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Armenia

Hayastani Hanrapetutyun

by António Martins

Flag used between 1918 and 1921 and readopted 24 August 1990, coat of arms used between 1918 and 1921 and readopted 24 August 1990 .

State flag was confirmed 23 August by Armenian Supreme Counsel decision. Declaration about Independence of Armenia was adopted at the same session.About State flag of Republic of Armenia law was adopted by Supreme Counsel on 24 August .

Source: Ani-net Web site, found by Dov Gutterman, 05 January 1999

A presentation of Armenia
Proportions, colours and meaning of the flag
Catholicos of Armenians
Flags used by Armenians in France in 1885
A bibliography of Armenian symbols

See also:

Other links:

The Armenian page maintained by the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan. It contains a number of images of historical flags and arms of Armenia.

A presentation of Armenia

Full name: Republic of Armenia.
Location: Caucasus.
Status: Internationally recognized independent state since 23 September 1991.
Notes: Historical Armenia was the first nation to declare Christianity its official religion.
The flag was originally hoisted during short-lived Armenia independence after World War 1.

Stuart Notholt

Proportions, colours and meaning of the flag

The proportions of the flag are 1:2, though the 1918 Armenian flag , showed below, was 2:3.

Luc Baronian, 25 May 1998

by Luc Baronian

According to the law, the flag is said to be karmir, kappoyt,narndjagooyn (Eastern Armenian pronunciation), which translates exactly into "red, blue, orange". However, I cannot confirm the shade of blue that was on the soviet Armenian flag. All I can tell you is that the flag before the USSR and after the USSR (the one we learned about in school) was blue in the middle.

Alexandre Voscorian, 25 May 1998

The flag represents the people of Armenia. The red stands for the split blood of all Armenian soldiers, present and past. The orange stands for the fertile land and the farmers that work on it. The blue stands for the sky.

Raffi Kazanjian, 27 June 1996

Here are different interpretations that I have found of the colors of the Armenian flag (pardon the missing sources) :
1) A rainbow over Mount Ararat.
2) Red is the blood shed and the whole is derived from the colours of the banners of the former kingdom of Cilicia. (I think this was in Crampton, 1990 {[cra90]}).
3) A simple description of the colours says : vermilion red, ultramarine blue and apricot orange.
4) A friend told me that he has heard : red : blood shed ; blue : eternal land of Armenia ; orange : courage.
5) Finally a source not to be neglected, the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Ottawa (although I find this one very awkward): red : the sun's energy; blue : the clear sky; orange : the wheat at harvest.
My opinion? I think they should just say : It's our national colors.

But note that 1) 2) 3) and 4) are not in contradiction :
1) gives the impression given by the flag as a whole.
2) explains the origins .
3) describes the colours precisely.
And 4) gives a meaning to each colour.
Now 5) is clearly in contradiction with 4), but also with 2).

Luc Baronian, 05 May 1997

Vermilion is a bright, light red with a slightly orangeish tinge, somewhere between the red of British red ensigns and the pale red of the Iranian flag. Ultramarine is "a blue that's stronger than the sea's blue". Of course, this depends on which sea you're talking about, but the colour is usually similar to the blue of the French flag.

James Dignan, 06 May 1997

Catholicos of Armenians

by Luc Baronian

(Click on flag to see a larger version.)

The Catholicos is the head of the Armenian church and lives in Etchmiadzine, Armenia. On the ribbon, you can see his initials in Armenian, K.A: Karekin A (A for "the First"). It is prononced G.A in Eastern Armenian ("Garegine A"). The image is drawn from a paper flag I have.

Luc Baronian, 04 February 1997

[Editor's note] Karekin A, who had been elected in 1995, passed away on 29 June 1999.

Flag used by Armenians in France in 1885

by Luc Baronian

The flag was designed by Father Leon Alishan (I guess Levon in Armenian).
It is quite clear that the red-green-blue should be vertical since it was inspired by the Tricolore. In Crampton's book ([cra90]) where I first saw it, it was a picture of a miniature flag and the colors were vertically displayed. (there was also the word ARMENIA written in white on it from lower hoist to upper fly, but it didn't seem to be part of the flag - personnal judgement, I agree).
I must add that I also saw those colours on a decorative licence plate: an unidentified badge on white, with vertical stripes on each side: blue-red-green and green-red-blue.

Luc Baronian, 05 June 1997

A bibliography of Armenian symbols

kindly provided by André Wocial, 27 March 1999

Abaza, V. 1888. [Gerby Armenii (v 1833 g.)]. In: Abaza, V. wIstoriya Armenii, St Petersburg , p. 121. (in Russian)
Adadourian, H. 1917. The Armenian coat of arms and the truths it displays. The Armenian Herald1: 8-10.
Adjarian, H.1987. Hayots Troshage (The Armenian Flag). Hairenik Daily, 30.05.1987, p. 3 (in Armenian).
Ajarian, H. 1919. The Armenian Flag. Veradzenount (Renaissance)2(11): 165-167. (in Armenian)
Aivazyan, S. 1993. Khronologicheskaja tablica carej i pravitelej Armenii s 2107 g. do n.e. po 1393 g. Dashnakcutiun 1 (in Armenian).
Arutiunyan, S. 1992. [Po povodu : Parlamenstskin khudsovet ?] Respublika Armeniya 60(360) (in Russian).
Babesian, H.K. 1955-56. A long debated question : Origins of the Armenian flag. The Armenian Review 8(4/31): 92-98.
Cugunian, M. 1983. [K istorii sozdaniya gerba armianskon oblasti.] Vestnik obshchestvennykh nauk, Akademia Nauk Arm. SSR, Erevan 3:99-101 (in Russian)
Cugunian, M. 1986. [K voprosu ob istochnikovedcheskon cennosti territorialnykh gerbov i pechaten vostochnon Armenii (Po materialam CGIA Armianskoi SSR)] Vestnik arkhivov Armenii 2:148-155 (in Russian).
Cugunian, M. 1990. [Iz istorii armianskoi obshchiny Manchestera.] Vestnik arkhivov Armenii 3: 240-243 (in Russian).
Edwards, J. 1992. Hayig's Homeland. Crux Australis 8/3 (35): 142-146.
Grahl, G. 1961. Flags of the captive nations now within the Soviet Union: Armenia. The Flag Bulletin ([tfb]) 1 (1): 2.
Hatzouni, V.I 1930, reprint 1980. Hay Troshner Badmoutian Mech (History of the Armenian Flags), Venice, edited by the Mekhitarist Fathers of the Order of St. Lazare (in Armenian).
Hovannisian, R. 1971. The Republic of Armenia, Berkeley : University of California Press, vol. 1.
Hovannisian, R. 1982. The Republic of Armenia, Berkeley : University of California Press, vol. 2.
Manukyan, A. 1994. [Lev i orel - simvoly sily dukha i vlasti.] Respublika Armeniya 56 (825) (in Russian).
Matevosian R. I. 1994. Haykakan zinanshanner. Armianskaya geraldika. I. Bagratuni, Zakariany, Mamikoniany. Erevan 1994, Gitutiun, 96 + 50 pl. (in Armenian)
Mihrdadianz, M. 1919. Une proposition pour un nouveau drapeau arménien. Veradzenount (Renaissance)3(8): 115-118. (in French)
Minassian, A. T. 1989. La République d'Arménie 1918-1920, Bruxelles 1989 (on the flag: pp 113-114) (in French)
Morgan, Jacques de. 1917. Les armes et le drapeau de l'Arménie" La Renaissance (Veradzenount), 5-6: 163-165 (in French).
National Commemorative Committee Seventieth Anniversary of The Armenian Genocide in Washington. 1985. Flags and Coats of Arms, New York (chart).
Patrik, A. 1967. [Historical Armenian flags.] Patma-Banastrakan Handes (Istoriko-Filologicheskin Zhurnal) 1(36): 161-170 (in Armenian)
Poceluyev, V. 1987. [Gerby Soyuza SSR - iz istorii razrabotki] (Emblems of the USSR - how they evolved), Moskva (regarding Armenia: pp 74-82) (in Russian).
Safaryan, F. 1992. [Armianskin nacionalnyn gerb.] Azatamart18: 6 (in Russian).
Saprykov V. 1993 . [Trexcvetnyj flag Armenii.] Nauka i zizn (in Russian).
Saryan, L. A. 1998. [Symbols of Freedom : The Flag, Coat of Arms, and Monetary Insignia of the Republic of Armenia.] The Armenian Weekly The Armenian text has been translated as: Asbarez English Edition1990, pp 19 & 22, in English.
Smith, W. 1992. Armenia. The Flag Bulletin ([tfb]) 31 (5/148):171-172
Stepanian, H. 1991. Haykakan droshakner ew zinanshanner. (Armenian Flags and emblems), Los Angeles (in Armenian).
Trembicky, W. 1969. Armenia, Flags of Non-Russian Peoples under the Soviet Rule. The Flag Bulletin ([tfb]) 8: 82-86.
Vratzian, S. 1928. Haiasdani Hanrabedoutiune (The Armenian Republic), Paris (in Armenian ; regarding the flag - pp 160-161, regarding the emblem - pp 393-394. French edition in preparation in Athens.)
Weyss, N. 1991. Armenische politische Doppeladler. Adler1: 1-3 (in German).