Flag is the country’s main symbol as well as the anthem and coat of arms. The flag of Russia consists of three stripes – white, blue and red. There is no official version of what the colours mean but some people believe that the white colour stands for generosity, blue for loyalty, and red for courage. Another symbolism is: white represents God that is at the top, red is peasants at the bottom, and blue is a tsar which is between the two.The history of the flag comes from the 1697 when Tsar Peter I visited the Netherlands. He liked the simple design of Dutch flag and used the same colours for the Russian flag. In 1917 in the period of October revolution, the flag was changed for the Red Flag that contained a gold hammer, sickle, and gold-bordered red star. It was the official flag of the Soviet Union. But later on August 21, 1991 the original white-blue-red Russian national flag was restored.
In 1994 the National Flag Day was established in Russia. It is celebrated on 22 August, but people work on this day. The flag is also raised on every national holiday.