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Karelia (Russian Federation)

by jan oskar engene 18-MAR-1996.

Flag of Karelia
Presentation of Karelia

See also:

Flag of Karelia

On 16 february 1993 a flag was adopted with equal horizontal stripes red-blue-green.

jan oskar engene 18-MAR-1996

Presentation of Karelia

Name: Republic of Karelia
Location: Russo-Finnish border region
Status: Republic within the Russian Federation

Notes: The Baltic states of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia were able only to offer token resistance to Soviet occupation in 1940, but the fourth Baltic state, Finland, fought back desperately and, although lost 10% of its territory, survived as an independent state.

The Karelians, ethnic Finns, were never part of an independent Finland, however, and constitute only 10% in the Republic named for them. The Karelian Autonomous Republic was created in 1923 and when the Soviets invaded Finland in 1940, a Provisional Finnish People's Government was created in Karelia as a precursor to Soviet rule being established in Finland and the establishment of a Finnish SSR of which Karelia would be part. A Finn-Karelian SSR was in fact proclaimed, in March 1940. However, when it became apparent that the Soviets had failed in their aim of occupying Finland, this was downgraded to an Autonomous Republic.

The Karelian flag is a Scandinavian cross of black, red, green. This was first flown during the region's unsuccessful war of independence in 1920. Although reported to be in actual use, the official status of this flag is not clear. A red-blue-green horizontal tricolour has also been reported; again its status, if any, is unclear.

stuart notholt 17-SEP-1995

by stuart notholt 17-SEP-1995.

Red and black are the traditional colours of Karelia, I don't know about the green. _Flagmaster_ some time ago had an article on the flags of Finland and the Finnic speaking regions in Russia, but I do not have the relevant copy to hand. More recently, _Flagmaster_ 072 reported the Karelian Republic to have adopted a flag of blue-over-white with a green triangle at the hoist (a la Czech republic) in October 1992, but _Flagmaster_ 074 reports the red-blue-green horizontal tricolour being adopted in February 1993.

roy stilling 18-SEP-1995

Anderson says that the flag of the autonomous Russian area of Karelia (1921-22) was green, black, and red (proportions unknown).

On Bill's list there is a flag for East Karelia, with the same colours in a different order: green, red, black. This is not mentioned by Andersson.

jan oskar engene 18-MAR-1996