With Constitution Day having happened on September 1st, it is important to take a look at and talk about the flag of the Slovak Republic that it has had since becoming the nation it is today. The Slovak flag consists of two important parts: the Tricolor background and its heraldic Coat of Arms.
The Tricolor consists of white, red, and blue, which are the three colors that make up the Pan-Slavic national colors and represent Slavic unity and independence. These colors are based on Russia’s flag, which was first adopted in the late 17th century, as Russia represented an independent and powerful Slavic nation at the time. Many other Slavic countries also use the Pan-Slavic national colors, such as the Czech Republic, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. During its time as part of Czechoslovakia, this plain tricolor flag was used. However, after becoming independent as the Slovak Republic on September 1st, 1992, the Slovak people decided that their flag ought to be changed, as its tricolor is practically identical to that of Russia’s. As a result, a heraldic symbol was added to the flag in order to differentiate it from Russia’s flag.
On September 3rd, 1992, Ladislav Cisarik, a painter and heraldic artist, and Ladislav Vrtel, an expert in heraldry, came together to create the modern-day Slovakian flag with its iconic heraldic symbol on it. The heraldic symbol on the flag is a Coat of Arms that dates back to Slovakia’s time under Hungarian and Habsburg control. The coat of arms consists of a shield with a double-cross rising out of three blue mountains. These three mountains represent the Tatra, Fatra, and Matra mountain ranges. The flag bears a striking resemblance to Hungary’s coat of arms, with the difference being the coloration of the three mountains, which are green in the case of Hungary’s heraldry. This is because the Slovak nationalists of the mid-1800s used the coat of arms for themselves, changing the mountains to blue in order to have it represent the Pan-Slavic national colors.
Written by James Travis
Citations
“Flags, Symbols, and Currency of Slovakia.” World Atlas. 2022. https://www.worldatlas.com/flags/slovakia.
“History of the Slovakia Flag.” Mappr. 2022. https://www.mappr.co/flag-maps/slovakia/
Jano. “The Slovakian Flag: The Colors, History, and Meaning.” Explore Little Big Slovakia. 2022. https://littlebigslovakia.com/flag-of-slovakia-colors-history-and-meaning/
Smith, Whitney. “Flag of Slovakia.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Slovakia