St. Andrew's Flag Day in Russia

December 11 is St Andrew's Flag Day, this is one of the most attention-grabbing holidays, which has a long history Unfortunately, it is impossible to say for sure how exactly the idea came to Great Peter to use this particular symbolism as a flag Also, no one can reliably calculate the date when such a decision was made, so there are many interpretations There is also a version that St Andrew's Cross was borrowed from the Scots Indeed, much earlier, even before the reign of Peter, similar symbolism was found among different nations Even now, an oblique cross can also be seen on the national flag of Great Britain It can also be found on the flag of the city of Rio de Janeiro, etc It is also known that William Brown, the father of the Argentine fleet, sailed under this flag on the frigate The official version says that Tsar Peter the Great in 1692 (according to other sources in 1699) approved this particular option as a symbol of the nascent Russian fleet, the formation of which was urgently required One legend says that the king considered a variety of options and even turned to saints in prayer to receive help from Heaven Several different sketches lay on his table, and one day after prayer, a ray of sunshine entered the king’s window, stopping precisely on the sketch depicting the St Andrew’s Cross Yes, perhaps this is just a beautiful legend, but such blank spots in history only awaken people's interest in studying the glorious events of the past On December 11, 1699 (or 1692), the tsar finally made a choice, and since then this Day has become a national holiday in Russia Unfortunately, after the Bolsheviks came to power, in November 1917, this flag was canceled and virtually erased from history The authorities remembered it only in 1992, again making it the official banner of the country's naval forces It is interesting that, despite the fact that the Bolsheviks sought to abolish the previously adopted military symbols, the White Guards retained them It is known that until the final establishment of Soviet power, that is, almost until the mid-20s of the twentieth century, White Guard ships sailed on the waters and fought battles precisely under the St Andrew’s flag The last of them was filmed at the end of 1924 in northern Africa in the city of Bizerte This city is located in Tunisia Then it belonged to France, considered its overseas colony France was one of the last to recognize Soviet Russia, establishing diplomatic relations, and therefore the leaders of the White Guard movement were forced to admit their final defeat The restoration of memory took place by order of Boris Yeltsin in 1992, and since then this symbol has returned to the history of the country It is traditional to celebrate this Day according to the theme There are many options The television broadcast network is changing, more military and historical programs appear in it, including those that tell about the history of the country's navy This date is also used as an opportunity to popularize history In addition, patriotic events are held in educational institutions Meetings are organized with historians and naval combat veterans To mark this day, socio-political and charitable organizations organize events aimed, among other things, at helping military veterans and the families of dead sailors In some cities associated with the sea element, the holiday is celebrated on a special scale, organizing processions, military-patriotic concerts, and demonstration performances This is one of the most significant dates, since it shows people’s interest in history, military affairs, and patriotism Sometimes this day takes on a certain political coloring