Flag Day of Abkhazia

Flag of AbkhaziaOn June 3, 2005, President Sergey Bagapsh signed the Law “On Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Abkhazia “On Commemorative and Holidays in the Republic of Abkhazia” adopted by the People’s Assembly – Parliament. Since that time, July 23 was declared the Day of the State Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.

The modern state flag of the Republic of Abkhazia was approved by the session of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Abkhazia on July 23, 1992 in the city of Akua (Sukhum), after the decision to terminate the Constitution of the Abkhaz ASSR of 1978 and restore the Constitution of the Abkhaz SSR of 1925.

The author of the flag is the artist Valery Gamgia.

The modern flag of the Republic of Abkhazia symbolizes the main stages of development of the statehood of the Abkhaz people, one of the oldest indigenous ethnic groups of the Caucasus.

The purple flag with a white palm fluttered in the middle of the century over the city of Sebastopolis (also known as San Sebastian and the ancient Dioscuria, founded by the ancient Greeks in the VI-V centuries BC), on the site of which the current capital of Abkhazia - the city of Sukhum is located. The open white palm on a red background is a symbol of the Abkhaz statehood, which took shape during the Abkhaz kingdom (VIII – X centuries) and has 12 centuries. It means an open and friendly reception of guests.

The national flag of the Republic of Abkhazia is a cloth, along the length of which there are seven alternating stripes of green and white equal in width: four green and three white. White symbolizes spirituality, green (aquamarine) - youth and life.

The seven five-pointed stars above the palm are the seven main regions of historical Abkhazia: Sadzen (Jigeti), Bzip, Gumaa, Abjua, Samurzakan, Dal Tsabal, Pskhui-Aibga. In addition, the number "seven" for the Abkhazians, as for many peoples, is sacred and widely represented in their religion, mythology and traditional culture.