History
The first flag of the Russian SFSR (14 April – 17 June 1918) was a flag showing the full name of the recently born Soviet republic before the then imminent Russian spelling reform. Its ratio was unspecified.
From 1918, the flag was red with the gold Cyrillic characters РСФСР (RSFSR) in the top-left corner, in a traditional Vyaz' style of ornamental Cyrillic calligraphy.
From 1920, the characters was redesigned as described in the Russian Constitution of 1925. However this flag was oftentimes not used, with the 1918 flag being used until 1937.
![](../I/m/Flag_of_Russia_(1918).svg.png) |
Flag of the Russian SFSR (14 April 1918) |
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![](../I/m/Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_(1918%E2%80%931937).svg.png) |
Flag of the Russian SFSR (17 June 1918 – 21 January 1937) |
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![](../I/m/Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic_(1937%E2%80%931954).svg.png) |
Flag of the Russian SFSR (21 January 1937 – 9 January 1954) |
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![](../I/m/Flag_RSFSR_datasheet.jpg)
Detailed construction sheet for the Russian SFSR flag issued on 22 January 1981.
In February 1947, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a resolution calling for the Soviet republics to adopt new flags. The design was suggested to be based on the state flag of the USSR, as to indicate the idea of the republic within the union, and to include colors and national ornaments to express the geographical, national, historical and cultural characteristics of each republic.
On January 9, 1954, the new national flag of the RSFSR was approved by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR.[1] The flag was designed by artist Valentin Petrovich Viktorov. On June 2, 1954, the description of the flag was included in the Constitution of the RSFSR.[2]
After the events of the attempted coup in Moscow, Boris Yeltsin, the president of the Russian SFSR adopted a resolution that the imperial tricolor flag based on the Russian Empire would be the flag of RSFSR. On August 22, 1991 the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR decided:[3]
Prior to the establishment of the new state symbol of the Russian Federation, the historical flag of Russia -the flag with equal horizontal white, azure, scarlet stripes should be regarded as the official national flag of the Russian Federation.
It was first hoisted at 12:00 pm on August 22, 1991 at the White House. A tricolor with the hammer and sickle on the centre was also later proposed.[4]
On November 1, 1991, the Constitution of the RSFSR was amended to adopt the white-azure-scarlet flag as the official national flag.[5][6]
![](../I/m/Flag_of_the_Russian_Soviet_Federative_Socialist_Republic.svg.png) |
Flag of the Russian SFSR (9 January 1954 – 22 August 1991) |
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![](../I/m/Flag_of_Russian_SFSR_Blue_variant.svg.png) |
Dark blue variant of the flag of the Russian SFSR (9 January 1954 – 22 August 1991) |
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![](../I/m/Flag_of_Russia_(1991%E2%80%931993).svg.png) |
Flag of the Russian SFSR (22 August 1991 – 26 December 1991) |
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