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Bulgaria

Republic of Bulgaria, Република България

Last modified: 2001-08-02 by ivan marinov
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[Bulgarian flag] by Zeljko Heimer
Proportions: 3:5 [FIS Code]
   Flag adopted 1879-APR-16, coat of arms adopted  1997-JUL-21




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Constitutional Specifications

Article 166 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria states that the Flag of the Republic of Bulgaria is a tricolor: white, green, and red from top, placed horizontally. According to the Bulgarian State Seal and National Flag Act, The three color fields shall be identical in form and size: Form - rectangular with a 3:5 width-to-length ratio. Size: 18 cm x 30 ñì, 24 cm x 40 cm, 90 cm x 150 cm, 129 cm x 215 cm. Colors: white - with a degree of whiteness not less than 80%, green - #17-5936 TS according to the Panton-textile scale, and red - #18-1664 TS according to the Panton-textile scale. Standard samples of the colors of the national flag shall be kept by the Committee of Standards and Metrology.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/6490/republic/symbols.html

Dov Gutterman, 23 August 1999


Historical Constitutional Specifications

The first Bulgarian Constitution (adopted on 16 April, 1879) says in its 23th article: "The Bulgarian national flag is of three colors, and contain of horizontally placed white, green and red colors".
The second Bulgarian Constitution (adopted on 6 Decvember, 1947) says in its 97th article: "The flag of the People's Republic of Bulgaria is of three colors - white, green, red, placed horizontally. In the left upper corner over the white strip is placed the coat of arms of the People's Republic.
The third Bulgarian Constitution (valid since 18 May, 1971) states in its 141th article: "The flag of the People's Republic of Bulgaria contains of three colors, placed horizontally in the following order from up to down: white, green and red. In the left upper corner over the white strip is placed the coat of arms of the People's Republic." This text was changed on 27 November, 1990, the new text ("The flag of the Republic of Bulgaria contains of three colors, placed horizontally in the following order from up to down: white, green and red.") was valid until the adoption of the fourth, actual Bulgarian Constitution (since July 13, 1991).

Ivan Marinov, 20 March 2001


Origin of Bulgarian colours

In response to the question on that means the presence of a flag green over red in the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, my first supposition were that were tried to the land flag of the Ottoman Empire, but as will be able be proven this is red on green. For so much presumably it would be tried to the flag n of the autonomous territory to Eastern Rumelia, embryo to Bulgaria, and that yet would be maintained in the shield. Probably the first Bulgarian flag was green on red, since the text of the book, upon describing the shield, indicates that the lions support "the flag of Bulgaria"; when afterwards it describes the flag already indicates the existence of a white band superior (that is to say three bands as the current). The flag with red table in the angle containing the crowned lion, it is described as war flag. The tape in the lower part is white, green and red in horizontal striping and carries the following inscription (but in Cyrillic characters): 'Saedinenieto pravi silata' The tongue of the lion in the shield, is indicated as green.

Jaume Ollé, 18 June 1996


According to Fischer Weltalmanach '99, Russia, at the begin of the 19th century the only independent Slavic state, was the example for all Slavic states under Ottoman Turk and Austrian-Hungarian rule. These would be would be Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, and Bulgaria.

In the Bulgarian flag, the blue banner was replaced by the freedom color of green.

Stefan Härtel, 17 October 1999


The flags in green, white and red colours were used by Bulgarian Legia (revolutionary organisation founded in Serbia by Bulgarian emigrants led by G.Rakovsky) in 1861-1862

The first white-green-red striped flag was made by S.Paraskevov and presented to Russian-Bulgarian troops (during the war against Turkey) in the Romanian town of Braila in 1877. It was a swallow-tailed banner. There was a lion and inscription "BULGARIA" in the centre (in cyrillic characters). Now the "banner of Braila" is kept in War Museum in Sofia. See my drawing BRAILA.GIF

The Bulgarian Constitution of 1878 confirmed this flag (but rectangular and without a lion).

Victor Lomantsov, 03 September 2000


Each year since the fall of the communist government, a ceremony is conducted in Sophia, where the Bishop sprinkles holy water on a symbolic horses tail and a flag from the Russo-Turkish war. The flag and horses tail are provided by the Museum of Military History. The celebration occurs on January 6, a religious festival day in Bulgaria. In addition, the bishop throws a silver cross into a river or lake, from which it is retrieved by a devout believer.

from news sources provided by David Fowler, 10 January 2000


A 19th-century nationalist flag

[A 19th-century nationalist flag] by Jaume Ollé 28 October 1996

This flag, which is in the Sofia War Museum, was used in the 19th century by Bulgarians fighting for independence from Turkey.
Jaume Ollé, 28 October 1996

The inscription means 'Freedom or Death!'.

Vincent Morley, 26 January 1998


Roundel

[Bulgarian roundel] by Ivan Sache

The Bulgarian roundel has the classical concentric pattern, red - green - white, but the red ring is narrower than the green one. This replaces the previous design I sent long time ago (with a vertical white bar through the disk).

Source: Album des Pavillons, correction # 30, July 1998.

Ivan Sache, 30 July 1998


History

Periods in modern day Bulgarian history:
1878-1908 - Pricipality of Bulgaria
1908-1946 - Kingdom of Bulgaria
1946-1990 - People's Republic of Bulgaria
1990-20?? - Republic of Bulgaria

Ivan Marinov, 19 April 2001


Bulgarian ethnic minorities in other countries

Ivan Marinov, 04 July 2001






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