Ukrainian Flag PNG
Ukraine, a country in Eastern Europe, gained independence in 1991 and is known for its rich history, vast steppes, and cultural heritage, with Kyiv as its capital. Its flag, adopted in 1992, features two horizontal stripes: blue on top, symbolizing the sky, and yellow below, representing the golden wheat fields, reflecting the nation’s agricultural legacy and aspirations for peace.
| Colors | Pantone | RAL | RGB | CMYK | HEX Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong azure | 2935 C | 5019 Azure | 0, 87, 183 | 100, 63, 0, 2 | #0057B7 |
| Yellow | 012 C | 1023 Gold | 255, 215, 0 | 0, 2, 98, 0 | #FFD700 |
History of the Flag
The Ukrainian flag, traces its origins to the 12th century, when these colors appeared in the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia. It gained prominence during the 1848 Spring of Nations, when the Supreme Ruthenian Council in Lviv adopted it as a national symbol. Officially established in 1992 after Ukraine’s independence.
1199 – 1349 (Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia)
The Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, formed in 1199 under Prince Roman Mstislavich, emerged as a key successor state to Kyivan Rus’, uniting two western principalities amidst the fragmentation of the Rus’ lands. Under King Danylo Romanovych, crowned in 1253 by a papal legate, the kingdom resisted Mongol domination while forging ties with Western Europe, including Poland and Hungary, and became a cultural and trade hub. Its territory covered modern western Ukraine, parts of eastern Poland, and Moldova, with cities like Halych and Lviv thriving as centers of Orthodox Christianity and East Slavic traditions.
Despite internal strife among the boyar elite and external pressures from the Mongols, the kingdom maintained its autonomy until 1349, when, following a succession crisis after Danylo’s lineage weakened, it was partitioned between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, marking the end of its sovereignty but cementing its role in shaping Ukrainian identity.
The flag of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, showcases a golden lion rampant on a deep blue field, symbolizing courage and nobility. The lion, a heraldic emblem of the ruling dynasty, stands proudly with its tail curved, set against a blue backdrop that evokes the sky, reflecting the kingdom’s aspirations for greatness and its Kyivan Rus’ heritage.
1649 – 1782 (Cossack Hetmanate)
The Cossack Hetmanate, established in 1649 after the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule, marked a pivotal era of Ukrainian self-governance under leaders like Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Centered in the Left-Bank Ukraine with Chyhyryn as its early capital, it secured autonomy through the 1654 Pereiaslav Agreement with Muscovy, though this later led to increasing Russian influence. The Hetmanate flourished culturally, with the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy becoming a hub of learning, while its military structure, led by elected hetmans, defended against Polish, Ottoman, and Russian pressures. The period saw internal divisions, notably during the Ruin (1657–1687), a time of civil strife and foreign interventions. By 1782, under Catherine II, Russia abolished the Hetmanate’s autonomy, integrating it into the Russian Empire, ending a vibrant chapter of Ukrainian self-rule but leaving a legacy of resistance and cultural identity.
The flag of the Cossack Hetmanate features a blue field with a yellow border, showcasing a central figure of a Cossack in traditional attire, holding a musket, surrounded by ornate golden framing, cannons, and banners. This design reflects the martial spirit and autonomy of the Cossack state, with blue symbolizing freedom and yellow representing prosperity.
1917 – 1921 (Ukrainian People’s Republic)
The Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR) was born in 1917 following the Russian Revolution, as the Central Rada in Kyiv, under Mykhailo Hrushevsky, declared autonomy within a federal Russia. Full independence came in January 1918, but the UNR faced immediate threats from Bolshevik forces, leading to a brief German alliance via the 1918 Brest-Litovsk Treaty. The German-supported Hetmanate under Pavlo Skoropadsky replaced the UNR temporarily, but the Directorate, led by Symon Petliura, restored it by late 1918. The ensuing Ukrainian War of Independence saw the UNR battling Bolsheviks, Poles, and White Russians, with Kyiv changing hands multiple times. By 1921, the UNR collapsed under Soviet and Polish pressure, formalized by the Treaty of Riga, which split Ukraine between the two powers, ending its brief statehood but igniting a lasting national consciousness.
The flag of the Ukrainian People’s Republic, displays two equal horizontal stripes: a vibrant blue on top and a golden yellow below. Officially adopted in 1918, the blue represents the boundless sky of freedom, while the yellow reflects the sunlit wheat fields, embodying the nation’s hope for independence and its deep agrarian roots.
1917 – 1919 (Ukrainian People’s Republic of Soviets)
The Ukrainian People’s Republic of Soviets was established in December 1917 in Kharkiv as a Bolshevik counter to the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR), aligning with Soviet Russia. Led by figures like Volodymyr Zatonsky, it aimed to sovietize Ukraine, controlling eastern regions while clashing with the UNR’s Central Rada in Kyiv. In 1918, it briefly held power after the Bolsheviks captured Kyiv, but German intervention under the Brest-Litovsk Treaty dissolved it, backing the UNR and later the Hetmanate. The republic was reestablished in late 1918 as the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, but by 1919, it merged into the broader Soviet framework, losing its distinct status. This period marked a chaotic struggle for Ukraine, caught between national independence and Soviet domination, setting the stage for further conflict.
The flag of the Ukrainian People’s Republic of Soviets featured a red field, symbolizing revolution, with a blue-and-yellow canton in the top left corner, reflecting its Ukrainian identity. This design, used from 1917 to 1919, blended Bolshevik ideology with local colors, highlighting the tension between Soviet influence and national aspirations.
Ukrainian SSR
1919 – 1929
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukrainian SSR) was established in 1919 after the Bolsheviks consolidated power, following the dissolution of the Ukrainian People’s Republic of Soviets. Centered in Kharkiv, it became a founding member of the USSR in 1922, marking the end of Ukraine’s brief independence. The 1920s saw forced collectivization and rapid industrialization under Soviet policies, alongside the Ukrainization campaign, which promoted Ukrainian language and culture to gain local support. However, this cultural revival was marred by political repression, as the Bolsheviks suppressed dissent, targeting Ukrainian intellectuals and clergy. By 1929, Stalin’s consolidation of power ended these cultural concessions, setting the stage for the harsh repressions and famines of the 1930s, notably the Holodomor, while Ukraine remained firmly under Soviet control.
The flag of the Ukrainian SSR from 1919 to 1929 featured a red field, symbolizing the socialist revolution, with a yellow-bordered canton in the top left corner displaying the Cyrillic acronym “УССР” (Ukrainian SSR). This design reflected Soviet authority while acknowledging Ukrainian identity through the use of yellow, a nod to the national color.
1929 – 1937
The Ukrainian SSR, firmly under Soviet control by 1929, faced a tumultuous period marked by Stalin’s policies of forced collectivization and industrialization. The early 1930s brought the devastating Holodomor (1932–1933), a man-made famine that killed millions, as grain requisitions and resistance to collectivization led to mass starvation, targeting Ukrainian peasants. Simultaneously, the Great Purge (1936–1937) saw widespread repression, with Ukrainian intellectuals, clergy, and political figures executed or exiled, accused of nationalism. Kharkiv remained the capital until 1934, when it shifted to Kyiv, signaling a symbolic recentering of Soviet power. This era crushed Ukrainian cultural autonomy, replacing the earlier Ukrainization policies with Russification, leaving deep scars on the nation’s social and cultural fabric.
The flag of the Ukrainian SSR from 1929 to 1937 featured a solid red field, symbolizing the communist revolution, with the yellow Cyrillic inscription “У.С.Р.Р.” (Ukrainian SSR) in the top left corner, framed by thin yellow lines. This design emphasized Soviet unity while subtly acknowledging Ukrainian identity through the use of the local acronym.
1937 – 1949
The Ukrainian SSR endured a harrowing decade from 1937 to 1947, marked by Stalinist terror and the devastation of World War II. The Great Purge, peaking in 1937–1938, saw mass executions and deportations of Ukrainians, particularly intellectuals and party members, accused of “bourgeois nationalism.” The 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact brought western Ukraine under Soviet control, but in 1941, Nazi Germany invaded, occupying Ukraine and causing immense suffering, including the Holocaust and forced labor. The Red Army’s return in 1944–1945 expelled the Nazis but reimposed harsh Soviet rule, with resistance from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) persisting into the late 1940s. Post-war reconstruction began under strict Sovietization, erasing much of Ukraine’s cultural autonomy while integrating it deeper into the USSR’s political and economic system.
The flag of the Ukrainian SSR from 1937 to 1947 featured a red field with a yellow hammer and sickle in the top left corner, symbolizing the union of workers and peasants, and the Cyrillic “УРСР” (Ukrainian SSR) below it. The red background emphasized Soviet ideology, while the yellow elements subtly nodded to Ukraine’s national color.
1941 – 1949 (Ukrainian Insurgent Army)
From 1941 to 1949, Ukraine was a battleground amid World War II and its aftermath. Nazi Germany occupied Ukraine in 1941, exploiting its resources while committing atrocities, including the Holocaust. The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), formed in 1942 by the OUN, fought both Nazis and Soviets, aiming for an independent Ukraine, but also engaged in ethnic violence, notably against Poles in Volhynia. As the Red Army retook Ukraine in 1944, Soviet repression intensified, targeting the UPA, which resisted until 1949. Mass deportations and collectivization crushed dissent, while the 1946–1947 famine deepened suffering, leaving Ukraine under tight Soviet control but with a lingering spirit of defiance.
The flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during 1941–1949 was a black-and-red bicolor, split horizontally, with black on top symbolizing the dark struggle for freedom and red below representing the blood shed for Ukraine. Often paired with the blue-and-yellow national flag, it embodied the UPA’s fierce resistance.
1949 – 1991
From 1949 to 1991, the Ukrainian SSR was deeply integrated into the Soviet Union, with Kyiv as its capital. The post-war years saw rapid industrialization and urbanization, but also cultural suppression, as Russification policies marginalized the Ukrainian language. The 1960s brought a brief cultural thaw under Petro Shelest, reviving Ukrainian literature, though dissenters faced crackdowns, notably during the 1970s stagnation under Brezhnev. The 1986 Chornobyl disaster exposed Soviet negligence, fueling anti-Moscow sentiment. By the late 1980s, Gorbachev’s perestroika sparked a national revival, with movements like Rukh pushing for sovereignty. In 1991, Ukraine declared independence after a referendum, ending the Ukrainian SSR and marking the start of a new era, driven by a renewed sense of national identity.
The flag of the Ukrainian SSR from 1949 to 1991 featured a red upper field with a yellow hammer, sickle, and star, symbolizing Soviet unity, and a blue lower stripe, reflecting Ukraine’s sky. This design, adopted in 1949, blended communist symbolism with a subtle nod to the national blue-and-yellow colors, balancing Soviet and Ukrainian identities.
1992 – 1996
From 1992 to 1996, Ukraine navigated its early years of independence after the Soviet Union’s collapse, with Leonid Kravchuk as its first president until 1994, followed by Leonid Kuchma. The country faced severe economic challenges, including hyperinflation and industrial decline, as it transitioned to a market economy. In 1994, Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum, relinquishing its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances from Russia, the US, and the UK. The 1996 Constitution established Ukraine as a unitary state with a presidential-parliamentary system, while tensions with Russia over Crimea and the Black Sea Fleet grew. This period laid the foundation for Ukraine’s statehood, despite internal struggles and external pressures, as it sought to define its national identity.
The flag of Ukraine from 1992 to 1996, consists of two horizontal stripes: a sky-blue upper half and a golden-yellow lower half. Officially adopted on January 28, 1992, the blue symbolizes the nation’s clear skies and freedom, while the yellow represents its fertile fields, reflecting Ukraine’s natural wealth and aspirations for sovereignty.
1992 – Today
Since 1992, Ukraine has navigated its post-Soviet journey, starting with economic struggles under Presidents Kravchuk and Kuchma, and adopting its Constitution in 1996. The 2004 Orange Revolution, sparked by electoral fraud, brought Viktor Yushchenko to power, signaling a pro-Western shift. The 2014 Euromaidan protests ousted Viktor Yanukovych, leading to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the ongoing war in Donbas, which has claimed over 14,000 lives. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, elected in 2019, has led Ukraine through intensified conflict, especially after Russia’s 2022 invasion, with the nation showing remarkable resilience while seeking closer EU and NATO ties, redefining its global role.
The flag of Ukraine, unchanged since 1992, features two horizontal stripes: a deep blue top half, symbolizing the sky, and a vibrant yellow bottom half, representing the nation’s wheat fields. This design, officially adopted on January 28, 1992, reflects Ukraine’s natural beauty and its enduring quest for freedom and prosperity.
Meaning of Symbols and Colors
The Ukrainian flag, with its blue and yellow horizontal stripes, is a powerful emblem of national identity, officially adopted on January 28, 1992, following Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union. Its origins date back to the 12th century, linked to the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, where these colors appeared in regional heraldry. The flag gained prominence in 1848 during the Spring of Nations, when the Supreme Ruthenian Council in Lviv embraced it as a symbol of Ukrainian self-determination within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The colors of the flag hold deep meaning, reflecting Ukraine’s natural landscape and cultural values. The blue stripe at the top symbolizes the expansive sky, representing freedom and the nation’s aspirations for peace after centuries of struggle. The yellow stripe below stands for the golden wheat fields that stretch across Ukraine’s fertile plains, signifying prosperity, agricultural abundance, and the warmth of hope. Together, these hues capture the harmony between the heavens and the earth, embodying the spirit of a nation deeply tied to its land.
Throughout the 20th century, the blue-and-yellow flag became a rallying point during periods of turmoil, including the Ukrainian War of Independence (1917–1921) and the Soviet era, when its display was banned as a symbol of resistance. After independence in 1991, the Constitution of Ukraine enshrined the flag, solidifying its role as a national emblem. Today, it stands as a powerful reminder of Ukraine’s resilience, especially in the face of modern challenges, such as the ongoing conflict with Russia since 2014. The flag’s colors continue to inspire unity and pride, symbolizing a nation that looks to the sky for hope while remaining deeply rooted in its fertile soil.
Use of the Flag
The Ukrainian flag is used in official settings, such as government buildings, schools, and during national holidays like Independence Day on August 24, as well as in public protests to symbolize unity and resistance. It must be displayed with the blue stripe on top and yellow below, and it’s prohibited to use a damaged or faded flag, as this is seen as disrespectful. The flag should never touch the ground and is raised and lowered with ceremony during state events.
The standard size ratio for the Ukrainian flag is 2:3, meaning the width is 1.5 times the height, though sizes vary depending on the context—larger for public squares, smaller for personal use. When displayed with other flags, it should be at the same height or higher, reflecting national pride. On days of mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast or adorned with a black ribbon to honor the occasion.
Coat of Arms
The national coat of arms of Ukraine, known as the Tryzub, features a gold trident on a blue shield, symbolizing power, freedom, and the nation’s ancient roots. Its design traces back to the 10th century, linked to the Kyivan Rus’ ruler Volodymyr the Great, who used it as a personal emblem.
The Tryzub represents the unity of three elements—sky, earth, and water—and reflects Ukraine’s historical continuity. It was officially adopted as the state emblem on February 19, 1992, shortly after independence, replacing Soviet symbols. Today, the Tryzub is a proud marker of Ukrainian identity, seen on official documents, currency, and government buildings.
