Last modified: 2007-04-14 by antónio martins
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In fact it is the Soviet Flag, better: the
Victory flag that was hoisted on the Reichstag in
Berlin in 1945, but without the hammer and sickle. To the decree is
attached a very well known photo of Evgueni
Khaldei which shows the Soviet soldier putting the Soviet Flag on the
Reichstag, but there is just a star on the flag.
Pascal Vagnat, 16 May 1999
The weird red flag with yellow star is a frequent sight as the May 9th
celebrations approach — I don’t remember to have seen this flag
in Feb 23rd (officially Fatherland Defenders Day, in practice Men’s
Day), though according to the law the flag is to be used on both days.
Wasn’t this law of 15 April 1996
met with outrage by normal russians? It seems to me that no matter how
unnapropriate one might regard the hammer and sickle symbol in nowadays
Russia, replacing it on a flag intended to be used to commemorate the
victory of the Soviet Army is, to say the least, a very crude act of
history falsification.
António Martins, 24 Apr 2000
Law of 1996 was not met with outrage by normal russians. “Normal
russians” ignored this Law… I never saw real flags according
Law of 1996. National tricolours and plain red flags are used on war-holidays.
Veterans use flags of USSR with star, hammer and
sickle.
Victor Lomantsov, 26 Apr 2000
No russian I asked about it seemed to know about this flag, but I have
seen it, red with larger yellow star, already twice: In last year’s May
9th here in Cheboksary, hoisted on the roof of some
large government facility (a court of law, if I recall correctly) and this
year in Nizhniy Novgorod (three weeks before May
9th), hoisted outside a fancy restaurant on Gorkiy Square. In both occasions
it was hoisted along the russian national flag.
António Martins, 01 May 2000
Does the 15 April 1996 law prescribe specific measures
and position for the star?
António Martins, 18 Nov 1999
Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Relating to the Victory Flag
To perpetuate the memory of the heroic exploits of the people in the course of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, in order for the Fatherland to honour the merit of the Soviet soldiers and as a sign of gratitude of the descendants to the victors over the Fascist invaders, I enact:
- On state holidays of the Russian Federation, military glory days (victory days) of Russia, at the time of military ceremonies and mass demonstrations connected with the victory of the Russian people, the Victory Flag will be used simultaneously with the State Flag of the Russian Federation.
- The Victory Flag, raised in May 1945 on the Reichstag, will be hoisted on May 9 (Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945) and February 23 (Defenders of the Fatherland Day) at the time of wreath-laying on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by federal agents of the State, in the course of the military parade and the march past of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, at Red Square in Moscow.
- In other cases given above in paragraph 1 of this decree the symbol of the Victory Flag will be used.
- The symbol of the Victory Flag consists of a red field of which the proportion of the length to the hoist is 2:1. On the obverse and the reverse, in the upper corner near the hoist is placed a representation of a five-pointed star.
- This decree is effective the date of signature.
The President of the Russian Federation
B. Yeltsin
The Kremlin, Moscow, 15 April 1996
translated by Dean Tiegs, 16 May 1999
It is my understanding of this decree that the actual historic flag
[the actual banner made by Yevgeni Khaldei
the night before it was raised in Berlin, in May 1945] is to be raised twice
a year in Red Square.
David Cohen, 17 May 1999, and Dean Tiegs, 18 May 1999
Unfortunately, and as usual, the law is quite verbose about secondary,
irrelevant and subjective questions, but fails to give construction
details. How big should the star be? Where exactly placed?
António Martins, 18 May 1999
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