National Flag
The national flag has been in use since June 7, 1995, one of two symbols adopted in the 1995 referendum. The main elements of the flag is a red and green bicolor, then decorated with an ornament pattern at the hoist position. The current flag is a modification of the 1951 flag used while the country was a republic of the Soviet Union. In the Soviet version, a hammer and sickle was placed near the top-hoist corner and the ornament colors were inverted. Several flags used by government officials and agencies were based on the national flag.
Despite being replaced, the former flag of Belarus is used by those who oppose current Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The former flag consisted of a white background with a red horizontal stripe in the middle. It was used by the Belarusian National Republic and immediately after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Read more about this topic: National Symbols Of Belarus
Famous quotes containing the words national and/or flag:
“Our national determination to keep free of foreign wars and foreign entanglements cannot prevent us from feeling deep concern when ideals and principles that we have cherished are challenged.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)
“What is Americanism? Every one has a different answer. Some people say it is never to submit to the dictation of a King. Others say Americanism is the pride of liberty and the defence of an insult to the flag with their gore. When some half-developed person tramples on that flag, we should be ready to pour out the blood of the nation, they say. But do we not sit in silence when that flag waves over living conditions which should be an insult to all patriotism?”
—Anna Howard Shaw (1847–1919)