The flag of the Republic of Moldova is one of the state symbols of the country, along with the anthem and coat of arms.
Description and proportions of the flag of Moldova
The flag is a rectangular panel, the width and length of which are related to each other as 1: 2. It is a tricolor, the stripes of which are equal in width and are arranged vertically. The very first stripe from the pole is a bright blue of Prussian blue, followed by yellow, and the edge opposite to the pole is red. In the central part of the yellow stripe, at an equal distance from its edges, the coat of arms of the Republic of Moldova is depicted on the flag.
The coat of arms looks like a shield located on the chest of an eagle. The eagle holds a golden cross in its beak. In the claws of the bird there is a golden scepter on the left and a green olive branch on the right. The shield itself consists of an upper and a lower part. The top margin is red and the bottom is blue. On the shield, the head of a bison with an eight-pointed star placed between the horns is traced in golden color. To the right and left of the head are a five-petal rose and a crescent moon, respectively. The width of the coat of arms refers to the length of the panel in a ratio of 1: 5.
History of the flag of Moldova
The head of a bison or a tur was depicted on the banner even during the existence of the Moldavian principality. Then the flag had a red field, and the main symbol was printed in gold. It was minted both on coins and on state seals. In the first third of the 19th century, the Organic Regulations provided for the use of a two-color banner for Moldova, the main field of which was blue. It contained a red canton with three white stars and the head of a bison.
In 1917, the Moldavian Democratic Republic chose for itself a horizontal tricolor of red-yellow-blue colors, and the flag of the Moldavian SSR, established in 1952, was red with a green horizontal stripe in the middle of the cloth. In its upper part, a hammer, sickle and a five-pointed star were applied at the shaft, symbolizing the belonging of the Moldavian SSR to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
The modern flag of Moldova was adopted in April 1990, when the republic declared its independence. Until 2010, the front and back sides differed in that the coat of arms was applied only to the front. Now the Law on the State Flag of the country enshrines a mirror image on the back of the cloth of its obverse.
