Ukraine flag: 5 interesting facts and where to buy one online

Zorica Lončar

05.04.23 (updated more than 1 year ago)

4 minute read

Interested in the history of the Ukraine flag and want to know more about it? Read on, as we’ve put together a few of the most interesting facts about this iconic yellow and blue flag.

This includes what the colours mean and what the flag symbolises, along with some fascinating background on its origins. We’ll even cover some record-breakingly large Ukraine flags created over the years.

Want a Ukraine flag of your own? We’ll show you where you can buy a Ukraine flag online, so you can show your support for Ukraine in your own home. Plus, how to save money using the Wise card when buying flags from foreign websites in a different currency.

But for now, let’s get back to our interesting facts about the Ukraine flag.

1: Its colours represent fields of wheat under a blue sky

Ever wondered what the azure blue and golden yellow colours of the Ukraine flag symbolise?

The colours are actually very easy to decipher, as they represent golden wheat fields under a clear blue sky. The wheat fields represent the wealth and fertility of the Ukrainian nation.¹

In other more recent interpretations, the colours of the Ukraine flag represent peace and freedom.

2: Its history dates back to 1256, but the current Ukraine flag is only around 30 years old¹

The current Ukraine flag as we know it is just over 30 years old. It was approved in 1992, just after the country declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

But the iconic blue and yellow flag has its roots much further back. When Lviv was first founded in 1256, ruler Daniel of Galicia presented to the city a coat of arms featuring a yellow lion against a blue background.

However, the current incarnation of the Ukraine flag as it appears today springs from the revolution of 1848-1849. At this time, the Main Russian Council in Lviv adopted a flag with the combination of blue and yellow colours.

These colours came to symbolise everything earthly and freedom of choice (blue), and the Creator, God the Father (yellow).

3: The Ukraine flag under Soviet rule looked completely different

When Ukraine became a Soviet Union state in 1922, its flag was completely changed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.).

The flag under Soviet rule became red, and was changed three more times before Ukraine declared independence in 1992. These flags included symbols such as the gold hammer and sickle associated with the USSR, against a red background. The final design was similar, but with a thick blue stripe at the bottom.²

4: The longest Ukrainian flag in the world was unveiled in 2021³

In August 2021, the longest Ukraine flag in the world was unfurled between the regions of Ternopil and Khmelnytskyi.

Measuring an enormous 3,000 metres long and requiring an estimated 3,000 people to hold it, the flag was displayed to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. It was so large it was even included in the Book of Records of Ukraine.

A number of other supersized Ukraine flags have also been created over the years. Also in August 2021 to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine independence, the largest airborne Ukraine flag was deployed in the air above Kyiv.

This national record was broken by Lieutenant Colonel of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Anatolii Hlynenko. He and other parachutists managed to unfurl a flag reaching a total of almost 530 square metres in size.

And back in 2016, the world’s largest Ukraine flag made out of flowers was painstakingly created in the National Museum of Folk Architecture in Pyrohiv. It covered an area of 15,000 square metres, made up of yellow marigolds and blue petunias grown by Ukrainians from all over the country. Over 750,000 plants were required, around 50 for each square metre.

5: The Day of the National Flag is celebrated on 23rd August

Every summer, a celebration is held in Ukraine in honour of the nation’s flag. The Day of the National Flag is 23rd August,³ just a day before Independence Day of Ukraine is celebrated on 24th August. It’s a tradition established back in 2004 by the President of Ukraine.

Where to buy a Ukraine flag online

If you’d like your very own Ukraine flag, it’s easy to find and buy one online.

You can find Ukraine flags for sale at popular e-commerce sites like Amazon or eBay. Alternatively, a specialist flag seller such as theflagshop.co.uk, flagmakers.co.uk or www.flyingcolours.org.

There are also websites from overseas which donate some of the profits from flag sales to support Ukraine. For example, flagsforgood.com, which is based in the US. It is currently donating 10% of each flag sale to World Central Kitchen which is providing hot food to refugees and soldiers in Ukraine.⁴

Just make sure that you check the credentials of the website before buying, to make sure it’s legitimate and you know where your money is going.

And if you’re buying from overseas, you’ll need to watch out for high currency conversion costs. Pay with a Wise card and you can pay in a choice of 50 currencies at the mid-market exchange rate.

There’s just a small conversion fee, or it’s free if you already have the currency in your Wise account. It’s the smarter, cheaper way to shop internationally online, whether you’re buying a Ukraine flag or anything else.

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Most people don’t know much about the Ukraine flag, such as what its colours symbolise and the details of its history. It’s a very new flag for a new country, but its roots go back much further.

Hopefully after reading this, you have lots more information about the Ukraine flag. This includes a number of interesting facts you can use to impress friends and family.

And if you want to buy one of your own, you’ll know where to look online - and how to save money when purchasing from foreign websites by using the Wise card.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 03-Apr-2023

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