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Russian Navy: early flags

Introduction
Blue cross over red and white quartered
Russian pennant (until 1700)

See also:

Introduction

It is known that on 9 April 1667 the Czar Alex issued a decree ordering to buy white, blue and red fabrics to make the naval flags. Previously he visioned various national flag designs (England, Denmark, Sweden, Netherland,..) in searching for a valid design for the russian one. Until that time the only flags used on ships were probably white with the black eagle (similar to the Czarʼ Standard) or reproducing sacred images.
Mario Fabretto, 27 Nov 1998

After the visit of Peter the Great to Netherlands, the triband design became the preferred one.
Mark Sensen, Nov 1998

Other influences from western Countries can be followed both for the war ensign after 1712 (Scotland) and for the jack (United Kingdom), showing that Peter the Great was particulary interested to give his Country very impressive flags studying the other contemporary flags design. In some way he could be considered a vexillologist. (Sources: [zig94], [sto74] and [fow69].)
Mario Fabretto, 27 Nov 1998

According to [zig94], the Russian Navy used a very great number of flags, more than one hundred. The quoted book shows 22 of them.
Giuseppe Bottasini

Blue cross over red and white quartered

We often hear about «first flag of russian navy, quarterly red and white, a blue cross over all». It is doubtful. I must tell about it. All russian flags have official confirmation (decrees, orders) except the “quarterly flag” White, blue, red colours probably become national colours of Russia in XVII c. First national flag in Russia was designed about 1668 for first russian warship Eagle. We donʼt know which flags (ensigns) were on Eagle (I repeat — we donʼt know). We know only that: flags consists of white, blue and red cloth (document of 1668, decree about cloth). There is a gold double-headed eagle in the centre of flag (decree of tsar Alexei, father of Peter I).

There are two reconstructions of the flag:

horizontal white-blue-red with eagle in the centre, and
quarterly red and white, a blue cross over all.

I think first reconstruction more truthful. We know that young tsar Peter I hoisted this flag on his ship in White Sea (town of Arkhangelsk, 1693), on big warship "Ingermanland" (when Peter directed allien navies of England, Holland, Danmark and Russia) in 1716 etc. Quarterly flag was drawn firstly on an engraving of Schoenebek (sp.?) Siege of Azov castle in 1696. Engravings are very questionable sources.

Victor Lomantsov, 07 Apr 2000