The
national colours of Ukraine (blue and yellow) were adopted in 1848 and
originated from the coat of arms of the city of Lviv: a gold lion on a
blue background. The
first flag of Ukraine to use these colours was a horizontal striped
bicolour, yellow on top of blue. The
Russian Revolution of 1917, combined with the political turmoil created
by the First World War, provided Ukraine with its first opportunity
for independence. In
1918, Ukraine officially adopted a national flag consisting of blue
and yellow. Initially the flag was the same design as the one flown in
1848, yellow on top of blue. Later, in 1918, the colours were reversed. Independence
only lasted until 1922, when Ukraine was absorbed into the Union of
the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). As
the
Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, Ukraine proclaimed its independence, in 1991. The current national flag was
adopted on the 28th of January 1992. |
