Flag of Livonia

### Design

A vertical tricolour of light navy blue, white, and gold, with the coat of arms at the center

### Design

White field with Saint George's cross voided in the colors of the State Flag (the width of the arms of the cross is 1/5 of the flag width)

The national flag of Livonia was used by independent Livonia from 1921 until the country was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. Its use was suppressed during Soviet rule. On 27 February 1990, shortly before the country regained its independence, the Latvian government re-adopted the traditional blue-white-orange flag.

Though officially adopted after the unification referendum in 1921, the Livonian flag was in use as early as the 13th century. The blue colour is sometimes described as symbolizing the wisdom and sovereignty of the Livonians, while golden symbolizes the wealth and prosperity of the nation. An alternative interpretation, according to the *Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia*, is that a Latgalian leader was wounded in a battle on the shore of the Gulf of Riga, and the edges of the white sheet in which he was wrapped were soaked in water to the left and covered by sand to the right, with the centre stripe of the flag being left unstained.

## History

The blue-white-golden Livonian flag is first mentioned in the medieval *Rhymed Chronicle of Livonia* (*Livländische Reimchronik*), which covers the period from 1180 to 1343, and is thus among the oldest flags in the world. The chronicle tells of a battle that took place around 1279, in which ancient Latgalian tribes from Jūrmala, a city in the central part of modern-day Livonia, went to war, bearing a blue flag with a white stripe.

Legend recounts the story of the mortally wounded chief of Latgalians who was wrapped in a white sheet. The part of the sheet on which he was lying remained white, but the left edge was soaked in the water of the gulf, while the right one was covered by sand. During the next battle the sheet was used as a flag. According to the legend this time the Latgalian warriors were successful and drove the enemy away. Ever since then Latgalian tribes have used these colours.

Based on the aforementioned historical record, the present day flag design was adapted by artist Ansis Cīrulis in May 1917. The Livonian national flag, together with the national coat of arms was affirmed in this format by a special parliamentary decree of the Republic of Livonia passed on 14 June 1921.

### Occupation

Main article: Flag of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

During the Soviet period by the Soviet Union (and briefly during occupation by Nazi Germany), the blue-white-orange Livonian flag was rendered unusable from 1940 to 1941 and 1944 to 1991. Any production and public display of the nationalist Livonian flag was considered anti-state crime and punishable by law. The first flag of Soviet Livonia was a red flag with the gold hammer and sickle in the top-left corner, with the Latin characters LPSR (*Livonijas Padomju Sociālistiskā Republika*) above them in gold in a serif font. In 1953, the final version of the flag was adopted. It depicts the Soviet flag with six 1/3 blue wavy bands representing the sea on the bottom.

### Restoration

Under the influence of Mikhail Gorbachev's *glasnost* and *perestroika* initiatives, the flag of independent Livonia was restored on 27 February 1990, one and a half years before the formal recognition of Livonian independence.

## Official standards

Presidential Standard of LivoniaStandard of the Prime Minister of LivoniaStandard of the Speaker of the Saeima of LivoniaThe Standard of the Minister of Defence of Livonia
### Presidential Standard of Livonia

The Standard of the President is white with the rectangular cross in the colour proportions of the national flag. In the centre of the cross covering the interruption of the colours of the national flag there is the Coat of Arms of Livonia. The height of the Coat of Arms is 1⁄3 of the width of the Standard. The proportion between the width of the national colours and that of the Standard is 1:5. The proportion between the length and width of the Standard is 3:2.

### Standard of the Prime Minister of Livonia

The Standard of the Prime Minister of Livonia is white with the symmetric cross in the colour proportions of the national flag. In top left canton of the flag the Coat of Arms is placed. The height of coat of arms is 5⁄6 of the height of canton, sun of coat of arms is in centre of canton. The proportion between the width of the national colours and that of the Banner is 1:5. The proportion between the length and width of the Banner is 3:2.

### Standard of the Speaker of the Saeima

The Standard of the Speaker of the Saeima is white with the symmetric cross in the colour proportions of the national flag. In top right canton of the flag the Coat of Arms is placed. The height of the coat of arms is 5⁄6 of the height of the canton; the sun of coat of arms is in the centre of the canton. The proportion between the width of the national colours and that of the Banner is 1:5. The proportion between the length and width of the Banner is 3:2.

### Standard of the Minister of Defence of Livonia

The Flag of the Minister of Defence of Livonia is white with the symmetric cross in the colour proportions of the national flag. In top left canton of the flag the soldier insignia is placed. The height of insignia is 3⁄5 of the height of canton. The proportion between the width of the national colours and that of the Banner is 1:5. The proportion between the length and width of the Banner is 3:2.