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Votia (Russia)

Vaddjamå

by Mikko Hämäläinen, 25 Aug 2000

Description of the flag
Presentation of Votia

See also:

Other sites:

Virtual Votia

Description of the flag

The flag dates to after 1992.
Chris Kretowicz, 08 May 2001

I noticed the similarity between the Vepsian flag and the Votian flag. I guess the East Karelian flag is influential, too.

Theory: If the East Karelian flag is well-known in the area, the green colour could have the local connotation of Finnic peoples. And in that case, the similarity of the various flags is more or less to be expected. After all, how many different flags can you make, if you must use a green field and a Scandinavian cross?

Contra: The Ingrian flag is yellow, red and blue, and our page on pan-finnic colours seems to be mostly about shades of blue...

Ole Andersen, 26 Aug 2000

What struck me with the Votian flag, was that it rather much looked like the Swedish flag, not only in design but also in one of the colours. If this is intentional or not, I donʼt know.
Elias Granqvist, 26 Aug 2000

This image, as any other, is just one of a wide range of variation seen on many related sources.
António Martins, 16 Jun 2001

Presentation

Southern group of the Baltic-Finnic languages
closest to Estonian
Population estimate: 62 (50% native speakers) 1989
Around mid XIX th Century they numbered ca. 6,000
several villages between Estonian border and Sankt Peterburg
presently only five villages have Votic population, (in the Kingissepp district of the Leningradskaya Oblast' ): Kukkusi, Rajo, Jagopera, Liivchula & Luuditsa.
Estonian ethnographer Dr Paul Ariste done most to preserve Votic language and folklore in the last few years.

Soviet census stopped including Votics (as a separate ethnic group) in 1939 and almost managed to wipe them out completely. The people, who were the original settlers of the area, with the history going back to, at least XI Century, were declared summarily «enemies of the people» just because of ethnic ties and proximity to Finnish border and deported, scattered across 11 time-zones. Only Khrushchev allowed them to come back, but they found their homes taken by others, who didn't even know of their existence. In the new Russia, people of good will, mainly from Estonia, Hungary and Finland were able to preserve the Votic language and whatever is remembered of folklore of the vanishing nation.
Chris Kretowicz, 08 May 2001

I checked the