Flag of Serbia

Republic of Serbia
State flag / Državna zastava
UseState flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion2:3
Adopted
  • 2004
  • 2010 (standardized)
DesignHorizontal tricolour of red, blue, and white; charged with the lesser coat of arms towards the hoist of center
Civil flag / Narodna zastava
UseCivil flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is congruent with obverse side
Proportion2:3
Adopted
  • 1882
  • 2004 (readopted)
  • 2010 (standardized)
DesignHorizontal tricolour of red, blue, and white

The flag of Serbia (Serbian: застава Србије, romanized: zastava Srbije), also known as the Tricolour (тробојка, trobojka), is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal bands, red on the top, blue in the middle, and white on the bottom (on civil flag), with the lesser coat of arms towards the hoist of center (on state flag).

The same tricolour, in altering variations, has been used since 1839 as the flag of the state of Serbia. The current form of the flag was adopted in 2004 and slightly redesigned in 2010.[1]

History

Medieval Serbia

The son of King Stefan Vladislav (reigned 1233–1243), župan Desa, sent delegates from Kotor to Dubrovnik to bring back part of the king's treasury held at Ragusa, which they did on 3 July 1281; the inventory list included, among other things, "a flag of red and blue color".[2] It is described as vexillum unum de zendato rubeo et blavo—"a flag of fabric red and blue"; zendato (Serbian: čenda) being a type of light, silky fabric.[3] This is the oldest known attestation of colours of a Serbian flag; the oldest known Serbian flag was red and blue.[2] But already in 1271 the flag colors of župan Desa were red and white.[4] Although the color order is not known, the version with horizontal red and blue is sometimes used in medieval-themed events in modern Serbia.[5]

Hungarian King Bela IV mentioned in his charter dated 8 April 1268, that his army had defeated King Stefan Uroš I (reigned 1243–1276), and that when he hosted some foreign rulers, his magnates brought captured Serbs and "in the sign of triumph, the flag of King Uroš before the court of Bela IV, and erected it there".[2]

In 1326, king Stefan Dečanski sent a delegate to the Mamluk Sultanate in Alexandria and sought a flag in yellow colour, to be used as a war flag.[6] The Byzantines mention that there were several war flags hoisted by the Serbs at the Battle of Velbazhd (1330), and the yellow one was likely one of those.[2]

The oldest known drawing of a Serbian flag is from the 1339 map made by Angelino Dulcert; Serbia, at the time ruled by King Stefan Dušan, is represented by a white flag of a red double-headed eagle placed above the capital Skopje (Scopi).[7][8] Stefan Dušan was crowned Emperor in 1346; Dušan also adopted the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) tetragramme style with four fire-steels, which afterwards became an element of the Serbian flag until today (the Serbian cross).[9] A flag in Hilandar, seen by Dimitrije Avramović, was alleged by the brotherhood to have been a flag of Emperor Dušan; it was a triband of red at the top and bottom and white in the centre.[10] Emperor Dušan also adopted the Imperial divelion, which was purple and had a golden cross in the centre.[11] Another of Dušan's flags was the Imperial cavalry flag, kept at the Hilandar monastery on Mount Athos; a triangular bicolor flag, of red and yellow.

Modern Serbia

With the establishment of the autonomous Principality of Serbia in 1830, consideration began to be given to official state symbols. Following the promulgation of the Second Hatt-i Sharif, efforts were made to secure for Serbia its own flag and coat of arms. Jovan Kovač produced an iron version of the Serbian coat of arms, a white cross with four firesteels on a shield, which was displayed at the prince's court on the same day that the Hatt-i Sharif was publicly read. The design was based on medieval Serbian heraldry and included a crown, a mantle, an olive branch symbolizing peace, and an oak branch representing strength and constancy.

The modern Principality of Serbia received its first official flag under the provisions of the Sretenje Constitution. The constitution stipulated that the "national colours" were red, white, and steelish-blue, while the coat of arms consisted of a white cross on a red field with four firesteels between its arms, surrounded by an olive branch on the left and an oak branch on the right.[12] On 15 February 1835, during the second day of the Sretenje Assembly, the text of the constitution was read aloud, and the Prince Miloš Obrenović and the deputies swore an oath beneath the new flag bearing the coat of arms of the Principality of Serbia. However, under pressure from Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, Prince Miloš Obrenović suspended the Sretenje Constitution in early March 1835, and it was formally abolished on 11 April 1835, which also ended the use of the flag prescribed by it.[13]

Recognizing that the flag and coat of arms were matters of great national importance, Prince Miloš Obrenović continued to insist in negotiations with the Ottoman authorities that Serbia be granted the right to these symbols, citing the privileges enjoyed by Ottoman autonomous tributary states of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Samos.[3] During his stay in Istanbul in 1835, the appearance of the Serbian flag was determined, and it was agreed that the Ottoman Sultan would issue a special decree. Prince Miloš Obrenović initially proposed that the Serbian flag adopt the same white-blue-red tricolor as the Russian flag, a suggestion that the Russian consul in Istanbul regarded as a serious affront. Realizing the impropriety of the proposal, Prince Miloš Obrenović is said to have replied, "Could we simply turn it upside down?" The reversed arrangement - red, blue, and white - was reportedly accepted by both the Ottoman sultan and Russian consul, giving rise to the Serbian tricolor.[14]

Under the ''firman'' (decree) of December 1835, Serbs were permitted to display on merchant ships "a tricolour flag whose upper band is red, the middle band blue, and the lower band white." Because the decree did not prescribe additional national symbols, Prince Miloš Obrenović sought a compromise by placing the Serbian coat of arms without a crown centered on the blue band, while symbols denoting the Ottoman sovereignty over Serbia were to appear on the red stripe. The Sublime Porte demanded that four crescents be placed on the flag, but Prince Miloš Obrenović negotiated a compromise in the form of a six-pointed star.

The Hatt-i Sharif of 1838 did not contain provisions regarding the flag or coat of arms, despite Serbian requests that they be included. Nevertheless, owing to Prince Miloš Obrenović's persistent efforts, a special firman was issued in January 1839 that again defined Serbia's flag. The firman stated that the flag would consist of "three colours - red above, blue in the middle, and white below " with the coat of arms of Serbia placed on the central blue band and four six-pointed stars in the upper-left corner of the red band, signifying the Ottoman's sovereignty and the vassal status of the Principality of Serbia.[15]

After gaining independence at the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Serbia modified the design of its flag by removing the four six-pointed stars, which had symbolized Ottoman suzerainty. Following the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1882, the former coat of arms of the Principality of Serbia was replaced by the newly adopted coat of arms featuring a Serbian eagle surmounted by a royal golden crown. At the same time, two types of flags were introduced: the state flag and the civil flag. The state flag consisted of the tricolor with the new coat of arms at its center, while the civil flag was the tricolor without the coat of arms.[16]

Serbia used the red, blue, and white tricolor continuously from 1839 until 1918, when Serbia ceased to be a sovereign state after the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later known as Yugoslavia.

After World War II, Yugoslavia was reformed into a socialist federal republic, composed of six republics, one of which was Serbia. Each republic was entitled to its own flag on the condition that it contained the socialist red star.[17] The standardization of the flags of the Yugoslav Republics meant that the flag of SR Serbia continued the use of the red-blue-white tricolour with red star in the center. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, Serbia initially continued using the flag of Serbia as a Yugoslav republic; the 1990 Constitution of Serbia stated that flag and coat of arms of Serbia can only be changed by the same procedure used to change the constitution itself,[18] which required an absolute majority of voters to support it.[19] The 1992 Serbian constitutional referendum asked the voters to choose between the flag with and without the star, with red star gaining the majority of votes, however not the absolute majority of voters. The red star was nonetheless removed from the flag in 1992 by a recommendation by the National Assembly.[17][20] In 2004, the National Assembly adopted a recommendation on the use of the flag and coat of arms that advocated the use of national symbols different from those prescribed by the Constitution. It reintroduced two variants of the flag, state flag and civil flag, and two versions of the coat of arms, greater and lesser coat of arms. The state flag bore the lesser coat of arms, while the civil flag remained a plain tricolour.

Following the restoration of Serbia's independence after the Montenegrin independence referendum, the newly adopted Constitution of Serbia formally sanctioned the national symbols prescribed by the 2004 parliamentary recommendation.[21] The recommendation remained in use until 2009 when the Law on National Symbols was enacted legally sanctioning symbols introduced in 2004.[22] In 2010, a standardization of the flag (both state and civil), including the specification of the color values and a visual redesign of the coat of arms, was enacted.[1]

Design

The state flag bears the lesser coat of arms, centered vertically and shifted to the hoist side by one-seventh of the flag's length.[23] The flag ratio is 2 to 3 (height/width), with three equal horizontal bands of red, blue and white, each taking one third of the height. Recommended colors (white and black are not documented in Pantone) are:[24]

State flag construction sheet
Scheme Red Purpure α Blue White Yellow Black
Pantone1797C704C541CWhite143CBlack
CMYK0-73-69-220-90-70-3090-46-0-530-0-0-04-24-95-00-0-0-100
RGB199-54-61161-45-4612-64-119255-255-255237-185-450-0-0
Hexadecimal#C7363D#A12D2E#0C4077#FFFFFF#EDB92E#000000

^α Only used on the greater arms' ermine mantling, as seen on the presidential standards.

Flag protocol

The state flag (de facto national flag) is constantly flown on the entrances of state buildings.[25] It can also be flown during celebrations and other solemn manifestations which mark events of importance for Serbia, and on other occasions.[26] During state mourning, it is flown at half mast.[27] The flag must be displayed in an election room during an election for state bodies[28] and in the room of civil registry dedicated for marriage (the officiant has to carry a sash with flag colours as well).[29]

Horizontal and vertical display of the state flag
Horizontal and vertical display of the civil flag

The civil flag is constantly flown on the entrance of the National Assembly and of provincial authorities and public services. It must be displayed in an election room during an election for provincial or local authorities.[30] Also, it can be hoisted during celebrations and other cultural or sport manifestations, and on other occasions.[31]

Neither the state flag nor the civil flag can be hoisted so that they touch the ground, nor be used as rests, tablecloths, carpets or curtains, nor to cover vehicles or other objects, nor to attire speaker platforms or tables, except as table flags.[32] They must not be used if damaged or otherwise look unsuitable for use.[33] The flag is not flown in bad weather conditions. Also, it is flown only in daylight, unless it is illuminated.[34]

If the flag is flown vertically on tables or otherwise, its top field is on the left side of the viewer. If it is flown vertically across a street or square, its top field should be on the northern side if the street has east–west orientation, and eastern side if it has north–south orientation or on a circular square.[35]

The law defines how the flag of Serbia is displayed along with other flags, making no difference between state flags and other kinds of flags. If the flag is hoisted with another flag, it is always on the viewer's left, except during an official visit of a representative of another country or an international organization, when the flag of the visitor is on the viewer's left. If the flag is hoisted with another on crossed staffs, its staff must be the front one.[36]

If the flag of Serbia is hoisted along with two flags, it must be in the middle.[36]

If the flag is flown with multiple flags,

  • If the flags are flown in a circle, it must be in the centre of the circle, clearly visible;
  • If the flags are flown in a semicircle, it must be in its vertex;
  • If the flags are flown in a column, it must be in the front of the column;
  • If the flags are flown in a row, it must be in the first place, that is, on the viewer's left;
  • If the flags are flown in a group, it must be in the front of the group.[36]

Other official flags

The president of the Republic and the president of the National Assembly use their respective standards.[37]

See also

  • List of Serbian flags
  • National symbols of Serbia
  • National colours of Serbia

References

  1. 1 2 "Grb Srbije: Dvoglavi orao menja perje" Archived 2017-03-23 at the Wayback Machine (in Serbian)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Stanojević 1934, p. 79.
  3. 1 2 Samardžić 1983.
  4. ↑ Kostić 1960, p. 9-12.
  5. ↑ "Nije bila trobojka: Ovako je izgledala najstarija srpska zastava". B92 (in Serbian). 22 July 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Kostić 1960, p. 16, Stanojević 1934, p. 79
  7. ↑ Solovjev 1958, pp. 134–135.
  8. ↑ Škrivanić 1979.
  9. ↑ Stanojević 1934, pp. 79–80.
  10. ↑ Stanojević 1934, p. 80.
  11. ↑ Milićević 1995, p. 22.
  12. ↑ "Глава друга. Боя и Грбъ Сербіє" [Chapter two. Color and Coat of Arms of Serbia]. Уставъ Княжества Сербіє [Constitution of the Princedom of Serbia] (in Serbian). Kragujevac: Princedom of Serbia. 1835. COBISS.SR-ID 150291719. Archived from the original on 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2011-06-18. 3.) Боя народна Србска єстъ отворено-црвена, бѣла и челикасто-угасита.
  13. ↑ Mih. Gavrilovic, Suspendovanje prvog srpskog ustava februar-mart 1835 god., Arhiv za pravne i drustvene nauke, I, 1906, 410–412
  14. ↑ Euronews Srbija (15 September 2025). "Acović za Euronews Srbija: Prvi pomen srpske zastave u 13. veku u Dubrovniku". Euronews Srbija (in Serbian). Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Od Prvog srpskog ustanka do danas: Kako se menjala srpska zastava". Radio-televizija Vojvodine (in Serbian (Latin script)). Tanjug. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Od Prvog srpskog ustanka do danas: Kako se menjala srpska zastava". Radio-televizija Vojvodine (in Serbian (Latin script)). Tanjug. 15 September 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 Branislav Ž. Vešović: Yugoslavia during the Second World War Archived 2012-02-17 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ 1990 Constitution of Serbia, Article 5
  19. ↑ 1990 Constitution of Serbia, Article 133
  20. ↑ Recommendation on the use of the Flag of Serbia ("Official Gazette of Serbia", No. 49/1992.)
  21. ↑ 2006 Constitution of Serbia, Article 7
  22. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009
  23. ↑ Препорука о коришћењу грба, заставе и химне Србије Archived 2009-11-03 at the Wayback Machine (in Serbian)
  24. ↑ "Standards of Flag and Coat of Arms, Parliament of Serbia" (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-01-08. (871 KiB)
  25. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 20
  26. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 24
  27. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 23
  28. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 22
  29. ↑ Family Law, article 299
  30. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 28
  31. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 29
  32. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 33
  33. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 6
  34. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 32
  35. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 31
  36. 1 2 3 Republic of Serbia 2009, article 30
  37. ↑ Republic of Serbia 2009, article 25

Sources

Official documents
Secondary sources
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