhov, to Lake Ladoga and a visit to the island of Valaam. At the same time, it should be noted that many authors, including Orthodox church historians, question the existence of this journey.
One thing is certain, the Apostle Andrew became famous as a tireless traveler and preacher of Christianity. The missionary's activity was closely connected with the sea. The Golden Legend (a collection of Christian legends and the lives of saints written in the 13th century) reports the salvation and even the resurrection of 40 travelers who were heading to the apostle by sea, but were killed by a storm (in another version, the sea is calmed by prayer). This can explain the veneration of Andrew the First-Called as the patron saint of sailors. His life was completed by martyrdom - crucifixion on an oblique cross (which received the name of the apostle).
The veneration of the Apostle Andrew in the Russian state and the special attitude of Tsar Peter Alekseevich towards him was also expressed in the fact that in 1698 the first Russian order was established - the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. The main part of the order was the image of the Apostle Andrew, crucified on an oblique cross. St. Andrew's Order on a blue ribbon until 1917 remained the main and most revered award in the Russian Empire (since 1998, the highest award of the Russian Federation). It should also be noted that the symbolism of the St. Andrew's flag came from Peter's father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who established a special flag for the Eagle ship built under him - a white-blue-red flag with a double-headed scarlet eagle.
Having become king, Pyotr Alekseevich paid great attention to the development of drawings for the flag of the Russian fleet. So, in 1692, two sketches were created. One - with three horizontal stripes and the signature: "white", "blue", and "red". The second drawing - the same colors are indicated with the St. Andrew's Cross "superimposed" on them. In 1693 and 1695, the flag of the second project was listed in a number of European atlases as the "flag of Muscovy". I must say that in search of the final version of the naval flag of Russia, the tsar went through about 30 projects over two decades. In August 1693, Tsar Peter raised St. Peter" a flag of three horizontal stripes (white, blue and red) with a golden eagle in the center. From this moment on, one can trace the development of the naval flag of the Russian state. Unfortunately, there is no information about the banners under which the boats of Russian soldiers sailed in the first millennium of our era, the ships of Novgorod merchants and ushkuiniki sailed. Although it can be assumed that the Russian battle banners were red from the earliest antiquity.
In 1696, during the second siege of the Turkish fortress of Azov, Russian ships carried a flag with a blue straight cross and quarters of white and red at the stern. However, the very next year, Tsar Peter established a new navy flag of three horizontal stripes - white, blue and red, actually returning to the 1693 version. Under this flag, in 1699, the ship "Fortress" went to Constantinople with the first official diplomatic mission of the Russian navy. At the same time, the Russian sovereign, who had just returned from a trip to Western Europe, continued to search for a drawing of the naval flag of Russia. In the autumn of 1699, for the first time, the “St. Andrew's” oblique blue cross appeared on a white-blue-red cloth - a sign of the patron saint of Rus', the Apostle Andrew the First-Called. He was also placed by the king in the white head of the tricolor pennant known since 1697, which existed under the name "ordinary" until 1870.
In 1700, Tsar Peter examines the engravings and drawings of the 58-gun ship "Goto Predestination" ("God's foresight"). In the engravings by Adrian Schonebeck and in the watercolors by Bergman, the warship is depicted with six different flags! One of the views depicts a flag, in the cloth of which nine horizontal stripes of white, blue and red colors are successively located; on the other - a white-blue-red flag with three horizontal stripes (1697 version); on the third - a flag of seven stripes, on the wide white central strip of which is placed a black St. Andrew's cross, above this strip are narrow white, blue and red, and below it are narrow blue, white and red stripes. However, the tsar believes that the flag of 1697 is outdated, and the nine-stripe cloth is hard to read and, moreover, is very similar to the Dutch flag of the rear admiral. The king is satisfied with the flags on the drawings: white, blue and red with St. Andrew's blue cross in the upper quarter of the flag near the hoist. This system was similar to that adopted in the British Navy. At the same time, flags of the galley fleet were established, which differed from ship flags in the presence of braids (the ends of the flag are in the form of right-angled triangles). In addition, white, blue and red pennants began to be raised on the masts of ships, in the white head of which was placed a blue St. Andrew's cross. The blue and red flags and pennants, which were sometimes abolished and reintroduced into circulation, generally lasted until 1865. The white flag received a new design already in 1710 - the blue St. Andrew's cross was moved to the center of the panel and seemed to hang in it, without touching the ends of the flag. The St. Andrew's flag adopted its familiar image in 1712: a white flag with a blue St. Andrew's cross. In this form, this flag existed in the Russian Navy until November 1917.
Since 1720, the guis began to be raised on the bowsprit of the ships of the Russian fleet - a special flag that was previously used as the flag of sea fortresses and was called the "keyser flag". The red cloth was crossed not only by an oblique blue cross, but by a straight white cross. It is believed that he appeared in 1701. Until 1720, Russian ships carried a smaller copy of the stern ensign as a guis. The word "guis" has an interesting one: it comes from the Dutch "gyoz", that is, a beggar. So in the 16th century, the inhabitants of the Netherlands who rebelled against Spanish rule were called. The largest group of gueuzes fought at sea ("sea gueuzes") and for the first time began to use this flag.
Guys, the flag of sea fortresses.
The supremacy of the white flag, with a blue St. Andrew's cross, was finally enshrined in the Charter of 1797: "If the ships are not ranked anywhere, they fly white flags." At the same time, the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet from its foundation until 1918 sailed only under the white flags of St. Andrew. Colored - blue and red flags, were abolished during the reigns of Anna Ioannovna and Catherine the Great. In the roofs (the upper quarter of the flag at the pole) of the blue and red flags from 1797 to 1801 (during the reign of Pavel Petrovich), not the St. Andrew's flag was placed, but a guis, which for Emperor Paul I, who from childhood held the rank of Admiral General, had special meaning as a personal sign. It should be noted that it was Tsar Pavel Petrovich who turned the old flags and banners from items of clothing allowance into military relics. In addition, during the reign of Emperor Paul, some Russian ships for some time raised a red flag with a white cross of Joannites. This flag was created as a stern sign of the Maltese squadrons created by the newly-made head of the Order of Malta. On December 16, 1798, Paul I was elected Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and planned to create a fleet based in Malta to ensure the interests of the Russian Empire in the Mediterranean and in southern Europe. The flag was abolished after the death of Pavel Petrovich.
In the 19th century, several more new fodder flags will appear in the Russian Empire. So, back in 1797, the ships of the Naval Cadet Corps received a special stern flag, where the coat of arms of the educational institution was placed in the center of the St. Andrew's flag in a red oval. And on the main mast, the ships of this educational institution began to raise "ordinary" pennants with tricolor braids. Since 1827, ships of training marine crews have been given the right to raise a special flag, where there was an image of a cannon and an anchor (they were also placed in a red oval). Received their stern flags and hydrographic vessels of the Russian imperial fleet. In 1828, a flag "for sailing" was established, on the St. Andrew's flag in the center there was a drawing of a black compass coil with a gold anchor pointing north. True, already in 1837 this flag was replaced by the flag of the hydrograph general established in 1829. It had the same black compass coil, but with a small blue cover. In addition, in the years 1815-1833. there was also a stern flag for the ships of the Vistula military flotilla (Flag of the military courts of the Kingdom of Poland). It was the St. Andrew's flag with a small red roof, in which a white Polish eagle was placed. This flag was abolished after the defeat of the Polish uprising of 1830-1831.
Flag of the Hydrograph General of the General Staff. The flag of ships intended for navigation.
Until 1797, auxiliary ships of the navy of the Russian Empire carried a tricolor flag at the stern, and a guis on the bowsprit. From 1794 to 1804 auxiliary vessels were distinguished by a military pennant. And since May 1804, they received a special flag with a white or blue panel, with a roof of national colors (white-blue-red) and crossed anchors under it. In addition, the armed transport carried a military pennant at the same time. All these flags were abolished in 1865.
St. George pennant - a tricolor pennant with the St. Andrew's flag in the head, on the center of the cross of which is superimposed a red shield with the image of the patron saint of the military, St. George the Victorious, was established in 1819. He began to distinguish the guards crew, which earned this honor in the battle of the city of Kulm in 1813. Other differences that distinguished senior officials were the St. George admiral's flag (it had the cloth of the St. Andrew's flag, but with the red shield of St. George the Victorious), St. George's braid pennant and the rear admiral's boat flag. In addition, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. in battles with the Turks, the 74-gun battleship Azov (the hero of the Battle of Navarino) and the 18-gun brig Mercury (defeated two Turkish battleships) especially distinguished themselves, they were marked with Admiral St. George flags, which were raised as stern. In the entire subsequent history of the Russian Empire, no other warship of the Russian fleet has received such an award.
With the development of the country, there were changes in the flags of the navy. In 1865, blue and red flags and pennants were canceled due to uselessness. Also canceled and all, except for Andreevsky, stern flags. In 1870, the boat flags became admirals' topmast flags, the "ordinary" pennant was eliminated, under which ships sailed that were not assigned to any part. St. George's pennant received instead of tricolor, white braids. In the same year, the blue flag, which had the image of the St. Andrew's flag in the roof, became the stern flag of the auxiliary ships of the Russian Navy. In addition, as the armed forces develop, flags of naval fortress ships, new flags of officials, ships of individual units, ships of a separate Border Guard Corps, and naval aviation flags appear.
The 1917 revolution brought new symbols. Next to the Andreev flags, red flags began to be raised. Since the spring of 1918, the hoisting of the Andreevsky flag on the ships of Soviet Russia was stopped. At the end of 1924, the Andreev flags were also lowered on the ships of the White fleet in Bizerte (the ships were laid down by the French, they would soon “put them on pins and needles”). The guis and the fortress flag, with some changes - in the central part of the cloth in a white circle depicted a red star with a hammer and sickle in the middle, existed until 1932. In addition, during the Second World War, the symbols of the St. Andrew's flag were used by the collaborationist units of General Vlasov.
On January 17, 1992, the Russian government adopted a resolution that returned the status of the Russian Naval Flag to the St. Andrew's flag. As a result, the pre-revolutionary St. Andrew's flag and guis were restored to the Russian Navy and are still in operation.
Navy Day is one of the most beloved national holidays. Not the last role in this is played by the visual component: sailors in beautiful full dress, majestic ships on the roadsteads, flags fluttering in the wind.
Behind every naval tradition is a difficult experience and a unique historical path of Russia. The same can be said about the symbols of our fleet and the main one - St. Andrew's flag. Mikhail Monakov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Senior Researcher at the Research Institute (Military History) of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, told TASS about its history, about the meanings and images that the blue oblique cross on a white field represents.
At the origins of tradition
The custom of hoisting flags on ships originated when the fleet was sailing. Then any exit to the sea could be the last - the ships died from irresistible natural forces, wars at sea were fought for decades, and in between them pirates hunted on the sea routes. Even then it had not only functional, but also the most important political and ritual significance. The appearance of the flag, its symbolism was supposed to influence the minds and moods of the sailors in such a way as to maintain their faith in the patronage of higher powers, in the power of their sovereign and their country, to convince that the person overshadowed by him is stronger than any enemy and sea elements.
The practical significance of flags in the era of sailing and at the beginning of the era of the steam fleet is obvious. Then there was still no “friend or foe” identification equipment, ships did not see each other beyond the horizon, which is why the probability of a sudden meeting with the enemy or “gentlemen of fortune” was high
Mikhail Monakov
Therefore, until a certain time, even "merchants" - commercial ships - went armed. At sea, they approached with some apprehension: before deciding on this, it was necessary to establish whether such a meeting would lead to serious consequences. Indeed, even between formally non-belligerent states, relations were sometimes such that, if the opportunity arose, they did not hesitate to seize ships and vessels from each other. It was possible to evade a dangerous approach, break away and escape pursuit, only in time to distinguish the flag of an oncoming ship.
Birth of the flag
Until the end of the 17th century, state symbols in Russia were in their infancy. Its use was limited, and it was not used to indicate the ownership of private cargo and fishing vessels that sailed along the inland routes and seas of the Russian North.
The regular navy in Russia appeared thanks to Peter the Great and his associates. In parallel with the creation of the fleet, its symbols were also formed.
From Western Europe to Russia came the division of the flags of the military and commercial fleet in appearance and status. Today, on this basis, states can be distinguished whose maritime traditions date back to the Middle Ages, the code of chivalry and knightly symbols. At the top of this list is the UK. A similar division exists in the maritime states historically associated with the British crown, and in some other countries, for example, in Japan, whose fleet at the end of the 19th century was built according to the British model.
The Netherlands, France and the United States do not have such a division - both ships and civilian ships use the national flag as the main symbol of nationality.
Reliable and time-bound sketches of flags, on the basis of which the appearance and main elements of the symbolism of the Russian state flag, the flags of the military and merchant fleet were subsequently formed, date back to 1698–1699. It was then that Peter the Great returned from England, where he studied maritime affairs.
Mikhail Monakov
Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences
There is reason to believe that a slightly modified Dutch one was taken as a sample of flags made for Russian ships and vessels that participated in the first and second Azov campaigns. Three colors - white, blue and red - are present in the state symbols of many countries. This is a very bright combination, easily perceived visually and memorable.
"The flags of the Russian ships were tricolor, but how these colors were arranged in the form of some geometric shapes, vertical or horizontal stripes, we cannot reliably judge. ) divided into rectangles (presumably white and red), arranged in a checkerboard pattern. But these engravings were not made from nature, but according to the verbal descriptions of the participants in the campaign, and they cannot be trusted, "Monakov explains.
The first images of the St. Andrew's Cross on naval flags also appear no earlier than 1698. Obviously, they are associated with the first award of the Russian Empire - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, which was established by Peter. The basis of the symbolism of this order is a blue or azure oblique cross, on which the apostle was allegedly crucified, who was the first to accept the teachings of Jesus Christ and followed him.
In the British flag, or, as it is called, the "Union Jack", which Peter also liked very much, three crosses are connected - the British George (red on a white field), the Scottish St. Andrew's (white on a blue field) and later - the oblique red cross of St. honored in Ireland.
The first sketches of the Russian St. Andrew's flag, attributed to Peter the Great, indicate that the tsar tried to impose an oblique blue cross on the tricolor, but such an image was very difficult to read.
And then the first Russian emperor took the path of minimalism - he left the azure St. Andrew's cross on a white field. It was a very functional approach - to make the flag highly visible, readable and at the same time different from others.
Creating a legend
The system of flags of the Russian state has been created for about 20 years. It was first described in the "Naval Military Regulations", which was published in 1720. "The introductory chapter of this charter opens with the words "The fleet is a French word." But then comes the prehistory of the Russian fleet. The following was implied: although this fleet was created not so long ago, its history and traditions are no less ancient and glorious than those of the leading maritime powers of that time," explains Monakov.
This chapter of the "Naval Charter" says that the first attempt to create a regular fleet in Russia was made under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the father of Peter the Great, but much earlier, several centuries before the creation of the British fleet, the Russians went to sea on their ships participated in naval battles. It is obvious that all this correlated with the idea of Elder Philotheus that "Moscow is the Third Rome, and there will be no fourth."
The basis of the state ideology of any European country of that time was Christianity. Rus' accepted it in the 9th century, however, according to the legend of Andrew the First-Called, already in the 1st century he brought it to the lands of the Eastern Slavs and, preaching the teachings of Christ, went from the place where Kiev subsequently arose to the island of Valaam on Lake Ladoga.
"In the circle of Peter's associates was Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich - one of the largest figures in Russian Orthodoxy of the late 17th - early 18th centuries. According to some sources, he is the co-author of the introductory chapter to the "Naval Charter". I admit that it was he who inspired Peter the idea of making the symbol of the Military -Marine Fleet of Russia St. Andrew's Cross," Monakov notes.
Guys history
At the beginning of the 18th century, a modified replica of the British "Union Jack" entered the system of Russian state symbols - this is the ship's bow flag - guis.
From a practical point of view, its appearance is explained by the fact that at a certain angle the stern ensign of a ship sailing under full sail was not visible. First, they began to duplicate it with the same flag raised on the bow flagpole, and then, obviously, in order to emphasize the special role of the stern flag, they began to use a guis instead of the bow Andreevsky. Being raised on the main mast (the highest on a sailing ship), it acted as a "keyser flag" - a symbol of the power of the commander in chief of the fleet, and was also used as a flag for sea fortresses.
The "royal" standard - a rectangular panel with a black eagle on a yellow background - became the symbol of supreme power. It was raised when a royal was present on board.
Until the end of the 18th century, the guis and St. Andrew's flag were raised on all ships and vessels of the Russian fleet, regardless of their size and armament. Later, the guis became the exclusive property of the largest and most powerful of them - ships of the first and second ranks. Initially, they carried this flag on the move, and then they began to raise it only while anchoring, barrel or mooring.
Mikhail Monakov
Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences
In battle, in addition to the main (stern) flag, which, on the move, ships of the domestic fleet carried on a hafel (a yard, which was installed in the diametrical plane, perpendicular or at an angle to the mast), topmasts were raised on masts free from other flags and pennants. Thus, if one of the St. Andrew's flags was shot down in battle, at least one of them remained, and the ship could not find itself in a situation that outwardly resembled a surrender.
St. George's flag
In Russia, there was a special - honorary version of the St. Andrew's flag, but over the two centuries of the pre-revolutionary history of the Russian fleet, only two ships deserved it, the teams of which in battle showed mass heroism and high military skill.
Outwardly, it looked exactly the same, but in the center of the azure oblique cross was placed the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow - St. George, striking a snake, on a scarlet (red) field. This flag was established in 1813 and presented to the Naval Guards crew, which fought as part of the Guards Corps in 1812 and in the Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army in 1813–1814. By decree of Emperor Alexander the First, the crew was awarded for the victory in the battle of Kulm.
Subsequently, the emperor ordered to raise St. George's Andreevsky flags on all ships assigned to the Guards crew. The first to receive it was the battleship Azov, which distinguished itself in the Battle of Navarino. It is noteworthy that at that time the young lieutenant Pavel Nakhimov, midshipman Vladimir Kornilov and midshipman Vladimir Istomin served on it, and one of the greatest Russian admirals, the discoverer of Antarctica Mikhail Lazarev, commanded the Azov
Mikhail Monakov
Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences
The second ship to receive the St. George's flag was the famous brig "Mercury", depicted in a painting by Ivan Aivazovsky. In 1829, under the command of lieutenant commander Alexander Kazarsky, this 20-gun brig dared to engage in battle with two Turkish ships of the line, each of which had 80 guns.
Then the St. George's flag was inherited by the cruisers "Pamyat Azov" and "Memory of Mercury" named after these two heroic ships.
Color flags
During the holiday, each ship from bow to stern is traditionally decorated with signal flags (coloring). Initially, they were intended for communication between ships in battle or a campaign - the transmission of signals with which the flagship controlled his squadron. First, they were raised on the flagship, and then the signal was rehearsed (repeated) by the ships ahead and following in the wake.
If the connection was numerous, rehearsal ships were assigned to speed up the transmission of flag signals. They went out of order, went in a parallel course, repeated the signals behind the flagship, and in this case they could be observed simultaneously from several ships of the squadron, which significantly reduced the time for fulfilling the orders of the commander
Mikhail Monakov
Senior Research Fellow, Research Institute (Military History), Doctor of Historical Sciences
Usually the signals were three-flag. Centuries-old maritime experience suggests that a person on a neighboring ship is not able to perceive more than three characters quickly and unambiguously. In the domestic fleet, each signal flag has a name and meaning that coincides with the name and meaning of the corresponding letter of the Old Slavonic alphabet: "az", "beeches", "lead" and so on.
Over time, these bright flags, which were used for their intended purpose and on solemn occasions (for example, at the highest reviews), began to be used as a festive decoration for ships - coloring flags. At the same time, a strict rule says that then they are "collected" without any system, so that there is no accidental combination of them that could be interpreted as a signal to be executed. Those that outwardly resemble the flags of other states are also excluded (there are such flags in the set of signal flags).
At night, the coloring flags are replaced by festive illuminations. This custom has existed since after sunset, during public holidays, garlands of lanterns suspended on masts were lit on warships, and luminous images in the form of the state emblem or imperial monogram were placed between them.
Traditions are alive
All the main maritime symbols passed from the sailing fleet to the steam fleet almost unchanged. He also inherited a special military ritual - the raising of the stern St. Andrew's flag and the guis (on those ships to which it is assigned by rank). Previously, this ceremony was held simultaneously with sunrise, but now according to the schedule, at eight in the morning.
The morning flag-raising ceremony has always been very solemn. In some ways, it was akin to the liturgy, which on the ships of the old fleet began with the words: "To prayer! Hats off!" And before the raising of the flag, the command sounded: "Hats off! Raise the flag!"
After the revolution, the Andreevsky flag was canceled, but the guis served in an almost unchanged form for some time. The most interesting thing is that the appearance of the first naval flag of the RKKF (or the Naval Forces of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army of the USSR - TASS note), which existed before 1935, echoes the guis - there are elements of both the St. George Cross and St. Andrew's.
It is also noteworthy that the Soviet naval flag, introduced in 1935, has the same basic colors - white and blue - as the Andreevsky flag. Only bright red elements have been added - a star, a sickle and a hammer.
“The modern ritual of raising and lowering the flag on Russian warships is different from the rituals in the navies of other countries. These are echoes of the old, imperial fleet. Wearing the flag at sea on the gaff, and not on the stern, is also a Russian tradition,” Monakov adds.
When in 1992 the St. Andrew's flag was raised again on Russian ships, it became a symbol of the inseparability of the pre-revolutionary and Soviet traditions of the Russian Navy. Today, the status of this flag has become even higher - it is legally equated with a battle banner, being a symbol of heroism, valor and honor of many generations of Russian sailors.
Prepared Anna Yudina
White and blue symbol of honor of Russian sailors
On December 11, Russia celebrates the Day of the St. Andrew's flag, granted to the fleet by the first Russian Emperor Peter the Great / Cycle "Our Victories"
Ask any Russian military sailor about the two most important colors he associates with the fleet, and you will hear the answer: blue and white. And it's completely natural. These are the colors of one of the most famous naval flags in the world - the Russian flag of St. Andrew. Also in
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On December 11*, Russia celebrates a holiday in his honor: on this day in 1699, Peter the Great approved the famous oblique blue cross on a white background as a symbol of the Russian navy. The vessels of the Russian Imperial Navy sailed under the Andreevsky flag for more than two centuries: from 1699 to 1924. This cloth overshadowed the most famous naval battles that made the glory of Russian sailors: Gogland and Gangut, Sinop and Chesme, Chios and Tsushima. Under this flag, the Azov battleship and the Mercury brig, the Varyag cruiser and the Koreyets gunboat, the Eagle sailing ship and the Guarding destroyer went into battle, without caring about the number of enemy ships. A blue oblique cross on a white background overshadowed the shores of Antarctica, brought there by the sloops "Vostok" and "Mirny", traveled around the globe on the frigate "Pallada" and the corvette "Vityaz". And it has always remained a symbol of the selfless service of Russian sailors to the Motherland.
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The cross that overshadowed the Russian fleet
There is a beautiful legend about how exactly the first Russian emperor Peter Alekseevich came up with a drawing of the St. Andrew's flag. Say, after sitting up late over the sketches of the naval flag for the newly emerging Russian fleet, the tsar dozed off right at the table. And waking up in the morning, he suddenly saw an oblique blue cross that fell on a white sheet in front of his face. So bizarrely the sunlight refracted and lay on the paper, passing through the colored stained-glass window on the window of the royal office ...
Alas, in reality, all this could hardly have happened just like that. The first sketch, on which the oblique St. Andrew's Cross appeared, was drawn in 1692 simultaneously with another - the classic white-blue-red. Against the background of the same tricolor, the sovereign was first depicted with an oblique blue cross, which could hardly have been the result of a successful play of light and shadow.
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Finally, the Andreevsky flag established itself as the main naval flag of Russia in 1712, when Peter I signed the highest decree on its widespread use: “the flag is white, through which the blue cross of St. Andrew for the sake of the fact that Russia received holy baptism from this apostle.
There is another reason why Peter the Great chose the St. Andrew's Cross as a symbol of the Russian navy. In 1703, the Russians occupied the island of Kotlin, and thus the cherished dream of the first Russian emperor came true - access to the Baltic Sea. It became the fourth sea for Russia, on which the empire established its dominion: together with the Caspian, Azov and White. And thus, the four-pointed St. Andrew's Cross received a completely new meaning for Russia.
Die at the flag post
“All Russian military ships should not lower flags, pennants and topsails in front of anyone, under the penalty of deprivation of the stomach,” says the “Charter of the Sea about everything related to good management when the fleet was at sea,” written by Peter I. This requirement is was strictly observed in the Russian fleet, and there was no dishonor worse for Russian sailors than lowering the flag in the face of the enemy.
So that no one could decide on such madness alone, the stern St. Andrew's flag - namely, it was and is considered the main one on the ships of the Russian fleet - was always guarded by an armed sentry. Suffice it to say that the same strict protection was provided on sailing ships only by the hook-chamber, that is, the ship's storage of gunpowder and cores.
The book of the Russian Navy historian Nikolai Manvelov "Customs and Traditions of the Russian Imperial Fleet" provides some amazing facts about how the sailors guarding the flag did not leave their posts until the arrival of a new sentry, even after severe injuries. For example, the author writes, “during the battle near Port Arthur on January 27, 1904, Nikifor Pecheritsa, sentry near the stern flag of the armored cruiser Bayan, received shrapnel wounds in both legs, but did not leave the post. They changed it only after the battle - the officers noticed that the non-commissioned officer was standing in an extremely unnatural position. One of the last left his ship in the Korean port of Chemulpo (modern Icheon) and sentry at the banner of the cruiser "Varyag". The boatswain Pyotr Olenin did not change throughout the battle and did not die by a miracle - the Dutchwoman and trousers were cut with shrapnel, the butt of the rifle was broken and the boot was torn. At the same time, the non-commissioned officer himself received only a slight wound in the leg. The sentry at the flag on the mainmast of the armored cruiser "Russia" in the battle with Japanese ships in the Korea Strait on August 1, 1904 temporarily left the post only at the request of the senior officer of the cruiser. By that time, he had been repeatedly wounded and was bleeding. It is not difficult to guess that he returned to his place immediately after the dressing.
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And it must be admitted that it was not the “fine deprivation of the stomach” that kept the Russian sailors from lowering the flag in front of the enemy, but the firm conviction that this act could not be justified. Not without reason, in the entire history of the Russian fleet, only two cases are known when the ships nevertheless decided to lower the flag - but, surprisingly, none of the officers and sailors were punished for this by death. Probably because living with the stigma of an perjurer and a coward was a much greater punishment than losing one's life.
"So that in the future, cowards for the Russian fleet do not produce"
The first case occurred in May 1829, when the commander of the Raphael frigate, Captain II rank Semyon Stroynikov, in order to save his team from certain death, lowered the St. Andrew's flag in front of the Turkish squadron that outnumbered him. The captured ship became part of the Turkish fleet and after 24 years during the battle of Sinop was burned by the Russian squadron - as required by the royal decree, which forever crossed out the name "Raphael" from the list of ships of the Russian fleet. And the dishonored crew was captured and after the end of the war returned to their homeland, where they were almost in full force - from the captain to the last hold, with the exception of one midshipman who objected to the commander! - Was demoted to sailors. In addition, Emperor Nicholas I, by his personal decree, forbade the former commander of the frigate to marry, "so that in the future he would not produce cowards for the Russian fleet." True, this measure was late: by that time, Stroynikov already had two sons - Nikolai and Alexander, and the shame of his father did not prevent them from becoming naval officers and rising to the ranks of rear admirals.
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Two saints on one flag
On June 5 (17), 1819, by the imperial decree of Alexander I, the St. George St. Andrew's flag was approved, where a red heraldic shield with the canonical image of St. George the Victorious was depicted on top of the St. Andrew's Cross. So on one flag appeared the symbols of two saints at once, especially revered in Russia: St. George and St. Andrew the Apostle.
The second case of the lowering of the St. Andrew's flag was recorded already in the reign of the last autocrat of the All-Russian Nicholas II. On the second day of the Tsushima battle, five ships of the Russian fleet at once decided on dishonor in order to save the lives of 2280 Russian sailors. As the author of the book Customs and Traditions of the Russian Imperial Fleet writes, then “the Japanese fleet under the command of Admiral Heihachiro Togo surrendered two squadron battleships, two coastal defense battleships and a destroyer, on board of which was the seriously wounded commander of the 2nd squadron of the Pacific Fleet, vice- Admiral Zinovy Rozhdestvensky. To the surprise of contemporaries, the admirals of the surrendered warships were treated very gently. Rear Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov, commander of the 3rd combat detachment of the squadron, was first deprived of his ranks and awards, and then, in 1906, sentenced to death, immediately replaced by 10 years in a fortress. However, he served only 3 years and was released early. The fleet, however, did not forgive him for lowering the flag - the son of Nebogatov, who studied at the Naval Cadet Corps, was so obstructed that he had to leave the corps and give up all hope of becoming a naval officer. The same replacement of the death penalty with a ten-year imprisonment in the fortress awaited the commanders of the ships that surrendered with Nebogatov.
Return of the legend
The fact that in the entire two-century-plus history of the Russian navy, the St. Andrew's flag was lowered in the face of the enemy only twice, and examples when our sailors raised the signal “I die, but do not give up!” and stood to the end, there was much more, says a lot. First of all, about the pride with which Russian sailors carried their rank and their blue-and-white symbol. And they carried it to the last: after Russia became Soviet, the St. Andrew's flag continued to fly over the Russian ships, which their crews managed to take away from Sevastopol to distant Bizert. Only there, and only after France recognized Soviet Russia in 1924 and refused to recognize the flags of the Russian Empire, did the sailors lower the legendary banners with tears in their eyes.
But Andrew's colors have not gone away! On the first flag of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet, only the St. Andrew's Cross was present - albeit on a red background and adjacent to a red star. But, when a new naval flag was approved in 1935, its main colors were returned: a white flag with a wide blue stripe. Having abandoned all the symbols of the "rotten autocracy", the Bolsheviks still did not dare to encroach on the symbol of the Russian fleet.
And the fleet adequately responded to this decision. Under the Soviet naval flag, Russian sailors gained no less fame than under Andreevsky, worthily continuing the work of their predecessors and not disgracing their honor. When the country ceased to be Soviet, one of the first decisions of the All-Army Officers' Meeting on January 17, 1992 was a petition to replace the naval flag of the USSR with the naval flag of Russia - Andreevsky. On the same day, the Russian government adopted a resolution on the return of the status of the Andreevsky flag. The presidential decree approving the new flags of the country, including the naval one, was signed on July 21, 1992.
* The decree was signed by Peter on December 1, 1699 according to the old style. Due to discrepancies in the dates in some sources, December 10 is considered the Day of the St. Andrew's flag.
The Navy honors traditions, observes ancient rituals and cherishes symbols. Everyone knows that the main flag is St. Andrew's banner, proudly fluttering on the masts and mainmasts of the first imperial sailing ships of the Peter's fleet. However, not everyone knows that even then there were other maritime flags that differed in function and informative orientation. This position is still in effect today.
The birth of the St. Andrew's flag
Created by Peter the Great, he also took care of its symbols. He drew the first naval flags himself and went through several options. The chosen version was based on the "oblique" St. Andrew's Cross. It was this option, which became the eighth and last, that served until the October Revolution of 1917. Crossed by St. Andrew the First-Called, Russian ships won many victories, and if they suffered defeats, then the glory of the heroism of sailors survived generations and shines to this day.
Saint Andrew the First-Called
The reason why this symbol was chosen has a deep meaning. The fact is that the first disciple of Christ, Andrew the First-Called, brother of the Apostle Peter, is considered both the patron saint of sailors (he himself was a Galilean fisherman), and Holy Rus'. In his wanderings, he visited, among many other cities, Kyiv, Veliky Novgorod, and Volkhov, preaching the Christian faith. The Apostle Andrew was martyred on the cross, while the executioners crucified him not on a straight, but on an oblique cross (this is how the concept and name of this symbol arose).
The naval flag of Russia in the final version of Peter the Great looked like a white cloth crossed out with a blue cross. He is like that today.
In the first years after the revolution, the Bolsheviks did not attach much importance to naval power. During the Civil War, almost all fronts were land fronts, and when the devastation came, there were simply no funds for the maintenance of complex equipment. The few ships of the river and sea flotillas, which remained at the disposal of the new government, raised the leadership of the worker-peasant army and comrade L. D. Trotsky with contempt for maritime traditions, heraldry, symbols, history and the like "ashes of the old world".
In 1923, the former officer of the tsarist fleet, Ordynsky, nevertheless convinced the Bolsheviks to adopt a special flag for ships, offering a rather strange option - an almost complete copy of the Japanese banner with the sign of the Red Army in the center. This flag of the RSFSR flew on yards and flagpoles until 1935, then it had to be abandoned. Imperial Japan was becoming a likely enemy, and ships could easily be confused from afar.
The decision on the new Red Navy pennant was made by the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. Even then, some continuity was observed, white and blue colors appeared on it, borrowed from the St. Andrew's banner, but, of course, the new symbol of the USSR Navy could not do without a star and a hammer and sickle, moreover, red ones.
In 1950, it was slightly changed by reducing the relative size of the star. The flag has acquired a geometric balance, objectively it has become more beautiful. In this form, it existed until the collapse of the USSR and another year, while there was confusion. In 1992, new (or rather, revived old) St. Andrew's naval flags were hoisted on all ships. The cross did not quite correspond to the historical tradition, but in general it was almost the same as under Peter the Great. Everything is back to normal.
What flags are in the fleet
Flags in the fleet are different, and their purpose is different. In addition to the usual stern Andreevsky banners, a guis is also raised on ships of the first and second ranks, but only while moored at the pier. After going to sea, the stern flag is hoisted on the mast or topmasts (at the highest point). If a battle begins, the state flag is raised.
"Colored" flags
The charter also provides for pennants of naval commanders of various ranks. Naval flags, indicating the presence of commanders on board, are indicated by a red flag, a quarter of which is occupied by a blue St. Andrew's cross on a white background. On the colored field are:
- one star (white) - if the commander of the formation of ships is on board;
- two stars (white) - if the commander of a flotilla or squadron is on board;
- three stars (white) - if the fleet commander is on board.
In addition, there are other colored flags, with the coat of arms of the Russian Federation on a red background, crossed out with two crosses, St. Andrew's and a straight white one or with two intersecting anchors on the same background. This means the presence on the ship of the Minister of Defense or the Chief of the General Staff.
signal flags
Information exchange, as in the past, can be carried out through visual symbols, including sea signal flags. Of course, in the age of electronic means, they are used extremely rarely and, rather, serve as a symbol of the inviolability of naval traditions, and on holidays they decorate with their multicolored ball-gray monotony of ship camouflage, but if necessary, they can also perform their direct function. Sailors must be able to use them, and for this they need to study reference books, which contain all the flag signals. These volumes consist of sections that contain transcripts of geographical names, ship names, military ranks, and the like. Directories are two-flag and three-flag, with the help of many combinations, you can quickly report the situation and transmit orders. Negotiations with foreign ships are conducted through the International Code of Flag Signals.
In addition to pennants, meaning whole phrases, there have always been letter flags with which you can compose any message.
Flags with St. George ribbon
All are conditionally divided into ordinary and guards. A distinctive feature of the guard in Russia is the St. George Ribbon, which is present in the symbolism of the unit. Naval flags, decorated with an orange and black stripe, mean that a ship or coastal base belongs to a number of especially glorified units. The sailors abandoned the initial idea that the ribbon should become a separate element of the banner, so that it could not wrap around the flag halyard, and now the St. George symbol is applied directly to the canvas in its lower part. Such a naval flag of Russia testifies to the special combat readiness and high class of both the ship itself and its crew, it obliges a lot.
Marines flag
In Soviet times, each branch of the military had its own symbols. For example, the maritime border guards belonging to the USSR State Security Committee had their own flag, which was a compilation of the Navy flag in a reduced form on a green field. Now, after the adoption of a single model, the diversity has become less, but unofficial symbols have appeared, created by the imagination of military personnel, and therefore, probably, they are even more beloved and revered by them. One of them is the flag of the Marine Corps. In essence, this is the same St. Andrew's white canvas with a blue cross, but it is supplemented with a patch of this type of troops (a gold anchor in a black circle), the inscription "Marines" and the motto "Where we are, there is victory!".
The Marine Corps was created in Russia earlier than in many other countries (almost together with the fleet), and during its existence covered itself with unfading glory. In 1669, the Eagle team became its first unit, and in 1705 the first marine soldier regiment was formed. It was November 27, and since then this day has been celebrated by all Marines. They fought not only as marines, they also participated in ground operations, during the Napoleonic invasion, and in other wars (Crimean, Russian-Turkish, World War I, Great Patriotic War). In the armed conflicts of recent decades, they also had a chance to fight, and the enemy knew that if the flag of the Marine Corps was raised, then the circumstances for him were very unfavorable and it was best for him to retreat.
After a long break in February 2012, the heraldic naval justice was restored. From the hands of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Kuroyedov, received the updated naval ensign of Russia. Now he flies over all the oceans.
Arrangement of flags and pennants on a modern ship
- stern ensign- hoisted on a stern flagpole or on a gaff. This is the main symbol of the ship and one of the main symbols of the state, equal in value to the state flag. In addition to the main naval flag, there are also special ones - guards, orders. flags of auxiliary, hydrographic and search and rescue ships of the Navy. border flags, coast guard ship flags. As a rule, all these panels are based on the pattern of the stern ensign of the Navy.
- Topmast flags , the dimensions of which are significantly inferior to the dimensions of the stern ones, are raised on the topmasts of the ship (the topmast in the sailing fleet was called a wooden bar that completed the mast). Conventionally, they can be divided into official, official, signal.
Ensign of the Russian Navy
- Official are the flags of some state paramilitary organization raised as identifiers for ships of this service (the stern ensign of the ship has a different pattern).
- official flags are symbols hoisted on ships when flagships or other persons are on board and assigned special distinctive flags.
- Signal serve for the transmission of commands by the flagship to subordinate commanders, the day of signaling or negotiations between ships.
3.Jack(from the Dutch word geus - a beggar, which Peter the Great read as "guis") - a flag raised on the bow flagpole (guisstoke) of the ship. It is smaller than the stern flag. Being also the flag of sea fortresses, it means that a warship is an impregnable fortress.
4.boat flags in the Navy today they do not have an individual pattern and have not been used as special official symbols since the second half of the 19th century. However, earlier it was a special flag, indicating the rank of the flagship in the boat, and it was raised on its bow flagpole (the ship's flag was placed on the stern flagpole).
5. Pennant now means that the warship is in the company, that is, it is fully equipped with a crew, combat and other supplies and is ready to perform a combat mission. The pennant cloth can be conical (triangular) or have a conical or straight ribbon, ending at the end with two braids. At the luff, a head is often placed, which plays the role of a roof.
6. raid pennant rises on the ship - the official residence of the official to whom the braid pennant has been assigned.
7. special flags of heads of state, hoisted on a warship during a visit by the king, president, etc. Usually hoisted on the main mast, but sometimes it also appears in place of the stern flag.