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Estonia

by rob raeside

Description of flag
Coat of arms
Naval Ensign
1941 State Ensign
Tallinn
Tartu
Viljandi

Description of flag

The Estonian national flag is a tri-color, with three equal horizontal bands, the upper one being blue, the middle one black and the lower white. The width to length ratio is 7:11, and the exact standard dimensions are 1000 by 1650 millimeters. The Law regarding the confirmation of the graphic specifications for the national flag and coat of arms was passed on July 7, 1992. The Law was confirmed with definitions of the images appearing on the small and large national coats of arms in conformance with the international color pallette PANTONE 1. The blue tone on the coat of arms is 285C. Colors of the triad: C 91% CYAN (blue), M 43% MAGENTA, Y 0% YELLOW, B 0% BLACK. (editor adds: this mean R=23, G=145, B=255) The colors of the national flag are representative of Estonian history and folk costumes, as well as occurring in nature. The significance of the individual colors has been explained in various histories: blue is referred to as the color of faith, loyalty and devotion; it also reflects the qualities of the sky, sea, and lakes. Black is said to be symbolic of the dark past of suffering of the Estonian people; the traditionally black jacket of the Estonian peasant during past times. White represents the striving towards enlightenment and virtue. White is also the color of birch bark and snow, and summer nights illuminated by the midnight sun. The days for raising the official flag are: January 1 - New Year's Day; February 24 - Independence Day; May 1 - May Day; second Sunday in May - Mother's Day; June 14 - Remembrance Day (anniversary of forceful deportation); June 23 - Victory Day; June 24 - Midsummer's; November 16 - Rebirth Day. The flag atop Pikk Hermann Tower on Toompea hill in Tallinn is raised every morning at dawn, but not before seven o'clock; it is lowered at sunset, but not later than ten o'clock. The flags on other buildings are scheduled by local government codes.
toomas molder

Coat of arms

The colours of the great and small coat of arms are blue (PANTONE 285 C) and golden.

The Great and Small State Coats of Arms of the Republic of Estonia were confirmed by the Riigikogu by a Law adopted on June 19, 1925, which entered into force on the territory of the Republic of Estonia on July 21, 1925.

According to the description in that Law, the coat of arms can be in two shapes, a large coat of arms or a small coat of arms. The large national coat of arms has three blue lions (or according to some interpretations, leopards) on a shield with a gold base. The shield is surrounded on three sides by a wreath of golden oak leaves. The smaller coat of arms lacks this.

Upon the passing of the Law, proposals were made in the Riigikogu on possible interpretations of the images on the coat of arms. A consensus was reached on the suggestions offered by Leopold Raudkepp:

One of the lions symbolizes the courage of the fight for freedom in ancient times. The second stands for the courage in the uprisings in Harjumaa in 1343. The third represents the courage of the Estonian fight for freedom between 1918-1920.
The wreath of oak leaves stands for the perseverance and strength of Estonia and the evergreen traditions of freedom.

The golden-yellow shield with three blue lions was used for the first time as the corporate seal of the association of Tartu and Viru vassals in 1284. Later it became the coat of arms of Estonian chivalry, and was used also past its loss of status in 1920, during the first period of independence of the Republic of Estonia. The coat of arms of Estonian chivalry also served as the coat of arms of the Province (Guberniya) of Estonia from 1721-1917.

The three lions (leopards) also appear on the City Arms of Tallinn, whose origin is noted to be in connection with the battle between the Danes and Estonians in 1219 below Tallinn (lions also appear on the Danish coat of arms).

Until the creation of the Republic of Estonia, the coat of arms did not exist as a national emblem. Working out of a design for the coat of arms began immediately after the end of the German occupation in 1918, and it spanned many years.

On many occasions competitions were advertised for arms designs, but no original work by any artist won sufficient approval. Other snags were caused by the opportunity to adapt and utilize the already existing coat of arms of the Province of Estonia. As the result of many long discussions, the scales finally tilted in favor of the coat of arms with the renderings of the three lions (leopards).

This coat of arms of the Republic of Estonia was in use until the beginning of the Soviet occupation on June 21, 1940.

The rendering on the coat of arms returned to the public in connection with the national amnesty started in 1988. For the first time since a hiatus that lasted decades, the coat of arms adorned by three lions of the city of Tallinn was used as a historical element in the Old Town Days of 1988. The City Arms of Tallinn was reinstated in the same year.

On May 8, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR passed a law on the emblems of Estonia. Pursuant to it, the designation "Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic" was declared invalid and the use of the Estonian SSR's coat of arms, flag, and anthem as national symbols was terminated. The third point of the Law provides Article ~ of the 1938 Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, according to which the national colours of Estonia shall be blue, black and white, and that the shape of the national flag and national coat of arms silail be defined by law.

On August 7, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia decided to adopt the national flag and national coat of arms that were official for the Republic of Estonia until August 1940.

On October 16, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia passed a Law on the use of the national flag and national coat of arms, which states that the national Arms can take two shapes - a large coat of arms and a small one. The large coat of arms shall have three blue lions rendered as leopards with silver eyes and red tongues, facing to the right yet gazing at the viewer, on a golden baroque shield. The shield shall be surrounded on three sides by a garland of two intertwined golden oak branches. The small coat of arms of the Republic of Estonia has the same figures, but is without the oak branches. The 1990 description of the Arms is much more specific than the 1925 version.

The Law regarding the confirmation of the graphic specifications for the national flag and coat of arms was passed on July 7, 1992. The Law was confirmed with definitions of the images appearing on the small and large national coats of arms in conformance with the international colour palette PANTONE 1. The blue tone on the coat of arms is 285C. Colours of the triad: C 91% CYAN (blue), M 43% MAGENTA, Y,0% YELLOW, B 0% BLACK (editor adds: this mean R=23, G=145, B=255).
toomas molder

Naval Ensign

by zeljko heimer 18-JUN-1996

Before the war Estonia had at least three flags, one blue, black, white for civil use, an other with the arms in the middle for the state and the same but swallow-tailed as war ensign. There was also a jack based on the jack of Russia.
pascal vagnat 27-NOV-1995

1941 State Ensign

Estonia 1941: The state ensign is the blue, black, white flag of today with the arms of the state in the center, extending into the upper and lower stripes, and swallow tailed with two indentations and three points, so that the top indentation ends at the bottom of the blue stripe and the bottom one begins with the top of the white stripe. I assume that the state flag is the same but not swallow tailed. The jack is similar to the current Russian one, white with a narrow black saltire under a blue cross.
nathan augustine 5-DEC-1995

Along with only Germany and Danzig, Estonia was one of the few countries that did not have a true swallowtailed flag. However, its state ensign has three tails. In the case of Germany and Danzig, no tails were used.
nathan augustine 14-JUN-1996