Flag, Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Union), original, 1980s

Please note: this flag is not for sale. We'll keep it in our collection because of it's historical value. Read our statement on the war in Ukraine. 

Details

Original Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukrainian SSR) flag
1980s
Synthetic material
± 72,0 x 165,0 cm

About this piece of art

Or... about this piece of history. The Soviet Union and two of its republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia) all became members of the nascent United Nations (UN) in 1945. Since all of their flags were red with only small markings in upper left corner, the UN demanded changes to the flags in 1949. To comply, the Ukrainian Soviet authorities dropped the lettering (YPCP, for Ukrayinsʹka Radyansʹka Sotsialistychna Respublika) and added an azure horizontal stripe (1/3 of the width). The Ukrainian SSR adopted this new design as its official flag on July 5, 1950. Other constituent republics of the Soviet Union soon followed and customised the bottom third of their flags.

While the Soviet flag was flown in the later months of 1991, even after the failed coup d'état, the blue and yellow flag was raised spontaneously throughout Ukraine by local activists between 14 March 1990 until its independence on 24 August 1991.

The now well know blue and yellow flag was provisionally adopted for official ceremonies in September 1991, although the Soviet-era flag officially remained until it was replaced on 28 January 1992.

In 2015 the use of the Ukrainian SSR flag was officially banned in Ukraine as part of the Ukrainian decommunization laws.