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The Law "About State symbols of the Republic of
Belarus", dated 5 June 2004, can be downloaded in pdf format
from <pravo.by/pdf/2004-111/2004-111(004-016).pdf>.
Includes an b/w image of the coat of arms, with minor changes
from the version previously known, but no image of the flag. This
Law supersedes previous legislation about flag and coat of arms
from 1995 and hymn from 2002. The list of acts superseded can
also be downloaded from <pravo.by/pdf/2004-157/2004-157(004-007).pdf>.
The source seems to be some kind of "Official Gazette",
with mixed texts in Russian and Byelorussian. No apparent change
in flag description, however.
Antonio Gutierrez, 24 November 2004
The decree of the President of Belarus
June, 7, 1995
N 214
Minsk
About the statement of Regulations About the National Flag of
Belarus [Variations and additions: the Decree of the President of
Belarus from November, 14, 1995 N 462 (Codex of decrees of the
President and decisions of the Cabinet of Belarus, 1995, N 32, an
item 782); the Decree of the President of Belarus from January,
16, 1996 N 27 (Codex of decrees of the President and decisions of
the Cabinet of Belarus, 1996, N 2, an item 35); the Decree of the
President of Belarus from April, 23, 1999 N 231 (the National
registry of legal certificates (acts) of Belarus, 1999, N 33,
1/291)]
On the basis of the decision of the republican referendum which
has been carried out May, 14, 1995, I Decide: 1. To ratify
Regulations about the national Flag of Belarus it is applied.
2. To charge the Government of Belarus to present the President
of Belarus of the offer on reduction of acts of Belarus
consistency (according to) with the present Decree.
3. The decree is in effect from the date of his (its)
publication.
(-)
Alexander Lukashenko
President of the Republic of Belarus
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is authorized by the Decree of the President of Belarus from
June 7, 1995 N 214 Regulations About the national Flag of Belarus
1. The national flag of Belarus stands for the state sovereignty
of Belarus, represents the rectangular panel which is consisting
of two is horizontally located color strips: top - red color of
width in 2/3 and bottom - green color in 1/3 width of a flag.
About a staff the Belarus national ornament of red color on the
white field, constituting 1/9 lengths of a flag is vertically
located. The attitude (relation) of width of a flag to its length
- 1:2. The flag fastens on a staff (flagstaff) which is painted
in golden (ohra) color.
2. The national flag of Belarus rises: above a president
residence of Belarus - it is constant; above buildings of
chambers of National assembly of Belarus - it is constant; above
a building of Council of Ministers of Belarus - it is constant;
above buildings of courts of Belarus, local executive and
administrative bodies - it is constant, and above buildings in
which sessions of local Councils (on advice of) of deputies are
carried out, local executive and administrative bodies, - for the
period of realization of sessions; on buildings and means of
transportation diplomatic and consulates, on the buildings of
trading establishments of Belarus placed abroad, on marine courts
and other means of transportation on which as officials are the
President of Belarus, the Chairman of the House of
Representatives of National assembly of Belarus, the Chairman of
Council (on advice of) of Republic of National assembly of
Belarus, the prime Minister of Belarus or other persons
representing National assembly of Belarus or Council of Ministers
of Belarus, - in the order determined by Council of Ministers of
Belarus; On facilities for voting - in days of elections and
referendums; in army units of Belarus according to army charters;
on frontier posts and check points (customs houses) of Frontier
of Belarus; on marine ships, the ships of river fleet registered
in Belarus; On sports arenas - during realization of the
championships and superiority (championships) of Belarus, the
international sports competitions to participation of national
combined teams and during rewarding the Belarus sportsmen -
winners of the international competitions; on other objects under
the order of the President of Belarus, under the decision of
National assembly of Belarus, Council of Ministers of Belarus,
local Councils(on advice of) of deputies, local executive and
administrative bodies. The national flag of Belarus can be lifted
also at ceremonies and other solemn undertakings which are
carried out by the state and public bodies, the enterprises, the
organizations and establishments, during national, labor, family
holidays and in other memorable days.
3. At a simultaneous raising of the national Flag of Belarus and
flags of other states the national Flag of Belarus should be
lifted from the left side (on the part of), and flags of other
states - with right if to begin the person to a facade of a
building or a flagstaff. Flags of the states settle down in
alphabetic order. The national flag of Belarus settles down flush
with flags of other states. The national flag of Belarus on
vehicles (except for ships) settles down from the left side (on
the part of) in a direction of movement, and a flag of other
state - from the right side (on the part of).
4. The national flag of Belarus is established in facilities of
sessions of chambers of National assembly of Belarus, Council of
Ministers of Belarus, the Constitutional Court of Belarus, local
Councils (on advice of) of deputies, local executive and
administrative bodies, in service studies of the President of
Belarus, the Chairman of the House of Representatives of National
assembly of Belarus, the Chairman of Council (on advice of) of
Republic of National assembly of Belarus, the prime Minister of
Belarus, heads of other republican state bodies of Republic
Belarus, chairmen of local Councils (on advice of) of deputies,
heads of local executive and administrative bodies, other
official bodies, commanders of military parts, divisions of the
Ministry of Defense, Interior ministry, Committee of state
security, boundary and railway armies, a civil defense and rooms
in which deputies of Belarus constantly seeing voters, as well as
in facilities of the state enterprises, the organizations, the
state educational institutions.
5. During mourning under the decision of the President of
Belarus, National assembly of Belarus or Council of Ministers of
Belarus the national Flag of Belarus can be lifted in mourning
registration. In this case a black ribbon is attached to the
flag, which ends should hang down up to the bottom part of a
flag. The flag lifted during mourning on a flagstaff, is lowered
a little for 1/3 lengths of a flagstaff.
6. The display of the national Flag of Belarus necessarily is
located on the aircrafts registered in Belarus.
7. The display of the national Flag of Belarus can be used in
decorative objectives (with the purpose of) as the state and
national symbol so that thus disrespect for the national Flag of
Belarus was not shown.
8. The national flag of Belarus and its display regardless of
their size always should conform to the color standard and a
schematic display applied to the present position.
9. The persons guilty of defilement of the national flag of
Belarus bear the responsibility according to with the laws of
Belarus.
10. Rules of application of the present position and the order of
manufacturing of the national Flag of Belarus are defined by
Council of Ministers of Belarus.
Zachary Harden and Victor Lomantsov, 12 August
2002
Belarus had a referendum on Sunday, 14 May voting for stronger
presidential powers and closer economic integration with Russia.
Among the four questions put to the voters, was also one on
national symbols. The OMRI Daily
Digest reported that 75% of the voters (64.7% turn out)
"supported the return of Belarus's Soviet-era state emblem
and flag". The result is legally binding according to OMRI.
No further details on the design of the new emblems are offered.
jan oskar engene
UK press reports today suggest the re-adoption of the Soviet
Belarussian flag (ie with the stripes) but without the hammer and
sickle. It is also suggested that the coat of arms will be the
Soviet ones but without the slogan 'Workers of all Lands Unite.'
stuart notholt , 16 May 1995
Four polls were held, all of which were passed. Two concerned
state emblems (crest and flag) the third the re-adoption of
Russian as a state language and the 4th concerned with economic
integration with Russia. The full power of the state media was
deployed to ensure the correct result.
stuart notholt , 17 September 1995
OMRI's coverage of Belarus' symbols continue. According to
reports on 22 May, new banknotes with revised symbols will not be
issued this year. Replacement will be too costly. However,
tension over the question of the new flag has built up. A
presidential aide destroyed the white-red-white Belarusian flag
only a day after the referendum. OMRI also reports, on 25 May, of
a student demonstration in the capital Minsk against the decision
to replace the current national flag. 300 demonstrators marched
to the residence of president Lukashenka, tore down one of the
new Soviet-style flags and flushed it down a public toilet.
Questions have been raised as to the legality of the new flag,
since the referendum restoring it must be confirmed by Belarus'
parliament.
jan oskar engene , 17 September 1995
The government claims it was a reaction to unpopular agitating
by ultra-nationalist college students in Minsk. Treat with a
considerable pinch of salt! The Belarussan government is run by
old-style Reds who are on record as regretting the demise of the
USSR. Having totally failed to introduce meaningful reforms and
having wrecked the economy, they now see cosying up to Russia as
a means of bailing out the situation. The Russians, incidentally,
are only luke warm!
Stuart Notholt , 17 September 1995
From <www.savva-la-belle.com>:
On May 14, 1995 a national referendum included the question
"Do you agree with the adoption of the new National
Symbols?" This question was approved by 75.1% of those
voting. President Aleksander Lukashenko then issued two decrees,
"On Approval of a Pattern for the National Emblem of the
Republic of Belarus" and "On Approval of Regulations
for the National Flag of the Republic of Belarus",
officially adopting the new symbols.Adherents of the old symbols
claim that the referendum in which they were replaced was
unconstitutional, and that the propositions placed on the ballot
were worded misleadingly.
The "old" symbols had been adopted only four years
previously, on the occassion of Belarus' re-emergence as an
independent nation. To most Belarusians those symbols were still
new, and many may have believed that by "approving of the
new symbols" they were voting to retain them. Intentionally
or not, the new symbols were approved by 75.1% of those voting in
the referendum. However, only 64.7% of eligible voters
participated. So the new symbols were actually approved by only
48.6% of the Belarusian people. Detractors say that the
Belarusian constitution requires approval of 50% or more of the
Belarusian people (not just 50% of those voting) for any change
to the constitution, including changes to the official national
symbols.
Thus, a significant portion of Belarusians consider the new
symbols to have been adopted unlawfully, and still recognize the
old symbols as being the "real" ones. Still, an equally
significant portion of Belarusians truly supported the new
symbols.
Jarig Bakker , 7 July 1999
Dylan Crawfoot asked: Did Belarus adopt the
white-red-white flag immediately at the time of independence in
1991, or did they continue with a Soviet style flag for a period
of time?
They readopted the white-red-white immediately in 1991, IIRC they
acctually did that before the formal dissolvance of the Soviet
Union in December 1991. Later, they have however gone back to a
flag which look very much like the flag they had as a state of
the Soviet Union.
Of the former states of the Soviet Union, only one or two of the
Asian states continued the use of the Soviet style flag for a
while, and that was because they had no old flag tradition to
immediately fall back on.
Elias Granqvist, 23 Febuary 2001