Andreevsky flag: the history of creation

The main ship fodder flag of the Russian fleetthe St. Andrew's flag is considered. It is the intersection of two blue bands on a white background. The crossing of these two bands is called the Andreevsky cross, hence the name of the flag.

History of St. Andrew's flag as the main flagThe Russian fleet, and the history of the creation of this symbolism is very old: since the reign of Tsar Peter I. According to an old Bible legend, Tsar Peter had his divine patrons - the brothers Apostle Andrew and the Apostle Paul. The apostles patronized the sea trade, because they were engaged in fishing in the Sea of ​​Galilee. Once the brothers were called by Christ to themselves. The first of them was Andrew, so he was called Andrew the First-Called. Also, the Apostle Andrew, according to ancient traditions, is considered the patron saint of the Slavic lands and people who inhabit these lands. Nowadays, in the village called Gruzino, there is a temple named after Andrew the First-Called (earlier it was the town of Volkhovo). The temple was set up in honor of the fact that St. Andrew visited the city and left as a sign of this his pectoral cross. Also, according to legend, the Apostle visited the lands of the cities of Novgorod and Kiev and also left a pectoral cross there. In his journey, the Apostle tirelessly preached Christianity and a humble way of life, and he was martyred, crucified on the cross.

For the first time in Russia in 1698, Tsar Peter I wasthe Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. They were awarded for good government service and various military exploits. Such an order is a gold cross with a blue ribbon. All this was attached to the gold chain. On the cross there is a five-pointed star made of silver, in the center of the star there is a small eagle, and on the chest at the eagle there is a ribbon in the form of St. Andrew's cross.

For the first time the symbolism of the St. Andrew's flag waswas applied not by Peter I, but by his father - Alexei Mikhailovich. They created a flag designed specifically for the first military ship in Russia. This vessel was called "Eagle".

Tsar Peter paid much attention to the flags. He personally designed and designed flags for the fleet. Almost all flags used the theme of the St. Andrew's Cross. The king used blue, white and red colors to develop flags. All the flags created by him were accepted by the fleet. And one of them, which consisted of vertical stripes of white, blue and red, began to be considered a flag of Moscow and even was drawn in the atlases of that time.

Well, the most final version of the flag, justis considered the St. Andrew's flag (blue Andreevsky cross on a white background). He became the main ship symbol of the Russian fleet. Until November 1917 this flag existed in this form in the Russian Navy.

And in 1992, on January 17, the Russianthe government decided to return the St. Andrew's flag and make it again the Naval Flag of Russia. The return of the old naval comrade was accepted by the fleet with great joy. The St. Andrew's flag was illuminated in St. Petersburg in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Epiphany. We can see it on Russian ships, both military and civil.

A very common, significant, recognizable symbolism can be considered Andrew's Cross and St. Andrew's flag, a photo of which you saw in the article.