On June 18/July 2, 1917, the Military Circle of the Don Army elected A.M. Kaledin as Ataman of the Don Army. Under him there was a military government and a Small Circle. On January 29 (February 11), 1918, A.M. Kaledin resigned as chieftain and shot himself.

The military government of the Don Army State was formed on June 18, 1917 by the 1st Great Military Circle of the Don Army. Since August 1917, A.P. Bogaevsky was the chairman of the government.

On January 5, 1918, the government was renamed the “United Government of the Don Army.” The government was led by A.P. Bogaevsky.

On January 30/February 12, 1918, Major General A.M. Nazarov was elected ataman of the Don Army, he dissolved the united government.

On March 23, 1918, the Don Army was proclaimed on the territory of the region Don Soviet Republic(Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars F.G. Podtelkov). On April 9-14, 1918, the First Congress of Soviets of Workers and Cossack Deputies of the Don Soviet Republic took place in Rostov-on-Don. The republic ceased to exist after the capture of Rostov-on-Don by the German army on May 8, 1918. The Republic used red flags.

On April 1/April 14, 1918, the Provisional Government and the Don Defense Council were created in Novocherkassk. Captain G.P. Yanov was elected Chairman of the Defense Council. On April 21, 1918, the Defense Council was renamed the Provisional Don Government.

On May 10, the Cossacks established control over Novocherkassk, and on April 28/May 11, 1918, the “Circle for the Rescue of the Don” gathered in Novocherkassk, the chairman of the circle was Captain G.P. Yanov. The circle that formed the new Provisional Don Government. On May 3/16, 1918, the Circle transferred full power to the new military ataman, Lieutenant General P.N. Krasnov. The Don Rescue Circle adopted the name of the new state "The Great Don Army", modeled on the names of the Don Cossacks in the royal messages of the 17th century. It was decided to create a new government - the Council of Managers of the departments of the All-Great Don Army (the first meeting of the Council took place on May 7, 1918). The council was headed by A.P. Bogaevsky. On May 4/17, 1918, the Circle adopted a draft Fundamental Laws that confirmed the independence of the Don Republic. A separate chapter of the Basic Laws was devoted to the symbolism of the Don:

About the Don flag, coat of arms and anthem.
48. Three nationalities have lived on the Don land since ancient times and constitute the indigenous citizens of the Don region - Don Cossacks, Kalmyks and Russian peasants. Their national colors were: among the Don Cossacks - blue, cornflower blue, among the Kalmyks - yellow and among the Russians - scarlet. The Don flag consists of three longitudinal stripes of equal width: blue, yellow and scarlet.
49. The ancient seal and coat of arms of the Don Army is being restored, depicting a naked Cossack in a hat, with a saber, a gun and ammunition, sitting astride a barrel. Use this seal and coat of arms in all necessary cases.
50. The national anthem of the All-Great Don Army is declared to be “The Orthodox Quiet Don has stirred, stirred up,” which must be performed in all cases provided for by law.”

In his memoirs “The All-Great Don Army,” Ataman Krasnov, when asked whether he could change anything in the Basic Laws, answered, not without humor:

"I can. Articles 48, 49 and 50. About the flag, coat of arms and anthem. You can offer me a flag other than the red one, any coat of arms except the Jewish five-pointed star or other Masonic sign, and any anthem except the Internationale."

The flag was used in the army and was also flown over buildings. In P. Krasnov’s memoirs it was reported that “a blue-yellow-red flag was flying over the ataman’s palace, and Novocherkassk residents went to admire it.” Actually, the idea of ​​creating the Don flag is also attributed to Ataman Krasnov. Here is a drawing of the military flag of that time.

Source of the picture - http://whiteforce.ru/flag.htm

M. Sholokhov in “Quiet Don” mentioned the blue-red-yellow flag of the All-Great Don Army from the time of Ataman Krasnov:

“They accepted it with joy. Everything, even the unsuccessfully altered flag, resembled the previous one: blue, red and yellow longitudinal stripes (Cossacks, non-residents, Kalmyks), and only the government coat of arms, to please the Cossack spirit, underwent a radical change: instead of the predatory double-headed eagle, outstretched wings and spreading his claws, a naked Cossack was depicted in a fur hat, with a saber, a gun and ammunition, sitting astride a wine barrel (chapter 1 part 6 book 3, volume 2 see).

On August 15/September 20, 1918, the Great Military Circle was convened, and its first meeting took place on August 16. Before the end of the Circle, Ataman Krasnov proposed revising the articles on the flag and coat of arms of the army, returning to the all-Russian white-blue-red flag, but the Circle did not support this proposal.

Probably in the fall of 1918, the seal of the army changed; instead of a naked man, a deer struck by an arrow began to be depicted. The electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia provides a different version of Article 49 of the Basic Laws of the Don:

"Article 49. The ancient seal and coat of arms of the Don army, depicting a deer pierced by an arrow, are being restored."

Perhaps the new version of the coat of arms was adopted by the Great Military Circle (?) On the Kazarla forum there is a fragment of the Basic Laws already approved by the Great Military Circle of the All-Great Don Army.

Chapter IX. About the Military Coat of Arms, Flag and National Anthem
45. The military coat of arms of the Don Army is in a blue shield, black, stylized steppe ““Elen” (deer) pierced by an arrow” - the old coat of arms of the pre-Petrine Don Cossacks. This coat of arms is depicted on the seal of the Troops in a circle, with the inscription around it: “The All-Great Don Army.”
46. ​​The Don flag, which now exists, consists of three longitudinal stripes of equal width: blue; yellow and scarlet, meaning the national colors of three nationalities living on the Don land since ancient times: Don Cossacks, Kalmyks and Russian peasants.
47. The national anthem of the All-Great Don Army is the hymn “The Orthodox Quiet Don has stirred up, stirred up.”

A wounded deer was also depicted on the award established by the Circle in 1918 - the “St. George Cross with the image of the coat of arms of the Don Army”: in the center of the cross - “a deer pierced by an arrow (ancient Don coat of arms).”

The emblem of a wounded deer dates back to the seal of the army of the 17th-18th centuries, in turn borrowed from the seal of the Bugogard palanka of the Zaporozhye army. There is information about the existence of flags with the image of a wounded deer.

Hello dears. I decided to post several posts on a topic that is quite interesting for me (and I hope for you) - vexillology and heraldry. Vexillology is the science of banners, standards and pennants. This term comes from the Latin word vexillum. This is what the standard of the Roman legions was called. In our country, the name flag studies is more common, but it confuses me with some clumsiness or something.
Heraldry is the science of coats of arms. The name comes from the Latin word heraldus - herald.

Vexillum XXX of the Victorious Ulpius Legion

Of all the gigantic variety of different directions within heraldry and vexillology, I will, perhaps, touch on the main one - state symbols. And I’ll start with the most important of the sovereign attributes of any country - the state flag.
Insulting the national flag is a very serious offense in almost any country in the world. A flag is not just a piece of material of various colors, it is a symbol, one might say the soul of the state itself. Therefore, it is not surprising if a state feels hurt and offended when, at any major international forum (be it a sporting or political event), its main state symbol is confused with that of another country. And this is no wonder, because many flags are similar, and some are simply identical. We'll talk about the latter today.
The most famous such case is perhaps the flags of Indonesia and Monaco.
The flag is a rectangular panel with a wide red stripe at the top and a white stripe at the bottom.

Flag of Monaco and Indonesia.

The Monegasque flag displays the ancestral colors of the ruling Grimaldi dynasty. This is a famous family from the Republic of Genoa, which in 1339, with the help of cunning, took possession of the small castle of Monaco in 1297 and began to rule there as sovereign.
To be fair, it should be said that the coat of arms of the Grimaldi family shows red and white diamonds (“fire and silver”), and not stripes, but apparently due to the fact that in 1733 the Monegasque branch of the Grimaldi was terminated in the male line and was extended by the dynastic By the marriage of the daughter of the last Monegasque Grimaldi with the scion of another noble family, Goyon de Matignon, the flag at the end of the 19th century, out of respect for the latter, was adopted in the form in which we know it now, and not in the form of red and white diamonds.

coat of arms of the Goyon de Matignon family

Respect is expressed in the fact that the Goyon de Matignon family sign is a red lion in a silver field. Accordingly, the coat of arms colors coincided and the 2 families came to the conclusion of some kind of compromise solution - stripes. That is, in fact, the state flag should be red and silver, but in view of the fact that in heraldry it is customary to designate silver with white paint (respectively, in the same way as gold with yellow paint), in 1881 the flag of the Monegasques was adopted, which we are happy to see in present time.

coat of arms of the Grimaldi family.

However, in 1945, newly independent Indonesia adopted a flag similar to Monaco. There was a small diplomatic scandal, but it did not lead to any positive results - the Indonesians argued and proved that their flag was even more ancient than that of the Monegasques.
They themselves call their flag Sang Saka Merah-Putih (“Sacred White and Red”) The colors of the flag are taken from the color scheme of the kingdom of Majapahit, famous in those parts. Indonesians believe that the flag symbolizes a person. Red represents the body and physical life, while white signifies the soul and spiritual life.
As we have already seen, these flags are different - one is red-silver, the other is white-red, and their proportions (ratio of width to length) are different (for the Monegasques it is 4:5, then for the Indonesians it is 2:3), but, however, they are constantly confused.

Singapore flag.

The federal state of Hesse (Germany) and the capital of Austria, Vienna, have exactly the same flag as the Principality of Monaco and the Republic of Indonesia. Singapore also has a very similar flag. The differences are that in the upper left corner there is a white crescent, next to which there are five stars forming a circle. The meaning of these symbols is twofold - on the one hand, the crescent symbolizes the young nation, and the five stars symbolize the ideals of the country: democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality, and on the other, the two main ethnic groups inhabiting the Republic of Singapore - the Chinese (stars) and Muslims (crescent ). The red color of the flag represents the brotherhood of Singaporeans, while the white color represents virtue.

National flag of Poland.

It also happened (alas, alas) that the flag of Indonesia or Monaco was hung upside down, and then problems arose with another well-known and respected state symbol in the world - the national Polish flag. Poland has always been associated with red and white colors, and this is not surprising. Firstly, these are true Pan-Slavic colors, along with blue, and secondly, it is connected with the legend of the birth of Polish statehood. According to this very legend, in the 8th century, the founder of the Piast dynasty, Prince Lech, founded the city of Gniezno on a place where a white eagle soared high in the sky against the sunset, and there was an eagle’s nest on the hill. The color of the crimson (or red) sky became the color of the field of the Piast coat of arms, on which the white eagle spread its wings.
Initially, the Polish flag was formally approved by the Sejm on February 7, 1831, and finally after gaining independence on August 1, 1919. The proportions are estimated as 5 to 8.

National flag of Poland

It should be noted that on the state flag, in contrast to the national flag, which we talked about above, in a white background field there is a state emblem - a crowned white eagle spreading its wings. State legislation should be used very limitedly, namely only for:
1) Consular and diplomatic missions abroad
2) On airport buildings
3) On seaport buildings
4) On civil aircraft for international flights only
In fact, such prohibitions are often avoided and national and state flags are used interchangeably.
By the way, the very idea of ​​using a flag with a coat of arms outside Poland may have arisen precisely so that the Polish flag (and we know how sensitive our Slavic neighbors are to their national identification) would not be confused with any other.
Similar to the Polish flag are the federal states of Tyrol (Austria), Thuringia (Germany), the Slovenian city of Kranj and the Colombian Onda.

first Stadtholder of the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands

The other most famous pair of flags, which are almost identical, are the banners of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Liechtenstein.
The Dutch flag as we know it today was adopted on February 19, 1937. It was transformed by time (so to speak) and the historical situation from the so-called banner of the Prince of Orange. Willem (or William), Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau was one of the leaders of the revolt against the rule of the Spanish crown, which resulted in the Dutch bourgeois revolution and made him the first Stadtholder (leader) of the Republic of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

"prince's flag"

So, the rebels used the colors of the Nassau house for their own identification, and when they captured the city of Brielle in 1572, an orange, white and azure flag appeared. Orange is the color of the Principality of Orange, azure is one of the 2 main colors of Nassau, and white is the desire for higher justice and freedom. The flag was so successful that after the victory of the revolution it was used by the Republic of the United Provinces until 1795, when the orange color was replaced by red and the azure by blue. There are several reasons for this, the main one of which I think is that the original colors faded very quickly under the influence of the sun and salty wind at sea, and the Dutch fleet has always been one of the most powerful and numerous on the planet. However, the Dutch themselves still consider orange to be their main national color, and on major holidays you can see orange ribbons attached to the flagpole of the national flag.

Dutch flag with orange ribbon

The Grand Duchy of Luximbourg is one of the smallest European countries, which, however, has a long and interesting history. A sort of fragment of the feudal system in the modern world - this is its charm and charm.

Luximbourg flag

The flag of Luxembourg was adopted in 1815, when King Willem I of the Netherlands became Grand Duke. He justified this color scheme with the color scheme of the coat of arms of the House of Limburg, one of the branches of which was the Luxemburgs, who previously ruled the duchy. The coat of arms was a red (scarlet) lion on a blue and white striped background. Whether this was a simple mistake or a special intention, the fact remains that the flags of the Netherlands and Luxembourg were identical, which caused a lot of controversy. In 1992, as a result of a referendum, the blue stripe was replaced with a lighter blue one (the so-called “Paton” color), but the debate about national identification did not stop - the majority of the population is in favor of completely changing their current flag. The word belongs to the Grand Duke, and given that Henri Albert Gabriel Felix Marie Guillaume is a Parma Bourbon by birth, a change of the state flag in the near future is quite likely.

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

By the way, identical to the above is the flag of the Pan-Slavism movement, adopted in 1848 in Prague. The standards of Croatia and Paraguay are similar, but I think it would be appropriate to talk about them in a post not about identical, but about similar flags.
And, finally, the third pair - Romania and Chad.

tricolor 1848

The flag of Romania, like many in Europe and the world, was created under the influence of the famous French Tricolor. The first such flag appeared during the Wallachian Uprising of 1821 under the leadership of Tudor Vladimirescu, although the colors used were characteristic of Romanian lands in an earlier period. The Revolution of 1848 introduced a flag with horizontal stripes, in which blue stood for freedom, blue for justice, and red for fraternity. In 1862, the Danube principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia were united, resulting in a flag of horizontal red, yellow and blue stripes. Finally, in April 1867, a blue-yellow-red vertical tricolor was adopted in Romania. According to the official version, the flag shows the unification of various lands: Wallachia, whose heraldic colors are gold and blue, Moldavia (red and gold), Bukovina (red and blue).

Flag of the Romanian Revolution of 1989

From 1867 to 1989, the state flag was always saddled with the existing state emblem. (In socialist Romania, the state emblem was on the yellow central stripe of the cloth). However, the flag with the cut out coat of arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania became one of the symbols of the overthrow of Ceausescu and at the moment the state emblem is not used on the flag.

flag of the Republic of Chad.

The flag of the Republic of Chad is absolutely similar. On November 28, 1958, this African state gained independence from France and began to develop its own flag, relying, however, on the tricolor of the former metropolis. As a result, there was initially a desire to adopt the symbol of Pan-African colors (green-yellow-red), but since such a flag was already used (in Mali, for example), it was decided to go with blue-yellow-red. Blue represents rivers and forests, yellow symbolizes sand and desert, and red represents sacrifice and shed blood.
As a result, a paradox currently arises - Romania cannot file protests against Chad’s use of a similar flag due to the fact that its own state flag in the current design was adopted later (in 1990) than Chad’s (1959).
The flags of Moldova and Andorra are very similar to the above Romanian and Chadian, but we will talk about that next time.

There are more than 250 states on our planet, each of which has its own national flag. As a rule, it consists of stripes or other geometric shapes of different colors, symbolizing something important for a particular country. But since there are many states, flags sometimes repeat each other. For example, whose is it? There can be at least two answers to this question.

Where did the flags come from?

The tradition arose several centuries ago and goes back to the times of sea powers. Multi-colored flags gradually moved from sea ships to land ports, and then to entire states. Presumably, the first country to have its own flag was Holland (Netherlands), whose naval and merchant fleets were the most powerful in the 17th-18th centuries. At the same time, a standard for using a rectangular shape for the flag panel appeared.

Gradually the tradition spread to all countries of the world. The largest powers were the first to acquire flags. And then the former colonies, gaining independence, began to choose state symbols for themselves.

Twin panels

But, as the number of independent states and self-governing territories became larger every decade, the creation of an original symbol became an increasingly difficult task. As a result, the flags of many countries around the world turned out to be similar to each other. And some can barely be distinguished at all. For example, the blue-yellow-red flag is vertical. It turns out that two countries in the world use it: Romania and Chad.

However, there is still a slight difference: the Chadian tricolor has a darker shade of blue stripe. Otherwise the flags are identical.

History of the Flag of Romania

The Romanian symbol was first approved on June 26, 1848, and was used during the Wallachian Uprising in 1821. has quite ancient origins. According to many historians, these three colors played an important role in Romanian heraldry in the 15th and 16th centuries, during the reigns of Stephen the Great and Michael the Brave.

It is noteworthy that initially the tricolor stripes were located horizontally. This was done in imitation which became quite popular in Europe after the French Revolution. For this reason, the new flag became a symbol of revolutionary changes in Romania.

The meanings of the color stripes were set as follows: blue - freedom, yellow - justice, red - brotherhood. Starting from 1867, they were no longer located horizontally, as on the French standard, but vertically. This served as a symbol of the unification of three lands - Wallachia, Moldavia and Bukovina - into a single state. Thus, the blue-yellow-red flag began to combine the heraldic colors of these territories.

The transformation of the flag did not end there: from 1867 to 1989, the socialist coat of arms was in the center of the tricolor, which was abolished during the revolution and the overthrow of the dictatorial regime of Ceausescu. The blue-yellow-red flag with a coat of arms cut out from it became a symbol of those events. The modern version of the Romanian standard took hold at the end of 1989.

History of the flag of Chad

This Central African country gained independence in 1958 and was previously a colony of France. It is curious that for the first two years the new state continued to officially use the flag of the former metropolis - the French tricolor. Then designs for a new national symbol were proposed. Initially, it was planned to use the colors of the united Pan-African green), but it was decided to abandon this idea, since other former ones had already taken it for themselves. As a result, a blue-yellow-red flag was approved, in which the first vertical stripe symbolizes water and hope, the second - sun and sand deserts, and the third - shed blood and the unity of the nation.

Thus, the similarity of the flags of Romania and Chad is explained by French influence in different eras. And although the country’s colors were invented before the African one, the current version of the Romanian tricolor was established 30 years later, so the countries have no legal claims.

Ears of Unity

For more than 300 years, Venezuela was under Spanish rule. In 1797, an anti-Spanish conspiracy of independence supporters arose led by Manuel Gual and Jose Maria España under a flag of white, blue, red and yellow horizontal stripes, symbolizing whites, blacks, mulattoes and Indians. Although the independence supporters failed, the colors of the flag (with the exception of white) were used in the future flags of the liberation movement.

The creator of the flag, on the basis of which the flags of three states—Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador—later arose, was the outstanding leader of the South American liberation movement Francisco Miranda. This flag of yellow, blue and red horizontal stripes was first flown in 1806 on the ship Leander, on which a group of volunteers led by Miranda sailed from New York to South America. The yellow stripe symbolized the American continent, rich in gold and other minerals, the red stripe symbolized the bloody dominion of Spain, and the blue stripe symbolized the Atlantic Ocean that separated them. This meant that golden, rich and prosperous Latin America would be free and separated from bloody Spain by an ocean. Under this flag, an attempt was made to declare independence in 1810, and the first and second Venezuelan republics were proclaimed in 1811 1812 and 1813 1814. Under the same flag, the army of Simon Bolivar in 1816 1822 liberated Venezuela from the Spaniards, and it finally gained independence. Since 1817, 7 stars have appeared on the blue stripe of the flag, symbolizing the 7 provinces of the country: Caracas, Barinas, Barcelona, ​​Cumana, Margarita, Merida and Trujillo. The arrangement of the stars varied over time, but until the beginning of the 20th century they were most often arranged in a circle with one star in the center.

In 1821 and 1829, Venezuela, along with Colombia and Ecuador, was part of Gran Colombia and under its flag, and in 1830 it restored its independence under the previous three-stripe flag without any images. Since 1859 (according to other sources since 1863), 7 stars again appeared on the blue stripe, and in the upper left corner the state coat of arms. Since 1905, the stars on the flag have been depicted in the form of a semicircle. In its modern form, the flag was officially approved in 1954 (after the last change in the motto on the coat of arms). There is also a national flag without a coat of arms.

Since 1830, the country's coat of arms has been a circle with the image of a lictor's beam surrounded by two cornucopias, and since 1836 it has acquired a look similar to the modern one. Since 1864, after the introduction of the federal system, the sheaf in the first field of the coat of arms began to be depicted not as a continuous sheaf, but as consisting of twenty ears of grain, according to the number of states of the country. In 1905 1930, the coat of arms differed from the current one in that the sheaf was white on a yellow field and consisted of seven ears of corn according to the number of the original provinces, the second field of the coat of arms was red, not yellow, there were two flags, not three, and The flags and sabers were positioned differently, and in the third field the horse galloped on white rather than green grass. In 1930, the coat of arms was restored to its original form, and some of its minor stylistic details were clarified later.

The colors of the fields of the coat of arms correspond to the colors of the flag stripes. The sheaf of wheat symbolizes the country's agriculture, the fertility of its soil, the wealth of the people and the national unity of Venezuela, and its 20 ears correspond to the number of states included in it. Three national flags and two sabers, connected by a laurel wreath, recall the glorious victories in the liberation struggle and the achievement of independence. A white horse galloping across endless expanses (according to one version it is a wild horse, according to another it is Bolivar’s personal horse) personifies freedom. Located above the shield, two cornucopias with various fruits and flowers, reminiscent of the coat of arms of 1830, represent the natural wealth of Venezuela and its prosperity. The shield is surrounded by laurel and palm branches.

The ribbon connecting them has the colors of the flag. The Spanish inscription on it means: “April 19, 1810 Independence. Republic of Venezuela. February 20, 1859 Federation.” The first date is the date of the beginning of the national liberation struggle (the uprising in Caracas and the creation of a revolutionary junta), the second is the date of the beginning of the four-year civil war, which ended with the establishment of the federal state structure of the country. Republic of Venezuela official name of the state. The inscription has changed several times. In 1905 1930 it read: “Independence. Freedom. July 5, 1811 March 24, 1854 God and the Federation.” The first date is the day when independence was first declared, the second is the date of the abolition of slavery. "God and the Federation" is the country's former motto. In 1930 and 1954, the inscription differed from the modern one only in the official name of the state, which was called “United States of Venezuela.” All states of Venezuela have their own coats of arms, and some have flags.

Under the signs of the zodiac and the wings of the condor

The country, located on the equator and owing its name to it, was for almost three centuries a Spanish possession called the "Region of Quito". During the liberation uprising of 1820 in the province of Guano, patriots declared independence under a flag of blue and white stripes with white stars, and chose the wreathed star of freedom as their emblem. However, after the final liberation from the Spaniards in 1822, Ecuador became part of Gran Colombia. After becoming independent in 1830, it initially retained the yellow, blue and red flag of Gran Colombia.

The emblems of Ecuador have changed frequently. On them there are images of the sun surrounded by stars and signs of the Zodiac, above the mountains on which condors sit, the lictorial emblem surrounded by cornucopias, etc. In 1843, the coat of arms took the form of a shield depicting a horse, a volcano, a sailboat and a stone with inscriptions, as well as the sun accompanied by the signs of the Zodiac. The coat of arms was crowned by a condor and surrounded by a wreath.

The entire political life of Ecuador in the 19th century took place under the sign of the struggle between the liberal and conservative parties. The liberals represented the interests of commercial and industrial circles in the economically most developed province of Guano, and the conservatives represented the landowners and clergy of the more backward interior regions. In 1845, the Liberals overthrew the Conservatives and adopted a new flag and coat of arms. The flag consisted of white, blue and white vertical stripes (reminiscent of the colors of the rebel flag of 1820), with the blue stripe depicting 7 white stars according to the number of provinces and the new coat of arms.

This coat of arms, with the exception of some details, was the prototype of the modern coat of arms. He included many of the previous emblems: the mountain, the condor, the sun, the lictorial bun, the signs of the Zodiac (now there were four of them, indicating only those months in which the victorious uprising of the liberals took place), but the composition was fundamentally new.

In 1859, the Conservatives again seized power. The next year, they restored the previous flag of 1830, and removed the signs of the Zodiac from the coat of arms and replaced the flags framing the shield with new ones. The Conservative dictatorship was overthrown in 1875, and three years later the Liberals restored the coat of arms and (with minor changes) the 1845 flag. There were now only stars on the blue stripe of the flag, and there was no coat of arms. Although the conservatives were again in power in 1884, at that time they sought reconciliation with moderate liberals and did not change the coat of arms and flag.

In 1895, the liberals came to power again. During that period, they began to advocate for the re-establishment of Gran Colombia and therefore, in 1900, they adopted a flag in Colombian colors, which has not changed since then. The flag of Ecuador is longer than the flag of Colombia (proportions 1:2 and 2:3, respectively) and the national flag of Ecuador depicts a coat of arms (national flag without a coat of arms), while in Colombia the flag without a coat of arms is both state and national. The yellow color on the Ecuadorian flag symbolizes sunshine, the fertility of the earth, natural resources, fields of wheat and corn, and the well-being of the country; blue color sky, rivers and Pacific Ocean; red blood of patriots shed in the struggle for freedom. In Ecuador, unlike other countries, there is a special municipal flag hung on official local institutions. This is a simplified version of the national flag, in which the coat of arms is replaced by a circle of white stars, the number of which corresponds to the number of provinces.

The modern coat of arms of Ecuador basically repeats the coat of arms of 1845. The last time minor changes were made to its details was in 1930. The central part of the coat of arms is occupied by the landscape of Ecuador with its highest snow-capped peak and an extinct volcano

Chimborazo (6267 m). Patriots took refuge on the slopes of Chimborazo during the anti-Spanish war of liberation. The river flowing from the mountains is the largest river in Ecuador, Guayas. It flows into the huge bay of the Pacific Ocean of the same name. An ancient steamship in the ocean under the Ecuadorian flag not only symbolizes trade (this is indicated by the caduceus installed in the middle of the ship - the rod of the god of trade Mercury. On one of the coats of arms of the 19th century, the caduceus was placed at the bottom of the coat of arms next to the lictor's tuft), but also reminds that it was in Ecuador that The first steamship was built on the Pacific coast of South America. By the way, the largest city and port of the country, Guayaquil, is located on the coast of Guayas Bay.

The sun symbolizes freedom, and the spring-summer signs of the Zodiac Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer recall the events of the spring-summer of 1845, when the victorious uprising of liberals against conservatives took place. Although the Liberals have long been only one of many political parties in Ecuador, this emblem is retained on the coat of arms to commemorate the abolition of slavery, Indian feudalism and the death penalty between 1845 and 1859, as well as the implementation of a number of important political, economic and cultural reforms. In addition to two pairs of national flags, the coat of arms is surrounded by palm and laurel branches - symbols of glory and peace. The lictor's bun depicted under the shield symbolizes the republican system of government and justice. The shield is crowned with an Andean condor - the personification of strength. In the area of ​​the Chimborazo volcano, this giant bird is found even at an altitude of more than 6 thousand meters. Each of the provinces of Ecuador has a special flag and coat of arms, and each of the cantons into which the provinces are divided has a coat of arms.

The Galapagos Islands located in the Pacific Ocean have a special status, flag and coat of arms. This is a province of Ecuador with the status of a national park, called the Colon Archipelago. The green, white and blue stripes of its flag recall the unique nature of the protected province and its location in the ocean. The blue and yellow colors of the border of the coat of arms, combined with the red vertical line cutting through the shield, repeating the colors of the Ecuadorian flag, remind us that the archipelago belongs to Ecuador. Thirteen stars on the blue border correspond to the number of the largest islands, representing their scattering among the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. The sailboat in the first quarter of the shield emphasizes the importance of navigation in the discovery and life of the islands. The volcano erupting in the second quarter of the shield is the highest volcano of the Wolfe archipelago (1707 m) on Isabela Island. The colors of the third quarter of the shield correspond to the colors of the island flag. The cornucopia in the fourth quarter of the shield is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. In the center of the shield is the famous Galapagos elephant tortoise, which made the islands famous and is now protected. Its shell reaches 110 cm, weight up to 400 kg, and life expectancy more than 100 years. A flaming torch and a laurel wreath above the shield are symbols of the triumph of human reason and nature conservation. The date “1832” is the time when Ecuador’s sovereignty was established over the Galapagos, which is now one of the country’s provinces.

Flora and fauna of the “land of waters”

When the country was called the colony of British Guiana, the badge of its colonial flag from the 19th century depicted a clipper flying in the ocean in full sail under the English flag. The emblem was surrounded by a garter from the British coat of arms with the Latin motto "We yield and achieve alternately." The motto reflected the history of the colonial takeover of the country, which the British unsuccessfully tried to conquer from their Dutch rivals in 1685, 1781 and 1796, but finally captured only at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1954, after the granting of self-government, British Guiana received its own coat of arms, on the shield which had the same design as on the badge.

The modern coat of arms and flag were adopted in 1966, when the country achieved independence and became known as Guyana. The predominant color of the flag, green, symbolizes the tropical forests that cover 83 percent of the country's territory, its fields and plantations, agriculture and forestry - the basis of the Guyanese economy. White color represents rivers and reservoirs. Yellow color represents minerals that the country’s interior is rich in. The arrow-shaped yellow field expresses hope for rapid progress and a bright future, which must be achieved primarily through the efficient use of mineral resources. The red triangle symbolizes the energy and enthusiasm of the people towards building a prosperous life, and the black border symbolizes the will and perseverance in achieving this goal. Additionally, the colors of the flag are believed to symbolize the major ethnic groups of the population (and occupy an area roughly proportional to their numbers); green Indians, yellow Negroes, red mulattoes and mestizos, white Portuguese and other persons of European descent, black Indians.

The blue waves on the white shield of the coat of arms, as well as the corresponding colors of the wreath and mantle above the helmet, are the abundant inland waters of the country, which gave it its name (in the language of the local Indians, Guyana means “land of waters”). The Three Waves are the three main rivers of the country: Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo, which gave their name to the original European colonies, as a result of which the current country arose. The giant aquatic plant Victoria regia (or Victoria Amazonica) depicted on the shield symbolizes the rich tropical vegetation of Guyana. The round floating leaves of Victoria reach a diameter of two meters and can withstand a load of up to 50 kg. Almost half a meter flowers bloom only for two nights, gradually changing their color and closing for the day (on the coat of arms, the left flower has already opened fully, and the right one partially).

The fauna of Guyana is represented on the coat of arms by the hoatzin - a rare bird that lives in the jungle, similar to a pheasant and remarkable in that its chicks have clawed fingers on their wings, as well as two jaguars. The pickaxe held by one of the jaguars symbolizes industry (mainly mining), while the stalks of sugar cane and rice (the main crops of the country) in the paws of the other jaguar symbolize agriculture. The knight's helmet is traditional for the heraldry of the former British possessions. The crowning headdress of an Indian chief made of motley feathers recalls the historical past of Guyana, whose first inhabitants were the Indians (now they make up less than 5 percent of the population), and the diamonds on the sides represent the country's natural resources. The motto in English means: “One people. One nation. One destiny" and expresses the desire for the unity of all national and racial groups of the country's population. l

Yuri Kurasov | Artist Yuri Semenov

Coats of arms and badges:

1. Shield of the coat of arms of Venezuela 1905-1930.
2. State emblem of the Republic of Venezuela.
3. Coat of arms of Ecuador 1830.

4. State emblem of the Republic of Ecuador.
5. Provincial coat of arms of the Galapagos Islands.
6. Colonial badge of British Guiana.
7. State emblem of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Flags:

1. Flag of the Venezuelan conspiracy of 1797.
2. Flag of Venezuela 1817-1821 and 1830-1859.
3. National flag of the Republic of Venezuela.

4. Rebel flag of the Ecuadorian province of Guayas 1820-1822.
5. Flag of Ecuador 1878-1900.
6. National flag of the Republic of Ecuador.

7. Provincial flag of the Galapagos Islands.
8. National flag of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

1. Benin

This flag is considered a symbol of the Benin Empire, which existed in the lower reaches of the Niger River, on the territory of modern Nigeria, in the 15th-19th centuries. In the 18th century The Benin Empire was shaken by many years of internecine war, which apparently they tried to eloquently depict on the flag. In fact, it is not known exactly who created such a strange flag. The flag was recovered in battle by Admiral Kennedy's expedition against Benin in 1897. Now this flag is in the National Maritime Museum, which is located near London.

2. Frieslan (Netherlands)

The flag of the Dutch province of Friesland does not depict clumsily drawn hearts, as it might seem at first glance, but red leaves of a water lily.

3. Guam

The flag of Guam, an island in the western Pacific Ocean that is part of the United States, is a blue flag with a red border on all sides. In the center of the flag is an image of the coat of arms of Guam. The coat of arms depicts a proa boat in the bay of the city of Hagatna, the capital of Guam, a shore with a coconut tree, a river and the inscription in red letters “GUAM”. In the distance is the local rock “Puntan Dos Amantes”. The shape of the coat of arms resembles that of basalt/coral stone, which was used by local residents in hunting and war.
The flag was designed by Helen L. Paul, the wife of a naval officer who served in Guam.
The Proa boat personifies the courage of the indigenous people of the island, with which its representatives surfed the waves of the ocean during sea voyages, covering vast distances.
The river flowing into the ocean symbolizes the willingness of the local people to share the earth's resources with others.
The beach demonstrates the Chamorro's devotion to their homeland and the environment.
The rock represents the island's people's commitment to passing on their heritage, culture and language to future generations.
The coconut tree, growing on the infertile sand, symbolizes the resilience and determination of the people of Guam, and its curved trunk represents the trials they endured.
The blue color symbolizes the unity of Guam with the sea and sky.
The red border of the flag symbolizes the blood shed during the Japanese occupation of the island during World War II and the Spanish occupation.
In the pre-colonial period, the island did not have its own flag. It was not developed during the period of Spanish rule. The first flag was officially adopted only on July 4, 1917 during the American period (the only difference in that flag was the absence of a red border). The modern version was adopted on February 9, 1948.

4. Swaziland

The Kingdom of Swaziland is a state in the southeastern part of the African continent, bordering South Africa and Mozambique. The national flag of Swaziland was adopted on October 30, 1967. It is a panel with five horizontal stripes; in order from top, blue, yellow, red, yellow and blue. The central red stripe depicts two spears and a staff, with an African shield on top of them. The staff and shield are decorated with injobo - decorative tassels; The bird feathers depicted on the injobo flag represent the king.
Each of the colors of the flag has a specific meaning. Red symbolizes past battles and struggles, blue symbolizes peace and stability, yellow symbolizes the country's natural resources. The black and white coloring of the shield symbolizes the peaceful coexistence of the black and white races.

5. Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea at approximately the same distance from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and belongs to the British Crown. The symbol of the Isle of Man is a triskelion, three running legs emerging from a single point. The triskelion symbolizes stability, as reflected in the island’s motto: “No matter how you throw it, it will stand” (Latin: Quocunque Jeceris Stabit). He is also depicted on the flag and coat of arms of the island.

6. Mozambique

The flag of the Republic of Mozambique, a state in southeast Africa, was adopted on May 1, 1983. The flag of Mozambique is the only flag in the world that has an image of a modern weapon - a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
The national flag has five colors: red, green, black, golden yellow and white.
The colors represent:
red - resistance to colonialism, armed struggle for independence and defense of sovereignty;
green - the country's plant wealth;
black - African continent;
golden yellow - the country's mineral wealth;
white - the justice of the Mozambican people’s struggle for peace.
From the shaft there are horizontal green, black and golden-yellow transverse belts. In the center of the red triangle is a star, in which a weapon and a hoe placed crosswise are placed on an open book.
The star symbolizes hope for international solidarity with the Mozambican people.
The book, hoe and weapon symbolize education, production and defense.
In 2005, a competition was announced for a new flag, coat of arms and anthem of the country. 119 proposals were submitted to the competition, from which the best project was selected, but to this day the flag remains the same. According to press reports, Mozambique's parliamentary opposition is insisting that the image of a Kalashnikov assault rifle, which symbolizes the country's struggle for independence, be removed from the flag. This proposal drew criticism from the public.
The film "Baron of Arms" talked about this flag, as well as in detail about the war in Mozambique.

7. Kyrgyzstan

The national flag of the Kyrgyz Republic, according to its official description, is a red cloth, in the center of which there is a round solar disk with forty evenly diverging rays of golden color. Inside the solar disk, the tundyuk of a Kyrgyz yurt is depicted in red. The width of the flag is three-fifths of its length. The diameter of the radiant disk is three-fifths the width of the flag. The ratio of the diameters of the solar and radiant disks is three to five. The diameter of the tundyuk is half the diameter of the radiant disk.
The red monochrome of the flag symbolizes valor and courage, the golden Sun, bathed in its rays, personifies peace and wealth, and the tunduk is a symbol of the father’s house in the broad sense of this expression and the world as the universe. 40 rays united in a circle mean the unification of 40 ancient tribes into a single Kyrgyzstan. Tyundyuk symbolizes the unity of the peoples living in the country. The red color of the flag was the color of the flag of the magnanimous Manas, the hero of the Kyrgyz epic of the same name - the hero who united the Kyrgyz.

8. Butane

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a state in Asia in the Himalayas, located between India and China. The capital is Thimphu. The name itself is Druk Yul or Druk Tsenden - “the land of the thunder dragon.” The national flag of Bhutan features a druk (white dragon) on a yellow and orange background. The flag is divided diagonally from the bottom of the staff, forming two triangles. The upper triangle is yellow, the lower triangle is orange. The dragon is located in the center and faces away from the shaft.
This flag, with minor modifications, has been used since the 19th century. It acquired its current form in 1969 and was officially adopted in 1972.
The dragon depicted on the flag symbolizes the local Tibetan name of Bhutan - the Land of the Dragon. He holds precious stones in his claws, symbolizing wealth. The yellow field symbolizes the theocratic monarchy, and the orange field symbolizes the Buddhist religion.

9. Northern Mariana Islands

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is located in the western Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Islands archipelago, sharing them with Guam, and is part of the United States. The blue color of the flag represents the Pacific Ocean, which washes the islands, "giving them love and peace", the star symbolizes the Commonwealth. A stone column is a symbol of the culture of a nation. A wreath woven from four types of exotic flowers (ylang-ylang, seur, anja, teibwo) is a symbol of the native culture of the islands.

10. Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea that have the status of an unincorporated organized territory of the United States. The flag of the islands was adopted on May 17, 1921. Consists of a simplified image of the Great Seal of the United States between the letters V and I (representing the Virgin Islands). The eagle holds a laurel branch in one paw and three arrows in the other, representing the three main islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. The colors of the flag symbolize the various natural features of the Virgin Islands - yellow (flowers), green (hills), white (clouds) and blue (water). The flag was created by artist Percival Sparks at the request of the American governor of the islands, Eli Kitel.

11. Central African Republic

The national flag of the Central African Republic was adopted on December 1, 1958. Its design was developed by Barthelemy Boganda, a prominent figure in the independence movement of the Central African Republic, who nevertheless believed that “France and Africa must go together.” Therefore, he combined the red, white and blue colors of the French tricolor and the Pan-African colors: red, green and yellow. The red color symbolizes the blood of the people of the country, the blood that was shed in the struggle for independence, and the blood that the people will shed if necessary to defend the country. The color blue symbolizes the sky and freedom. White - peace and dignity. Green - hope and faith. Yellow color symbolizes tolerance. The golden five-pointed star is a symbol of independence and a guide to future progress. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 3:5.

12. Lombardy (Italy)

Lombardy is the most populous and richest region in Italy and one of the richest regions in Europe. It extends from the Po Valley to the Italian Alps. The coat of arms and flag of the region depict the Camun rose, the most common subject of rock paintings in the Lombardy Val Camonica. Here is the largest group of petroglyphs in Europe, which has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, of course, a tourist mecca. There are many assumptions about the meaning of the Kamun rose. Italian archaeologist Emmanuel Anati believes that it could symbolize a complex religious concept and may have been a solar symbol. The stylized Camun rose has become a symbol of Lombardy and is depicted on the region's flag. This stylization was carried out by the graphic artist Pino Tovaglia in 1974.

13. Nepal

The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a country in the Himalayas in South Asia. Borders with India and China. The capital is the city of Kathmandu. This country has the only currently known non-rectangular flag (meaning national flags). This banner was composed of a simplified combination of the pennants of the two branches of the Rana dynasty - the past rulers of the country. The flag was adopted on December 16, 1962, simultaneously with the formation of a new constitutional government. By that time, pennants had been used separately for two centuries. They began to be used together in the 20th century. Red is the color of rhododendron, the national plant of this country. In addition, red also symbolizes victory in the war. The blue outline is the color of the world. The two royal symbols represent the hope that Nepal will last as long as the sun and moon. Until 1962, the sun and moon had human faces. But now faces have been removed from the symbolism to make the flag more modern.

14. Libya

On March 8, 1977, Libya seceded from the Federation of Arab Republics; The official name of the state was changed to the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. On November 11, 1977, the flag of Libya was changed to a single-color green (which was a reaction to Anwar Sadat's visit to Israel, which in Libya was considered a betrayal of Arab and Islamic values).
The green color of the flag symbolized Islam, the state religion of the country, as well as the Green Revolution of Muammar Gaddafi.
Participants in the uprising that broke out in Libya in February 2011 against Gaddafi began to use the former flag of the monarchy, which later became the official banner. Now the flag of the Libyan Republic is a red, black and green banner with a white crescent and star.

15. St. Petersburg, Florida (USA)

The flag was created by Ronald Whitney in 1983. Its creator describes the flag as follows: orange and red stripes symbolize the light of the sun, a green stripe represents the rich soil of the territory, and two blue stripes represent water, and in the center is a large white pelican, the symbol of the city.

16. Zambia

The flag was designed by Mrs Gabriel Ellison, who is also the designer of Zambia's coat of arms and the design of many of the country's postage stamps. The main colors of the national flag of Zambia are green, red, black, orange. The flag is a green panel, in the lower right corner of which there is a flag of three vertical stripes of red, black, orange, and in the upper right corner there is an image of a screaming eagle with open wings.
The colors have the following meaning:
Green color symbolizes natural resources.
The color red symbolizes the blood shed for Zambia's independence.
The color black represents the people of Zambia.
The orange color symbolizes the country's wealth of mineral resources (primarily copper).
The screaming eagle represents the rise of the Zambian people above the problems of the state.

17. Durban (South Africa)

Durban is the largest port city in South Africa. It is home to the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere, Juma in the Indian Quarter (975 sq. m), the first and largest Hindu temple in Africa, Sri Ambalavaanar Alayam and St. Paul's Church (1853). The religious symbol for the flag was probably not chosen by chance; as you can see, three major religions of the world coexist here.

18. Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a country in South Asia, on the island of the same name off the southeastern coast of Hindustan. From the time of the Portuguese invasion until independence, the country was called Ceylon in European languages. The flag of Sri Lanka features a golden lion holding a sword in its right front paw on a crimson background with four golden leaves at the corners. Along the edge of the flag there is a yellow border, which also frames two stripes of green and orange. The lion represents the ancestor of the Ceylonese, the green and orange stripes symbolize the Muslim and Hindu minorities respectively, and the red field represents the Buddhist majority. In 1972, when the country was renamed Sri Lanka, four leaves of the sacred Buddhist paipul (fig) tree were added to the corners of the red field. The leaves symbolize love, compassion, understanding and self-control. This version of the flag became official in 1978.

19. Switzerland

The flag of Switzerland is square; other than that, only the flag of the Vatican has this shape. It consists of a red square with a bold white cross in the center. Its official proportions are 1:1, but more rectangular ones are often used - 2:3 and 7:10. According to one version, the flag comes from the coat of arms of the canton of Schwyz (one of the three cantons that formed the Swiss Confederation in 1291, along with Uri and Unterwalden). The first time a banner of this type was used was at the Battle of Laupen in 1339. Then the crosspieces of the cross were narrower and reached the edges of the flag, reminiscent of the modern Danish flag. The flag was officially approved as the state symbol of Switzerland in 1889. The Red Cross symbol used by the International Committee of the Red Cross is derived from the Swiss flag.

20. Brussels (Belgium)

The flag of the capital Brussels features a yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) on a blue background. The flower was chosen as a symbol of the city because... it grew up in numerous swamps - the city itself was founded on swampy soil. The historical name of Brussels (Broeksel) goes back to two Old Dutch words: broec - “swamp” and sele - “settlement”, i.e. - "settlement in a swamp." According to legend, the Duke of Brabant's troops, knowing that the plant could only grow in shallow water, were able to gallop across the flooded plains. His opponents, however, not knowing about this feature of the irises, also tried to cross the plain, but got stuck in the swamps. Currently, the Belgian capital annually hosts the Iris Festival (Fête de l'Iris).

21. Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is the only territory left to France from the former colony of New France. It is located on small islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 20 km south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland. The official flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, as an overseas territory of France, is the French tricolor. The unofficial flag depicts the ship "Grande Hermine" on which Jacques Cartier approached the island of Saint-Pierre on June 15, 1536. The three flags placed at the flagpole symbolically show the origins of the majority of the inhabitants of the islands (from top to bottom): Basques (flag of the Basque Country), Bretons (flag of Brittany) and Normans.

22. Pernambuco (Brazil)

Pernambuco is a state in eastern Brazil, with the administrative center being the city of Recife. The state's coastline, stretching for 185 km, is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, from which the state's territory extends inland in a thin strip. The name comes from Paranambuku, which translates to "long river". The flag of the state of Pernambuco was officially established on February 23, 1917. The star represents the state itself, the three arches of the rainbow symbolize peace and union, and the luminary means that the inhabitants of Pernambuco are children of the Sun. The cross refers to the name Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), which was given to Brazil by European explorers.

23. Nunavut (Canada)

Nunavut is the largest and least populated of Canada's provinces and territories. With a population of 29,474 people, its area is comparable to the entire Western Europe. Nunavut was formed on April 1, 1999, as a result of separation from the Northwest Territories. On the same day, the provincial flag was approved. The flag’s panel is vertically divided into two equal parts (yellow (at the hoist) and white) by an image of a stone monument “inuksuk”, painted red, placed in the middle of the flag. In the upper right corner of the flag is sewn the blue five-pointed star Nikirtsuituk (Polar). The colors blue and yellow speak of the richness of Nunavut's land, sea and sky. The red symbolizes his connection to Canada.

24. Wallonia (Belgium)

The Walloon region of Belgium unites the five southern provinces of Belgium. The Brave Rooster (French coq hardi) or Walloon Rooster (Walloon cok walon) is a traditional Gallic symbol and recalls linguistic and cultural ties with France. The flag is an image of a red rooster with its right leg raised and its beak closed on a yellow background. The rooster looks at the edge of the pole. The colors are identical to the flag of the city of Liege. The flag was created in 1913 by artist Pierre Paulus. On July 3, 1991, the French Community adopted the Walloon flag as their official symbol. On July 15, 1998, the region adopted the flag as the official symbol of Wallonia.

25. Chelyabinsk region (Russia)

The flag of the Chelyabinsk region is the official symbol of the Chelyabinsk region as a subject of the Russian Federation. The flag was approved on December 27, 2001 and entered into the State Heraldic Register of the Russian Federation under number 898. The main figure of the flag is a loaded white camel with yellow luggage - a hardy and noble animal that inspires respect and personifies wisdom, longevity, memory, fidelity, patience, power over by the elements. The red color of the flag field - the color of life, mercy and love - symbolizes courage, strength, fire, feelings, beauty, health. The red color of the field is simultaneously consonant with the work of metallurgists, machine builders, foundry workers, and power engineers, whose main technological processes are associated with thermal reactions, which complements the content of the coat of arms of the Chelyabinsk region, as an industrialized region. The yellow stripe symbolizes the Ural Mountains, which connected Europe and Asia, their beauty, grandeur, and richness of mineral resources. White color is a symbol of nobility, purity, justice, generosity.