There are numerous flags used in areas of Ukraine that have been occupied by Russia or controlled by pro-Russian forces during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.
Novorossiya is an unrecognised confederation of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, claiming the territory of the respective Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. On 20 May 2015 the leadership of the Federal State of Novorossiya announced the 'freezing' of the confederation 'project'.[3]
The battle flag is based on the naval jackof the Imperial Russian Navy. Oleksandr Chalenko, who worked as a political journalist in Kiev, described the flag and explained its symbolism in an item published by Izvestia on 20 March 2014:[4]
It's a red flag with a blue Saint Andrew's cross. The flag of the Russian Navy. Of the Navy, which played a prominent military role in the emergence and establishment of historical Novorossiya.
On 15 May 2014 the Russian on-line newspaper Vzglyad noted that the then Governor of the Donetsk People's Republic, Pavel Gubarev, had announced the start of voting for a flag of the proposed state of Novorossiya.[5]
Following the proposition of the white-yellow-black tricolour as the national flag, the saltire was then adopted as the battle flag of the republic,[6] while a variant with the coat of arms is in use as de facto national flag since.
Flag of Novorossiya
Battle flag
War Flag of Novorossiya (Variant)
Similarity with the Confederate Naval Jack
The Confederate Naval Jack
Some have noted that the flag's design resembles the Confederate States of America's navy jack and battle flag, known also as the "Dixie flag".[7][8] Ukrainian political analyst Mikhail Pavliv is credited with having created the flag; Pavliv explains that he had simply stumbled upon the flag online somewhere, and that the leader of the New Russia Party, Pavel Gubarev, later picked it up. However, Gubarev has stated that the inspiration for the flag came from banners used by Cossacks in the 18th century. According to Alexey Eremenko of The Moscow Times, no Cossacks ever used a flag resembling the one chosen.[9] However, vexillologically, the flag is a combination of the flag of the Semirechye Cossacks and the St. Andrew's Flag.
^Chalenko, Oleksandr (20 March 2014). "Что такое Новороссия?" [What is Novorossiya?]. Известия [Izvestia] (in Russian). eISSN1563-6313. ISSN0233-4356. OCLC1076768530. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022. Это красный флаг с синим Андреевским крестом. Флаг российского флота. Флота, который сыграл выдающуюся военную роль в деле появления и утверждения исторической Новороссии.
^Жителям юго-востока Украины предложили выбрать флаг Новороссии [The inhabitants of the south-east of Ukraine are invited to choose a flag for Novorossiya]. Взгляд [Vzglyad] (in Russian). 15 May 2014. OCLC1051229635. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022. Народный губернатор Донбасса Павел Губарев объявил о начале голосования за флаг Новороссии – государства, которое планируется создать, объединив юго-восточные земли Украины. [...] На сайте информационно-аналитического портала «Новороссия» представлены 11 вариантов будущего флага государства. [The People's Governor of the Donbas, Pavel Gubarev, announced the start of voting for a flag for Novorossiya, a state planned to be founded which would unite the south-eastern area of Ukraine. [...] The website of the informational-analytical portal 'Novorossiya' presents 11 variants of the future flag of the state.]
^Tsarev, Oleg (13 August 2014). Заседание конкурсной комиссии на лучшую символику Новороссии состоялось [The meeting of the competition commission for the best symbols of Novorossia took place]. Олег Царев - ОФИЦИАЛЬНЫЙ САЙТ НАРОДНОГО ДЕПУТАТА УКРАИНЫ [Oleg Tsarev - OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PEOPLE'S DEPUTY OF UKRAINE] (in Russian). Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2022.