Day of flag and emblem :: Charter'97 :: News

16 years ago 19 September white-red-white flag and emblem “Pagonya” (Pursuit) was officially declared the state symbol of Belarus. The white-red-white flag dates back to the late medieval times and the XVI century picture dedicated to the Vorsha Battle is considered to be the first documental evidence.

The Great Lithuanian cavalry had the flag of St .George (Red Cross at the white background) which is likely to be the white-red-white flag prototype. In XX century the white-red-white flag finally became the national symbol. It is interesting to know that white-red-white flag badges were on sale in Minsk in the early XX century. And in 1918 the white-red-white flag had become for a certain period of time the national flag of the Belarusian People’s Republic.

In Belarus Pagonya’s history as the emblem started when it became the emblem of the Great Duke Yagaila in 1386 and 1387 as well as at the Vitaut ‘s signet. In the early XV century Pagonya became the state symbol of the Great Lithuanian Duchy and the Republic of Both Nations (Rech Paspalitaya) until 1795 when the territory was occupied by the Russian Empire. It was used by rebels T.Kastushka and
K. Kalinousky.

Before collapse of the Soviet Union the white-red-white flag and emblem “Pagonya” became the symbols of the national revival of Belarus.