Where the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag come from

23 August is National Flag Day in Ukraine. The significance of this national symbol and its role in current events were discussed on Hromadske Radio with Oleh Odnorozhenko, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Deputy Commander of the 1st Self-Propelled Artillery Division of the 67th Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

«I always give lectures on history to my colleagues. These days, we will talk about our national symbols. This is very important for self-identification,» Odnorozhenko explained.

He notes that people who live in a particular country primarily associate themselves with its national symbols. This is the simplest and most convenient identification system.

Flag of Galicia-Volhynia State

The process of establishing the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag dates back to the nineteenth century. Oleh Odnorozhenko states that most European nations chose their national standards during this century.

«Before that, various banners were used, which often contained coats of arms. From the late 18th and early 19th centuries, national colors began to be created in a simplified form—an image of just a few multicolored stripes, usually based on the colors of a regional, state, or national coat of arms,» he noted.

The blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag are derived from the ancient coat of arms of the Rus’ Kingdom, sometimes referred to as the Galicia-Volhynia State.

«It was in these colors—a golden lion on a blue field—that the flag was used since the 12th century. This flag was then used as a symbol of the Lviv land. When the national revival took place in the nineteenth century, these colors were adopted as the national colors, based on this ancient medieval tradition,» Odnorozhenko added.

Independence

The emergence of the Ukrainian banner is linked to the national revival and the desire to assert itself on the historical stage and gain independence.

«Our self-awareness has been growing steadily since 1991. More and more people were thinking about who we are. National symbols served as a guideline back then. The importance of national symbols has been growing over the past 30 years. This was especially noticeable in 2014 and 2022,» he remarked.

According to the Razumkov Centre, as of the end of July 2024, 64% of Ukrainians are proud of the Ukrainian flag as a national symbol. These figures are significantly higher than before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.