On August 22, 2025, Russia observes the National Flag Day, a celebration that has become one of the most significant patriotic events of the year. Although this day is not a holiday, which is sometimes officially observed, it represents a source of immense national pride, as described by citizens as a remembrance of the strength of the state, the depth of its history, and the unifying power of the tricolor flag. Across the country, from crowded streets of Moscow to universities like Orenburg State Medical University, people gather together on their Russian National Flag Day and display the flag so that everyone reflects on it differently with pride.
The origin of the Russian flag begins in the 17th century, when Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich introduced three colors, white, blue, and red to one of the first warships in 1668. In the following period, with Peter the Great, the tricolor had wider significance. In 1705, he made an edict that all merchant vessels would carry the white-blue-red flag, which secured its position in maritime history and, later on, in national consciousness as well. This marks an important part of the Russian Flag Day history.
By the late 19th century, the tricolor had become inseparable from the Russian identity. It officially became the imperial flag of Russia in 1896, just before the coronation of Nicholas II. There was such symbolism in the colors:
This flag was renamed after the October Revolution of 1917, replaced by the well-known red Soviet flag with the hammer and the sickle. The red flag was ruling the skies for more than 70 years, signifying socialism and the revolutionary spirit.
August 22, 1991, the day of a failed coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, was another turn of history. During this era of national change, the white-blue-red tricolor was raised again, as a symbol of the renewal of Russia after the fall of the soviet union. National Flag Day was officially established after three years in 1994, highlighting the Russian Flag Day significance for future generations.
The celebrations this year will be held all over the country. There will be concerts, exhibitions, patriotic campaigns, and ceremonies of hoisting the flag in the cities. Moscow will organize museum exhibitions, auto rallies, youth play performances, and the campaign to add colors to the flag, which will help to learn the history of the flag and its significance. In various schools and colleges, including Orenburg State Medical University, students and faculty are always proud to salute the tricolor as evidence of power, sacrifice, and unity.
Orenburg State Medical University extends heartfelt wishes to everyone on this Russian National Flag Day 2025, honoring the tricolor that continues to inspire pride and unity.
