Foreign Influences on the Development of Russian Military Flags

As Russia turned its eyes to the West under Peter the Great, foreign influences were felt in many fields, in particular the armed forces. In contrast to naval flags, army flags and particularly infantry flags were changed frequently with each monarch’s reign and showed the influence of both enemies and allies such as Sweden, Saxony, Austria, and—most of all—Prussia. In the reigns of Alexander III and Nicholas II, infantry flags went back to an “old Slavic” religious design. After the Soviet period with its red flags, many military flags have returned to the triumphant forms of the reign of Alexander I but in new colors. This talk is illustrated with many pictures of actual flags in contemporary and modern illustrations from the author’s collection.

[IVI.CID] 70d7799b-57c7-4e99-9d5e-f5423e9426a3