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Imperial flag (Russia, 1858-1883)

by Rick Wyatt

Origin and usage of the flag
Modern political use
Modern historical use?
Color meanings

See also:

Origin and usage of the flag

Quoting from [smi75c], Russia adopted a “heraldic flag” ...

...on 11 June 1858 for use as a civil flag. Under the influence of German counselors, the government based it on the livery colors of the imperial arms — black and golden yellow, the latter usually represented as orange. A white stripe was added at the bottom lest the flag be exactly the same as the one used by Austria, whose arms also featured a black eagle on gold. White, long a symbol of legitimist monarchies in Europe, was specifically attributed here to the cockades of Peter I and Catherine II. The black-orange-white flag was very unpopular, so much so that the government felt compelled on 7 May 1883 to recognize the white-blue-red as official for use on land during celebrations. Hence the flag intended for unrestricted use was rarely seen in prerevolutionary Russia, while the flag restricted to special occasions was in fact the most likely to be hoisted whenever private citizens wished to express their nationality by displaying a flag on land.

I have only seen one instance of the black-orange-white flag illustrated. It was on the cover of sheet music of a Russian National song printed in Germany in the 1880ʼs. Apparently the Germans were at least consistent regarding what they thought the flag of Russia ought to be!
Nick Artimovich, 02 May 1996

In 1858, a black - golden yellow - white horizontal tricolor was adopted as the civil flag. Black and yellow were the Imperial colors; the white stripe was added to distinguish this flag from the Imperial Austrian "Reich" and war flag, which was a black-yellow horizontal bicolor. The black-yellow-white flag was highly unpopular and so in 1883, the civil ensign was adopted as an alternate civil flag.
Tom Gregg, 09 Jan 1997

However, the black-orange-red was not officially abolished, so that Russia had two civil flags from 1883 to 1914.
Tom Gregg, 21 Mar 1999

The Russian nationalistsʼ black-yellow-white might be based on the imperial eagle shield.
Anton Sherwood

The story I heard was that the yellow, black and white flag was in the Romanov livery colors. These date back to the Holstein Gottorp connection. They also represent the Russian state as a personal possesion of the Tsar. It is reported that Nicholas II on a census form decribed heimself as the owner of Russia.
Arthur Etchells IV, 22 May 2000

Unlike the white-blue-red flag, this black-orange-white