Flag of Ukraine: 10 Interesting Facts
- The first mentioning of yellow-blue flag dates back to the 13th century, when Danylo Halytsky founded the city of Lviv and pictured a golden lion on blue background.
- Since 1848 the blue and yellow bicolor had been used as a national flag by residents of Halytchyna.
- Initially Ukrainian flags were shaped as triangles.
- In 1918 the blue-yellow flag was formally approved by Mykhailo Grushevsky, the first president of Ukraine as an official flag of Ukrainian People's Republic.
- There is some confusion with positioning of the colors - sometimes yellow was used at the top and blue at the bottom. In 1992 the Japanese artist Mao Mao asked Leonid Kuchma, the president of Ukraine at that time, to stick to the blue top and yellow bottom version as the opposite option might mean bad luck for the country.
- The colors of Ukrainian flag mean not just a blue sky and fields of wheat. The golden color means a Creator of Life, and the blue color freedom, life values and freedom of choice.
- On August 23d Ukrainians celebrate Day of Ukrainian Flag.
- The biggest flag of Ukraine (30 by 45 meters) was made in Donetsk by Maria Belyatkova in 2007, it is called "Donetsk Flag" and is kept in a Ukrainian book of records.
- The highest point of Ukrainian flag is in Kyiv at Pechersk hills. The height of the flagstick is 90 meters, size of the flag is 16 by 24 meters.
- Another flag of Ukraine - red and black ("freedom or death"), symbolizing Ukrainian soil and blood of Ukrainians who perished for its freedom, can be seen together with official peaceful yellow-blue flag in challenging times.
