The history of the Ukrainian flag dates back to the mid-19th century when the concept of a Ukrainian national identity began to emerge. The first Ukrainian flag was designed in 1848 by a Ukrainian poet and writer, Mykola Kostomarov, during the Revolutions of 1848.
The flag had two horizontal stripes of blue and yellow, which represented the sky and fields of Ukraine, respectively. This flag was adopted by the Ukrainian People’s Republic in 1917 and later became the official flag of Ukraine after the country gained independence in 1991.
During the Soviet era, the blue and yellow colors were prohibited, and the Soviet flag was used instead. However, during the Ukrainian independence movement in the 1980s and 1990s, the blue and yellow flag reemerged as a symbol of Ukrainian nationalism and independence.
In 1991, the Ukrainian parliament adopted the blue and yellow flag as the national symbol of Ukraine. The current design of the flag features two horizontal bands of equal size, with the top band being blue and the bottom band being yellow.
1410
The Flag of Lviv
The flag of Lviv in the Battle of Tannenberg, as described by polish chronicler Jan Dlugosz.
1649-1764
The Zaporizhian Host
The flag of arms of the Cossack Hetmanate (Zaporizhian Host)
1848
First Ukrainian Flag
The first national flag for Ukraine was adopted in 1848 by revolutionaries who wanted its western parts to be freed from Austro-Hungarian rule. They based their flag, consisting of equal horizontal stripes of yellow over blue, on the colours of the coat of arms used by the city of Lviv. The arms showed a golden lion on a blue shield, an emblem dating back many centuries.
1917
The Blue and Yellow
Following the dissolution of the Austrian and Russian empires due to World War I, Ukrainians were presented with the first chance to establish blue and yellow as their national flag.
1918
Flipped Colors
The decision was made to reverse the stripes of the 1848 flag to reflect the symbolism of “blue skies over golden wheat fields.”
1919-1991
The Soviet Union
Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, and its flag went through a few changes, culminating in a blue and red background with a gold hammer and sickle and a gold-bordered red star.
1991
Independence (Again)
Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union and readopted the blue and yellow flag.
1996
Constitutional Definition
The state flag of Ukraine was defined in the Constitution of Ukraine as a “banner of two equally sized horizontal bands of blue and yellow color”
Overall, the evolution of the Ukrainian flag reflects the country’s complex history and struggles for independence. The current blue and yellow design with the trident is a symbol of Ukraine’s sovereignty and national pride.
