The Republic of Armenia

Erraguyn

եռագույն

Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia declared full independence on August 23. However, the flag itself was initially adopted as the flag of Armenia by the Supreme Soviet in 1990. It is a horizontal tricolour, known in Armenia as the Erraguyn. It is made of 3 equally spaced horizontal stripes, consisting of red, blue, and orange.

Armenia has had many different flags in its history. Early Armenia used carvings mounted on poles, then with the advent of Christianity, they began to use banners adorned with emblems. With the partitioning of Armenia between the Ottoman and Persian Empires, the emblems of Armenia vanished. The Catholic Pries, Father Ghevont Alishan created a new flag at the request of the Armenian Students Association of Paris in 1885, for the funeral of the French writer, Victor Hugo. The design was a horizontal tricolour, similar to todays flag. Though the colours where the same as the current flag of Bulgaria, except upside-down. Red, green and white.

In 1828, Russia annexed the territory of Persian Armenia. However, when the Russian Empire collapsed after World War I, saw the birth of the Transcauscasian Democratic Federative Republic, along with Georgia, and Azerbaijan.This new republic lasted from February to May 1918, and upon its dissolution, Armenia became independent.

Armenia then adopted a new horizontal tricolour flag. This time, using the colours that are in use on the flag today.

There have been many definitions assigned to the colours on the flag, such as red standing for the blood shed by Armenian soldiers, blue for the Armenian sky, and the orange for the fertile Armenian lands, and those that work on them.

However, the definitions where finally codified into law with the passing of the 2006 Law on the National Flag. This states that red is for the Armenian highlands, the struggle for freedom, and the Christian faith. Blue is for the hope to live under peaceful skies, and the orange is the creativeness of the Armenian people.